Amelia Earhart: Queen of the Air

She was an uncommon heroine, a legendary aviator and the center of one of the greatest mysteries of modern time. A daredevil and a tomboy, Amelia Earhart always knew she would make her mark in history. Even as she was smashing aviation records, her unconventional short hair, pants and leather jackets had already made her an icon. But Earhart’s most famous act was her last—her disappearance while attempting to fly around the world. Join BIOGRAPHY for an unforgettable look at the woman who lived her life with “no regrets”—the unstoppable Amelia Earhart.

Amelia Earhart: Queen of the Air would be useful for classes on American History, the History of Science and Technology, Women’s History, Aviation History, and Cultural History. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

• aura
• aviator
• aviatrix
• capitalize
• catapulted
• charismatic
• colleagues
• convalescent
• embittered
• enigma
• exhilarated
• flamboyant
• icon
• lauds
• solitude
• wary

1. Amelia Earhart was a women ahead of her time. At a time when the rules and standards for women were very restricting, Amelia Earhart dared to defy them. How did Amelia Earhart defy and break the gender roles of her day? How might Amelia Earhart’s life have been different if she had been born fifty years later?

2. Amelia Earhart was the darling of the public and the media. Why did she capture the imagination of the public and the media? What was it about her that drew attention?

3. How did Amelia Earhart’s childhood as a tomboy contribute to her career as an adult?

4. Amelia Earhart was a woman pioneer, daring to do something that was considered inappropriate for women of her time. What other women pioneers can you think of? Discuss their contributions to history.

5. How did Amelia Earhart become interested in flying, something not many people of that time had ever done?

6. Amelia Earhart started flying as a hobby, but quickly found a career as a pilot. How was her flying transformed from a hobby to a career?

7. Like many other people, alcoholism touched the life of Amelia Earhart. While she herself did not drink, alcoholism was a part of her life. How did alcohol and alcoholism touch the life of Amelia Earhart?

8. One of the reasons speculated for Amelia Earhart’s universal popularity is a unique combination of both masculine and feminine qualities, that appealed to both women and men. In which ways did she possess both feminine and masculine characteristics? What makes a characteristic or a trait masculine or feminine?

9. How did Amelia Earhart contribute to the fight for women’s rights in the United States?

10. Amelia Earhart disappeared on her final stunt flight. Her body or the wreckage from the plane have never been found. How did Amelia Earhart’s early and tragic death contribute to her enduring popularity and legacy?

1. Design the front page of a newspaper reporting Amelia Earhart’s trans-Atlantic solo fight, the first by a woman.

2. Design the front page of a newspaper reporting the disappearance of Amelia Earhart’s plane.

3. Create an advertisement, using Amelia Earhart, for the first commercial airline (TWA). How would you entice people to fly?

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