In 1883, workers completed the Brooklyn Bridge, an incredible feat of 19th century engineering. Problem was, folks were scared to cross it. How did they know if the bridge would hold?
In 1884, circus legend P.T. Barnum crossed the bridge with 21 elephants to prove the span could withstand anything...even the likes of Jumbo. The story is told (and fictionalized to varying degrees) in two books, Twenty-One Elephants
and Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing
.I wrote up three Math Box Card activities for children to do after reading the books. Lessons include comparing/contrasting literature, problem solving/measurement, and history. You can download them, free! Enjoy and please leave me a note if you do the activity.
