The Pencil Sandwich Story: teacher key

How Pencils Are Made, grade 4 edition, written for 4th grade. How graphite and clay become a pencil, and how Conté made the core that we still use.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

Who found a new way to make pencil cores in the 1790s?
- Gessner
- Lipman
- Conté (answer)
What is mixed with graphite to make a core?
- Clay (answer)
- Sand
- Wax
What is a kiln used for?
- Cutting the wood
- Baking the cores hard (answer)
- Painting the pencil
Why would a pencil with more clay write lighter?
- Clay makes it heavier
- Clay is white
- Clay makes the pencil harder (answer)
Why is cedar used for pencils?
- It holds its shape and does not warp (answer)
- It is very soft
- It is cheap and yellow