Art, care & community
Ruth Wakefield
1903–1977

Massachusetts connection
Whitman’s Toll House Inn
Wakefield created the chocolate chip cookie at the Toll House Inn in Whitman. A recipe from one Massachusetts kitchen became known far beyond the state. Food can be a historical source: it can tell us about ingredients, businesses, inventions, and what people enjoy sharing.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- How can making art, teaching, or caring for others change a community?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Ruth Wakefield mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: Commonwealth of Massachusetts ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?