Image of two different ice cream sundaes against colorful sprinkle backdrop
Background illustration by Magictorch; iStockPhoto/Getty Images (ice cream bowl); ; Shutterstock.com (ice cream)
Infographic,

The Scoop on Ice Cream

A delightful infographic on ice cream

From the May 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: Students read an infographic, then use it as a model to create their own.

Featured Skill: Visual Literacy,

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Background illustration by Magictorch; iStockPhoto/Getty Images (ice cream bowl); Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images (Tang dynasty); Shutterstock.com (all other images)

By the Numbers

68%
the share of U.S. households that have ice cream in their freezer at all times
One Poll

$20 billion
the amount of money Americans are expected to spend on ice cream in 2024 
Statista

10%
the percentage of all milk produced in the U.S. that is used to make ice cream
World Wildlife Fund

America’s Top Flavors: Did your favorite make the list?

  1. chocolate
  2. cookies ’n’ cream
  3. vanilla
  4. strawberry
  5. chocolate chip

International Dairy Foods Association

POP QUIZ!

What’s the main ingredient in ice cream?

It’s air! Ice cream is made by rapidly mixing milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings as they’re frozen. Lots of air gets whipped into the mixture in the process, which gives ice cream its soft texture. Without all that air, the mix would freeze into a block of milky ice.

Who eats the most ice cream?

  1. New Zealand: 3.7 gallons per person per year 
  2. Finland: 3.4 gallons per person per year 
  3. Australia: 3.2 gallons per person per year 
  4. United States: 3 gallons per person per year 
  5. Sweden: 2.3 gallons per person per year 

Euromonitor International

A Short History of Ice Cream

600-900
Ice cream is likely invented in China, during the Tang dynasty.

1500s 
In Italy, ice cream becomes all the rage among the wealthy.

1770s
The first ice cream parlor opens in the U.S., in New York City.

Early 1900s 
Ice cream becomes cheap enough to produce that most Americans can afford it.

Today
Ice cream is a favorite treat. 73% of Americans have it at least once a week. 

Icon of a lightbulb

Writing Prompt

Using “The Scoop on Ice Cream” as a model, create an infographic about a food of your choice. Present your infographic on a poster or with a digital tool such as Canva. 

This article was originally published in the May 2024 issue.

Audio ()
Activities (2)
Skill-Building Activities
Audio ()
Activities (2)
Skill-Building Activities
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Prepare to Read

2. Read and Discuss

3. Write

1. PREPARE TO READ (1 MINUTE)

  • Give students a minute to preview the infographic.

2. READ AND DISCUSS (5 MINUTES)

  • Break students into groups to read each section of the infographic and discuss what they find interesting, surprising, or convincing. 

  • Reconvene as a class and ask volunteers to state one of the central ideas they took away from the infographic. (Students might answer, for example, that ice cream is popular around the world, that Americans eat a lot of ice cream, or that ice cream has been around a long time.)

3. WRITE (90 MINUTES)

  • Distribute the Infographic Planner, which guides students through the research and design process needed to respond to the prompt that appears at the bottom of page 32 of the magazine or the bottom of the digital story page:

Using “The Scoop on Ice Cream” as a model, create an infographic about a food of your choice. Present your information on a poster or with a digital tool such as Canva.

Text-to-Speech