Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was a famous aviator. She was born in 1897 in Kansas. She enjoyed sports like baseball and football. Growing up, she didn’t know what she wanted to do or be. After high school, she started college. However, she dropped out to be a nurse’s aide. After that, she became a mechanic. Eventually, she ended up back in school to study medicine. Amelia had a difficult time choosing what she wanted to do.

Which statement best describes Amelia?

• Amelia had many interests and took a long time to decide what she wanted to do.

• Amelia had few interests and never went to school.

• Amelia always wanted to be an artist.

• Amelia never had any goals.

In 1920, Amelia and her father attended an airshow in California. During the airshow, she went on her first plane ride. She knew as soon as the plane took off that she was meant to fly. She scraped together the money for flying lessons. She got her pilot’s license. Eventually, she bought her first airplane. It was bright yellow, and she named in the Canary.

What inspired Amelia to become a pilot?

• Attending an airshow with her dad in California.

• Buying a plane in 1920.

• Seeing a canary fly when she was a child.

Even though Amelia had only been flying for a few years, she wanted to set records. There were not many female aviators at the time. Amelia first became famous for setting an altitude record. She was the first female pilot to fly at 14,000 feet.

What does the word altitude mean?

• height above ground

• height below sea level

• weight of a plane

• length of a plane

In 1928, Amelia took a flight across the Atlantic Ocean with two male pilots. They flew an airplane name Friendship, and Amelia was the navigator. It was the first transatlantic flight, which means they went across the Atlantic Ocean. It was twenty hours long! This flight made Amelia a hero. When she returned to the United States, there was a parade for her in New York City.

What does the word transatlantic mean?

• across the Atlantic Ocean

• across the Pacific Ocean

• under the Atlantic Ocean

• across North America

Amelia wanted to be able to fly across the Atlantic Ocean by herself. Although the weather was bad and dangerous, Amelia made the flight in 1932. She received many awards for this amazing flight. She was the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic alone! She was also the first person to fly from Hawaii to California.

What does the word aviator mean?

• airplane pilot

• boat captain

• airplane mechanic

• boat mechanic

Amelia’s dream was to be the first woman to fly around the world. Unfortunately, Amelia disappeared during this flight in 1937. The United States searched for her for several weeks, but they never found her. She will always be a hero for her bravery and determination. Amelia will be remembered for the many aviation records she set.

Which of the following words could be used to describe Amelia?

Select ALL that apply:

• determined

• heroic

• afraid

• shy

• lazy

You have just read about American Hero Amelia Earhart. Now, write about her life and her accomplishments. (write at least 3 complete sentences).