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Trick or Treat!

Learn the numbers behind Halloween hauls

By Mara Grunbaum

From the October/November 2021 Issue

On Halloween, millions of costumed kids will go door-to-door collecting candy. Americans buy almost 270 million kilograms (600 million pounds) of Halloween sweets each year. But where did the trick-or-treating tradition come from?

More than 1,000 years ago, the Celtic people lived throughout Europe. They believed that once a year, on a holiday called Samhain, ghosts visited the living. To help the spirits, the Celts left food and drinks on their doorsteps. Eventually, people started dressing up as imaginary creatures and performing entertaining acts in exchange for treats and drinks. In the 19th century, immigrants from Ireland and England brought the tradition to America.

While Halloween candy may be tasty, experts recommend kids eat it only in moderation because of its high sugar content. Explore the graphs for more fun facts about these sweet treats!

Top Halloween Treats

In a 2020 survey, 13,852 Americans planned to purchase these types of candy.

Total Candy Sales

Here’s how much Americans spent on Halloween candy in recent years.

DIG INTO THE DATA
Why do you think the amount spent on candy decreased in 2020? What factors might affect the amount of candy people buy each year?

M&M Breakdown

These are the nutrients that make up one chocolate M&M.

video (1)

Activities (2)

Answer Key (1)

BEFORE READING:

What are some of students’ favorite sweet treats? Brainstorm a list. Circle the ones that are considered candy and ask students what those have in common. Discuss traits of candy (e.g., often comes in packaging, sweet, can be chocolaty or fruity, offered at celebrations).

Tell students they are going to see how one candy is made. Play the video “Jelly Belly Factory Tour.” Ask: What surprised or intrigued you about how the candy was made? Ask students to record what else they want to know about candy.

DURING READING:

Read the article aloud and discuss how Halloween celebrations changed over time.

Then focus on the circle graph M&M Breakdown. Analyze the graph out loud to model how students should examine a graph for information. Remind students that this circle graph shares data about nutritional components, parts that they can’t see, which can be found on labels on the candy’s packaging.

AFTER READING:

Have students complete the Dig Into the Data: Trick or Treat! assessment. Discuss information included in the graphs and other information that isn’t shown in the graphs, like what the candy is made of or how it is made.

Prepare materials and preview directions from the hands-on investigation M&M’s: The Inside Story. Ask students: What parts of an M&M have you seen or tasted? Do you think an M&M might have parts you can’t see from the outside? Encourage students to share experiences holding or eating M&M’s. Create a sketch of an M&M and list what parts students see or think are in the M&M. Then complete the hands-on activity to explore more about the inside (e.g., chocolate center) and outside parts (e.g., dye, letter “m”) of an M&M.

Discuss how the M&M’s changed over time in the water, and how the water helped dissolve, or break down, the different parts of the M&M. Include drawings and pictures for reference during the discussion.

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