Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean by Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle

Copyright 2010

Published by Hyperion Press

Lexile Level

Grade Level: 5

Courage, Adventure, History, Passion, Change, Danger

          Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean is the story of a Canadian girl, named Grace and her interest in Amelia Earhart.  She is intrigued that Earhart would be traveling across the Atlantic Ocean on a treacherous journey.  She gets the opportunity to ask Ameliea Earhart some questions about her life and realizes how smart, brave, and independent she is.  This novel explores the life of a woman in the 1920s and the difficulties they had to face because of their gender.

Teachers, here are some activities and resources for this book:

Key Vocabulary:

• History of Flight, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novel, Flight, Amelia Earhart

Before Reading Activity:

• Prior to reading, students can research life in the 1920s and create a poster, pamphlet, or PowerPoint about what they learned.  Have students research topics such as: women's rights, music, art, technology, and transportation.  Great way to include a history lesson!

Writing Activity:

• Give your students the opportunity to become reporters, just like Grace!  Have them research a famous woman from the 1920s (such as Amelia Earhart) and write a newspaper article about them.

Web Resources:

• Here is a teacher's reading guide for the novel.  It includes a book review, discussion questions, projects for each content area, and information about the creators of the book.
• To learn more about Amelia Earhart, visit her website! Learn about her through her biography, quotes, achievements, photos, videos, and fast facts!

Taylor, S. S., & Towle, B. (2010). Amelia Earhart: this broad ocean. New York: Disney/Hyperion Books.