These are the types of items most U.S. families purchase when shopping for back to school.
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Math,
Tools for School
From fresh markers to crisp folders, it’s the season for school supplies! Dig into the data behind your favorite
back-to-school tools.
By Elizabeth Carney | Illustrations by Sean McCabe
From the September 2024 Issue
Average Back-to-School Spending
(per family by category in 2023)
SOURCE: STATISTA
About how much did the average family spend on school supplies in total in 2023? Does this number surprise you? Explain.
Backpack Sales
Here are the sales of backpacks in the U.S. from 2011 to 2021.
SOURCE: STATISTA
During which year was the largest dip in sales? What event might explain this?
By the Numbers: Pencils
Here are some fun facts about this important writing tool.
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1565
Year that the earliest known wooden pencil was created by inserting a mineral called graphite into a hollow tube of wood
1853
Year that erasers, made of rubber, were first attached to pencils
20 BILLION
Number of pencils produced globally each year
731 MILES
Length of the line that could be drawn using the graphite found in the
average-sized pencil
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2,500
Approximate number of pencils that can be made from a single tree
Do you think a single tree would provide your class with enough pencils for one school year? Why or why not?
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