TEXTBOOKS
Usually found at the very back of the book, this section is a mini-dictionary that defines the bolded vocabulary words found in the chapters.
What is a Glossary?
This dairy product is a mixture of equal parts whole milk and light cream, making it thicker than milk but thinner than heavy cream.
What is Half-and-Half?
Invented in 1957 as 3D wallpaper (failed idea), this plastic packaging material is now used to protect fragile items and provide stress relief when popped.
What is Bubble Wrap?
This basic headwear is a staple for professional baseball players.
What is a Baseball Hat?(Cap)
Derived from the boll of a plant, this soft, fluffy fiber is the primary material for denim jeans and most t-shirts.
What is Cotton?
At the beginning of a textbook you will find this short Table that lists all of the chapters and the page numbers where to find them.
What is a Table of Contents?
If you order an iced coffee, regular granulated sugar won't dissolve well, so baristas use this liquid sweetener made by boiling sugar and water.
What is Simple Syrup?
Once your package ships, you refresh the carrier's website every hour entering this long string of numbers to see if your package is "Out for Delivery."
What is a Tracking Number?
This knit cap is a staple of teenage fashion, worn slouched on the back of the head even when it’s 85 degrees outside in Los Angeles.
What is a Beanie?
This "black gold" is pumped from the ground and refined into gasoline, diesel, and the plastics used to make your water bottle.
What is Crude Oil (or Petroleum)?
In most math and science textbooks, the answer key in the back typically only provides solutions for problems with these specific numbers.
What are Odd Numbers?
Often found in a yellow packet, this zero-calorie artificial sweetener is made from sucralose and is the main competitor to Sweet'N Low (pink) and Equal (blue).
What is Splenda?
This specific sticker, often accompanied by a picture of a broken glass, warns handlers that the contents of the box are easily breakable.
What is "Fragile"?
This hat with a wide, downward-sloping brim was originally for fishermen but became a massive fashion trend for Gen Z in the 2020s.
What is a Bucket Hat?
This soft, silvery-white metal is the critical component in the rechargeable batteries that power your iPhone and every Tesla on the road.
What is Lithium?
If you plan on heading into the medical field you will likely be lugging around a textbook for this AP subject in high school and beyond.
What is AP Biology? (or AP Chemistry)
This "raw" sweetener comes in brown packets and has larger, crunchy crystals; it retains some natural molasses flavor and is named after the turbine used to spin it.
What is Turbinado Sugar (or Sugar in the Raw)?
If you use the USPS "If it fits, it ships" boxes, you are using this pricing model where the weight doesn't matter, only the box size does.
What is Flat Rate?
Associated with French culture and artists, this soft, round, flat-crowned hat is usually made of wool or felt.
What is a Beret?
Glass is primarily made by melting down this very common granular material, which is essentially just silicon dioxide.
What is Sand (or Silica)?
In history textbooks, a letter written by George Washington during the Revolutionary War is considered this type of source, whereas the textbook chapter written about it is a secondary source.
What is a Primary Source?
Popular in vegan lattes, this sweetener is derived from a succulent plant native to Mexico (the same one used to make tequila) and has a lower glycemic index than sugar.
What is Agave (Nectar)?
Often dissolved by water to be eco-friendly, these loose-fill foam shapes are used to fill empty space in a box so items don't shift around.
What are Packing Peanuts?
Sherlock Holmes is famously depicted wearing this dual-billed hunting cap with ear flaps that can be tied up or down.
What is a Deerstalker?
To make aluminum for soda cans and airplanes, you first have to mine this reddish-brown sedimentary rock, which is the world's main source of aluminum.
What is Bauxite?