Image of the past to current version of Mr. Potato Head
Danyelle Marie (Real Potato); HASBRO (Sister Yam & Brother Spud); Finnbarr Webster/Alamy Stock Photo (Mr. Potato Head); Eldad Carin/Alamy Stock Photo (Mrs. Potato Head); movies/Alamy Stock Photo (Toy Story 3); Pete Jenkins/Alamy Stock Photo (Darth Tater); iStockPhoto/Getty Images (Mr. Potato Head Cat)
Past to Present,

The Story of Mr. Potato Head

This wacky toy has changed a lot over the years. Follow the path to see how.

From the February 2025 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will follow an infographic to understand how Mr. Potato Head has changed over time.

Lexiles: 390L
Featured Skill: Text Features, Key Details,
Topic: Social Studies,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.1 Features of print RF.1.3 Decoding RI.1.3 Connecting information RI.1.5 Text features RI.1.7 Use illustrations to describe key ideas SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative discussions with peers and adults SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read-aloud
TEKS Standards
  • Social Studies
    (15) Science, technology, and society. The student identifies individuals who created or invented new technology and understands how technology affects daily life, past and present. The student is expected to: (B) describe how technology has affected communication, transportation, and recreation.

Magazine View
See Student View

1. Real Potatoes

At first, the toy was just a
pack of body parts. Kids stuck the parts into real potatoes or other vegetables.

2. More Potato Heads

Next came Mrs. Potato Head and the kids. They were Brother Spud and Sister Yam.

3. Plastic Potatoes 

Later, the toy came with a plastic potato. Parents were happy. They did not have to find old rotting potatoes in the house!

4. In the Movies

After that, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head became movie stars. They were in the Toy Story movies!

5. Hello, Darth Tater

Today, there are all kinds of Potato Heads. You can play with a dog or a pirate. You can even play with Darth Tater!

Slideshows (1)
Activities (3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (3) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Sequencing

Nonfiction text features

Social Studies Focus

History and culture

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Whole group
  • Small group

Pairings and Text Connections

  • From the Storyworks 1 archive: “Past to Present: The True Story of Rubik’s Cube” (March/April 2024); “Past to Present: The Story of LEGO® People” (September 2022)

Before-Reading Resources

  • Vocabulary slideshow (5 minutes) wacky, spud, rotting, movie stars

Suggested Reading Focus

How things change over time (20 minutes)

  • Preview the article with students. Ask them what kind of article it is. (an infographic) Remind them that an infographic arranges pictures and text in a way that gives you information. Ask what they notice about the nonfiction features.
  • Tell children that you will be learning about the history of Mr. Potato Head. Build excitement by asking what they know about the toy. Have they played with one before?
  • Read the article, pausing to check comprehension after each section.
  • After reading, ask students to recall how Mr. Potato Head has changed over time. Summarize their learning through discussion or on chart paper.

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: editing fragments/sentence writing; sequencing; main idea (15 minutes each)

Text-to-Speech