Image of a kid solving a rubik's cube
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Paired Texts,

The Rise of the Rubik's Cube

How one toy twisted and turned its way into history

By Catherine Schmitt
From the February 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will synthesize information from two texts about the Rubik’s Cube. The first text provides a history of the puzzle. The second text tells the story of a speedcuber.

Complexity Factors
  • Structure
    Both texts begin with a descriptive scene and then are mostly chronological. The first text includes a timeline of key dates in the history of the Rubik’s Cube.
  • Language
    There are some challenging domain-specific words that are defined on the page. Both texts refer to “speedcubing,” a competition with the goal of solving a Rubik’s Cube in the fastest possible time.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No previous knowledge is necessary. Some familiarity with the Rubik’s Cube may be helpful.
Lexiles: 600L-700L, Easier Level
Featured Skill: Synthesizing,
Other Key Skills: vocabulary, author’s craft, problem and solution, cause and effect, key idea, figurative language, key detail, text features, compare and contrast, connecting to the text, narrative writing, explanatory writing, opinion writing
Standards
  • Common Core
    RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.7, RI.3.9, W.3.1, W.3.2, SL.3.1, SL.3.2, L.3.5, L.3.6
  • TEKS Grade 3
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 4, 6a, 6c, 6e, 6g, 6h, 6i, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7f, 7g, 9di, 9dii, 9diii, 10b, 10c, 10d, 12b

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Think and Read: Synthesizing

As you read both texts, think about what makes the Rubik’s Cube special.

The Rise of the Rubik's Cube

It’s a rainy afternoon. You’re tired of watching your favorite movies. And it seems like you’ve beaten every level of every game on your tablet. Sigh. 

Then you spot that colorful cube your aunt gave you. You haven’t even taken it out of the box yet. After all, why would you want to play with a boring cube? But on a day like this, it seems like you have no other choice.

You start twisting the cube’s sides around. It’s unlike any game you’ve ever played before. The next thing you know . . . you’re obsessed! 

What is this toy? It’s a Rubik’s Cube! And it’s one of the most popular puzzles in the world.

It’s a rainy afternoon. You’re tired of watching your favorite movies. And it seems like you’ve beaten every game on your tablet. Sigh. 

Then you see the gift your aunt gave you. It’s a colorful cube. You haven’t even taken it out of the box yet. After all, why would you want to play with a boring cube? But on a day like this, it seems like you have no other choice. 

You start moving the cube’s sides around. It’s unlike any game you’ve ever played before. The next thing you know . . . you’re obsessed! 

What is this toy? It’s a Rubik’s Cube! And it’s one of the most popular puzzles in the world.

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Solving the Puzzle 

How do you solve a Rubik’s Cube? Shuffle parts of the cube around until each side is the same color. It’s harder than you might think!

The Magic Cube

The Magic Cube

The Rubik’s Cube didn’t start out as a toy. It began as a teaching tool! In 1974, a teacher named Erno Rubik was living in Hungary. (That’s a country in Europe.) Rubik was looking for a tool to teach his students about shapes and movement. So he created a wooden cube with rotating blocks.

Rubik added colors to each side of the block. In his free time, he twisted and turned the sides of the cube around. He soon became lost in a maze of colors. It took him a month to put the colors back on the same side!

That’s when Rubik realized what he’d created: a puzzle that was difficult—and fun—to solve! Rubik called his creation the Magic Cube.  

The Rubik’s Cube didn’t start out as a toy. It began as a teaching tool! In 1974, a teacher named Erno Rubik was living in Hungary. That’s a country in Europe. Rubik wanted to teach his students about shapes and movements. He needed a tool to help him. So he created a wooden cube with blocks that rotated.

Rubik added colors to each side of the block. In his free time, he twisted and turned the sides of the cube around. The cube became a confusing maze of colors. It took Rubik a month to put the colors back on the same side!

That’s when Rubik realized he’d created an amazing puzzle. It was difficult—and fun—to solve! Rubik called his creation the Magic Cube.  

Alex Goodlett/The New York Times/Redux 

Speedcubing 

People compete to see who can solve the puzzle the fastest!

Crazy for Cubes

Crazy for Cubes

At first, Rubik sold his cube around Hungary. Then a toy company started selling the cube all over the world. The company gave the puzzle a new name: the Rubik’s Cube. 

The toy was an instant hit! People bought more than 100 million cubes in just three years. Books were published to teach people how to solve it. A TV show featured a magical Rubik’s Cube that could talk and fly. Fans created a sport called speedcubing to see who could solve the puzzle the fastest.

After a while, the world grew tired of Rubik’s Cubes. New electronic toys were invented. People forgot about the toy—and the craze ended.

But Rubik’s Cubes didn’t disappear. Two decades later, the toy exploded in popularity again. Why? The internet! 

People could now share strategies with other fans online. They could also watch videos about how to solve the puzzle. And speedcubing competitions became bigger than ever!

At first, Rubik sold his cube around Hungary. Then a toy company started selling the cube all over the world. The company gave the puzzle a new name: the Rubik’s Cube. 

The toy was an instant hit! People bought more than 100 million cubes in just three years. Books were published to teach people how to solve it. A TV show had a magical Rubik’s Cube. It could talk and fly. Fans created a sport called speedcubing. Whoever solved the puzzle fastest won!

After a while, the world grew tired of Rubik’s Cubes. New electronic toys were invented. People forgot about the toy. The craze ended.

But Rubik’s Cubes didn’t disappear. Two decades later, the toy became popular again.

People could now share strategies with other fans online. They could also watch videos about how to solve the puzzle. And speedcubing competitions became bigger than ever!

Billions and Billions

Billions and Billions

Today the Rubik’s Cube continues to be one of the most popular toys in the world. Kids play with it at toy shops. Grandpas try to solve it while riding the bus. Some schools are even banning the toy because kids can’t stop twisting and turning it.

If you’ve ever tried to solve a Rubik’s Cube, you’ll quickly realize . . . it’s really tricky! After all, Rubik himself had a tough time solving his own invention.

But maybe that’s why the Rubik’s Cube continues to be so popular. Even with new technology and video games, people still love a challenge. There are billions and billions of ways to solve a Rubik’s Cube. 

Can you find one of them?

Today the Rubik’s Cube continues to be one of the most popular toys in the world. Kids play with it at toy shops. Grandpas try to solve it while riding the bus. Rubik’s cubes aren’t allowed at some schools. That’s because kids can’t stop playing it! 

But maybe that’s why the Rubik’s Cube continues to be so popular. Even with new technology and video games, people still love a challenge. There are billions and billions of ways to solve a Rubik’s Cube. 

Can you find one of them?

The Cube Through Time

PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES (ERNO RUBIK); COURTESY OF RUBIK’S CUBE/WWW.RUBIKS.COM (MAGIC CUBE)

1974 

Erno Rubik makes his first cube out of wood. He names it the Magic Cube.

1974

Erno Rubik makes his first cube out of wood. He names it the Magic Cube.

WIRESTOCK, INC./ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

1980s

 The colorful plastic cube becomes popular around the world. It is renamed the Rubik’s Cube.

1980s

The colorful plastic cube becomes popular around the world. It is renamed the Rubik’s Cube.

SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Today

You can find the puzzle in all shapes and sizes, like this one for speedcubing competitions.

Today

You can find the puzzle in all shapes and sizes, like this one for speedcubing competitions.

Game On!

Meet the fastest speedcuber in the world.

Schwan Park

Hello! I'm Max Park.

Max Park is focused. His fingers are twisting and turning in all different directions. Red, blue, orange, yellow, white, and green flash in his hands. 

Suddenly, a timer stops. The crowd goes wild. Max just broke the world record for the fastest Rubik’s Cube time! 

Max solved the puzzle in just 3.13 seconds. That’s likely less time than it took you to read this sentence! 

Max Park is focused. His fingers are twisting and turning in all different directions. Red, blue, orange, yellow, white, and green flash in his hands. 

Suddenly, a timer stops. The crowd goes wild. Max just broke the world record for the fastest Rubik’s Cube time! 

Max solved the puzzle in just 3.13 seconds. That’s probably faster than it took you to read this sentence! 

Cube/www.rubiks.com

Cubing Star 

Max prepares for a competition.

Doing What He Loves

Doing What He Loves

Growing up, Max saw the world differently than other people. Max has autism, a condition that affects how a person learns and communicates. It wasn’t easy for Max to make eye contact with people or make new friends. He also had a difficult time using his hands. Then one day, Max tried solving a Rubik’s Cube. It changed his life! 

Cubing (the act of solving a Rubik’s Cube) helped Max practice using his hands and fingers. It also encouraged him to talk to more people. He started going to cubing competitions, where he made friends from around the world.

Max is now 22 years old. He’s the fastest cuber on the planet. Cubing helped make living with autism easier for Max. It also gave him the confidence to be himself. Best of all? Max is doing what he loves.

Growing up, Max saw the world differently than other people. Max has autism. Autism is a condition that affects how a person learns and communicates. It wasn’t easy for Max to make eye contact with people or make new friends. He also had a hard time using his hands. Then one day, Max tried solving a Rubik’s Cube. It changed his life! 

Cubing is the act of solving a Rubik’s Cube. Cubing helped Max practice using his hands and fingers. It also helped him talk to more people. He started going to cubing competitions, where he made friends from around the world.

Max is now 22 years old. He’s the fastest cuber on the planet. Cubing helped make living with autism easier for Max. It also gave him the confidence to be himself. Best of all? Max is doing what he loves.  

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine a toy store is opening near you. Using details from both texts, write a paragraph explaining why the store should sell Rubik’s Cubes. 

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine a toy store is opening near you. Using details from both texts, write a paragraph explaining why the store should sell Rubik’s Cubes. 

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Can't-Miss Teaching Extras

If your students loved getting lost in the twists and turns of the Rubik’s Cube, then they’ll love “The History of Video Games,” a Paired Texts about how video games came to be.  

Read “The Rise of Roblox/5 Ways to Stay Connected” to learn how another game brought a community of people together. 

There’s even more gaming where that came from! Read “Minecraft and LEGO History” to discover how these games became world famous. (There’s an awesome video too!) 

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
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Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Close Reading

3. SEL Focus

4. Skill Building and Writing

5. Differentiate and Customize

Struggling Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers, Creative Writing

1. Preparing to Read

Preview Text Features/Set a Purpose for Reading

  • Instruct students to study the title, subtitle, and artwork on pages 16-17. Ask them to describe the picture and illustration and predict what the articles will be about. Review the predictions after reading.

  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 16 and the Think and Write box on page 19.

Introduce Vocabulary

  • Show or assign the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging words. Then assign the Vocabulary Skill Builder before or after reading.

2. Close Reading

  • Read the articles as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the audio Read-Aloud. 

  • Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, use all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)

Close-Reading Questions

  • Read the first section of “The Rise of the Rubik’s Cube.” Why does the author start the article this way? The author starts the article this way to get the reader excited about reading an article on this topic. She shows what it’s like to solve a Rubik’s Cube and why a Rubik’s Cube is different from other games. (author’s craft)
  • Read “The Magic Cube.” Why did Erno Rubik create the Magic Cube? Erno Rubik created the Magic Cube because he was looking for a tool to teach his students about shapes and movement. (problem and solution)
  • Read “Crazy for Cubes.” Which details from the section describe what happened when Rubik’s Magic Cube became an instant hit? People bought more than 100 million cubes in just three years. Books taught people how to solve it, and a TV show featured a magical Rubik’s Cube. Fans created a sport called speedcubing to see who could solve the puzzle the fastest. (cause and effect)
  • Read “Billions and Billions.” Why is the Rubik’s Cube still one of the most popular games in the world? The Rubik’s Cube is popular because people of all ages can try to solve it. There are billions of different ways to solve the puzzle. People like the challenge of figuring out a solution to this very difficult problem. (key idea)
  • What do the phrases “exploded in popularity” and “the crowd goes wild” tell you about the Rubik’s Cube? These phrases show that the Rubik’s Cube is a popular and exciting puzzle. “Exploded in popularity” tells you that a large number of people across the world are interested in solving it. “The crowd goes wild” tells you that during live speedcubing events, people cheer loudly when a record is broken. (author’s craft, figurative language)
  • Read the first section of “Game On!” What world record did Max Park break? Max Park broke the world record for the fastest Rubik’s Cube time by solving the puzzle in 3.13 seconds. (key detail)
  • Read “Doing What He Loves.” How did cubing change Max Park’s life? Since Max has autism, it was hard for him to make eye contact with people or make new friends while growing up. He also had a difficult time using his hands. But cubing helped him practice using his hands and fingers. He talked to more people and made new friends at cubing competitions around the world. (cause and effect)

Critical-Thinking Question

  • Read the sidebar, “The Cube Through Time,” on page 17. How did this famous cube change between 1974 and today? In 1974 the first cube was made from wood. The inventor, Erno Rubik, called it the Magic Cube. Then in the 1980s, the Magic Cube was renamed the Rubik’s Cube. It was made out of plastic and became popular around the world. Today the Rubik’s Cube comes in all shapes and sizes. (text features, compare and contrast)
  • Would you be interested in trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube? Use details from both texts in your answer. Answers will vary. (connecting to the text)

 

3. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Synthesizing

  • Distribute or digitally assign the Synthesizing Skill Builder.  

  • Ask students to write a response to the prompt in the Think and Write box on
    page 19.

Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers

Have students read the lower-Lexile version of the articles. As they read, students should look for and highlight the reasons why people enjoy solving a Rubik’s Cube. Afterward, work with students to complete the Synthesizing Skill Builder as a group.

For Multilingual Learners

Your multilingual learners may not be familiar with the Rubik’s Cube. Ask them about their favorite toy, puzzle, or game. Then have students write two or three details about that puzzle. Together, make a Venn diagram that compares it with the Rubik’s Cube.

For Advanced Readers

Invite students to expand the timeline “The Cube Through Time” on page 17. Ask students to add three or four more events to the timeline. They can use information from the articles or research online to find the information. Encourage students to think about which dates would be important to add, such as the date of the first speedcubing competition or when Max Park broke the world record. Students should hang up their timelines or share them with the class.

Text-to-Speech