A Giant Puzzle in the Harbor
On June 17, 1885, a French naval ship named the Isère steamed into New York Harbor carrying a very unusual cargo. On board were 214 massive wooden crates filled with hundreds of pieces of hammered copper and iron beams. Together, these pieces formed a colossal gift from the people of France to the United States: the Statue of Liberty. However, the giant statue could not simply be lifted off the ship and set in place. Bringing this monument to life required years of teamwork, brilliant engineering, and an incredible amount of patience.
- colossal:
- Extraordinarily large in size or scale.
- collaborated:
- Worked together with someone to produce or create something.
- framework:
- A supporting structure or skeleton around which something is built.
- pedestal:
- A heavy base or block on which a statue or monument stands.
- scaffolding:
- A temporary wooden or metal platform used by workers when building high structures.
- riveted:
- Fastened firmly together using heavy metal pins or bolts hammered flat.
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Main Idea
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Context Clues
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Summarize
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Purpose
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Structure
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What unusual cargo arrived in New York Harbor aboard the ship Isère in 1885?
- 2Why did Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel design an iron skeleton inside the statue instead of using solid materials?
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About this explanatory article passage for 4th Grade
“A Giant Puzzle in the Harbor” is a explanatory article reading passage about Statue of Liberty arrival and assembly, written for 4th Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (549 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.