Who Uses 21 Elephants to Make a Point? P.T. Barnum does!

I love history! I love looking at the past to see the amazing stories of people who shaped our world today.Unfortunately, I could not find a history for N that I loved. (Why I want history for N is a bit of a story and really is too long for this post.) So... we have been using random picture books, current events, Bible stories, and even the stories from his reader to find our historical figures. To date we have covered ten people. This week we covered #11, P.T. Barnum and the year is 1883. (This was actually not who I set out to cover, I will explain why later!)

 For history this week we did the book, Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing Written by April Jones Prince and illustrated by Francois Roca. I saw the book on Pinterest in connection to a fun STEM project and fell in love with the story. The story is about the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and the subsequent distrust of the immense wood and steel wire suspension bridge. (The distrust was valid for that day and age, suspension bridges were relatively new and the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge of it's day.) PT Barnum heard about people's apprehension and saw the bridge as an opportunity for some publicity and to prove the bridges safety. As you may have guessed the elephants all make it across and the bridge deemed sound.

The book it self has amazing illustrations. The illustrator used beautiful watercolors to create a grand depiction of the era. The boys loved comparing clothing styles and I felt it

depicted the grandness of the bridge. What I was not ready for was the story. Don't get me wrong, I loved the story and the history. Additionally, I think poetry is a great way to tell a story. However, the vocabulary was WAY above an early elementary level (preschool-2nd grade). Examples of the "big" words would be: beguiled, gallant, dwarfed, savored, and infinite. I love vocabulary but when there is a 50cent word on every page, well it took us awhile to read the story. However, the language would have been awesome for 3-4 graders. Another book that is a little more age appropriate for younger listeners would be The Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde H. Swift, which happens to be about a bridge not far from the Brooklyn Bridge. But sadly, no elephants...

J. Roebling

Speaking of age appropriateness  I originally planned on N adding the architect/civil engineer for the Brooklyn Bridge to his history book. Unfortunately, the original architect John Roebling died from tetanus from a construction site accident. His son Washington Roebling ended up overseeing and finishing his father's bridge. This was a fascinating fact (J. Roebling was actually a fascinating man) but not quite 1st grade material.


Anyway, on to the fun stuff!

1)Well, first we had to make Brooklyn and Manhattan! I had some old Amazon boxes lying around (they are a perfect size for crafting) and tempra paint. The rest was left to the three fellas imaginations. We cut some construction paper and folded little tabs to create the cities. They drew streets and used paper to create the East River. The boys loved making the cities, I think E even put a sea monster in the river. 

 






2)We were then joined by the boys' cousin,T, and after the story, he and N were given an engineering challenge: Create a bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan that would hold all 21 elephant manipulatives. It was a great STEM exercise. Also, it presented a chance for N to learn to collaborate and problem solve with another student.

We (my sister and I) were amused and impressed by their results. N and T's first bridge made it across the river but did not fulfill the second condition of holding all 21 elephants. They made it the second time.   I also had 21 marbles if they needed more of a challenge but the math manipulatives were perfect.

3)I found this super fun paper craft on YouTube and it is really as easy as it looks! I would recommend using a lighter weight paper than construction paper. Here is the link for the how-to video!
Paper Elephant Craft

4) Lastly, N added his picture to his history notebook.

Supplies:
The Book (Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing can be found in large libraries or you can buy a copy online.)
Construction Paper
Cardboard Boxes (2)
Tempra Paint
Colored Copy Paper
Manipulatives (21)
Blocks (I have Kapla blocks, Keva would work
or you could use thick craft sticks.)
Scissors
Gluesticks
Drinking Straws

Concepts Covered: Besides the previously stated history, watercolor artwork, poetry, vocabulary, life and customs of 1880's, civil engineering, bridge types, fine motor skills, and following directions.

What I Would Change/Add: In the future make a list of the vocabulary words and practice dictionary skills with N. I also wish I could have found a good movie or an actual circus to show the boys as it is a foreign concept to them.  Also, Dinotrux Season 4 Episode 7 show the characters building a suspension bridge. Silly as it may seem, the episode helped reinforced the bridge types and reasons you would want a suspension bridge. It was a great add-on after the fact.

Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for even a single hour that which can be done just as well now.

 Phineas T. Barnum 

 

Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/ptbarnum163291.html

Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/ptbarnum163291.html

Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/ptbarnum163291.html