Book Info
This book tells the story of Amelia Earhart from her days as a plucky, curious child to her record-breaking flights. Earhart shattered boundaries and challenged conventional thinking on women’s roles in society and proved that ordinary people could change the world with hard work and determination.
Source: Penguin Random House
Videos
Taking Flight with Pilot Rose Ellen May
Gyroplanes: Lawn Chairs in the Sky!
How to Make a Bug Paper Plane
How to Make a Dart Paper Plane
How to Make a Glider Paper Plane
How to Make a Jet Paper Plane
Activities
Just Plane Awesome!
What makes a plane fly? The four forces that help planes fly (aerodynamics) include: Lift, Weight, Drag, and Thrust. Want to make and fly your own plane? Watch a video with engineer Pettee Guerrero to learn how!
Activity
Design your own paper plane by using the templates and directions below.
- Which one flies the fastest?
- Which one flies the furthest?
- Does using a heavier paper or different artistic media affect the flight? If so, why?
- These designs are symmetrical, meaning that one half of the design is mirrored on the other half. Would an asymmetrical design (one that is not symmetrical) work for a plane?
Educators
Idea Sparks and Mini Lessons
These questions, prompts, and short activities provide quick ways to inspire interest and explore the STEAM concepts related to the book. Idea Sparks and Mini lessons can also be used for differentiation and to foster new ideas of your own.
STEM Activity: What Makes Planes Fly?
Introduce students to concepts of aerodynamics including weight, lift, thrust, and drag. Students can test different paper airplane designs to see which flies the farthest, straightest, fastest, and more! Find a complete lesson plan along with paper airplane templates and videos at our sister site, SMARTspaceNIU.com.
Life Defining Moments
The book I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Meltzer follows Amelia through her life. In this activity, students will research a historical figure and create a poster based on an important moment in that figure’s life. Then students will explain how the moment was important and how it shaped the life of that historical figure.
Important Moments
The book I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Meltzer follows Amelia through her life. In this activity students will ask an important person in their life about an important moment they had and create a picture about it. Then students will explain their picture.
Autobiography
The book I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Meltzer follows Amelia through her life. In this activity, students will create an autobiography of their own life in the same style of the book. This activity takes students beyond the typical “what do you want to be when you grow up” and makes them think about how the events in their life will help them achieve their goals.
About the Author
Brad Meltzer
Raised in Brooklyn and Miami, Brad is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia Law School. He is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle and The Book of Fate, as well as many other bestsellers. In addition to being an author of fiction, nonfiction, and comic books, he is also the host of the History Channel TV show Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, as well as a co-creator of the TV show Jack & Bobby. Other titles by Brad Meltzer include I am Neil Armstrong, I am Jane Godall, and The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington.
Learn more at bradmeltzer.com.
