Friday, June 15, 2012



Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean
Written by Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle
Published by Hyperion Books in 2010



“She’ll be the first woman to make the Atlantic crossing by air… if she does it soon.” (6)

Awards:   
  • Nominated for the 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards in the Best Publication for Kids Category
  • Booklist 2010 Top 10 Books for Youth, Biography


Summary: In 1928, Amelia Earhart arrives in Trepassey, Newfoundland with hopes of becoming the first woman to fly over the Atlantic. There, she meets a spirited young girl named Grace who documents Amelia’s story for the local newspaper. Amelia’s successful flight thrills the world, but it means much more than an exciting headline; Amelia is paving the way for women to be recognized in a male-dominated society. As Grace ages, she must use her courage and spirit, just like Amelia, to break down gender barriers.

Reading Level: Lexile Framework: GN1080L Grade Level: 3.7
Suggested Delivery: Small Group Read, Small Group Discussion/Activities
Description: Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Biography

Key Vocabulary (by page number): ambition (5), telegram (20), tension (23), moxie (32), fiancé (38), exclusive (39), petrol (45)

Teaching Suggestions:
  1. Introduce the genre of graphic novels and allow students to skim through a few. Discuss with the class that, in graphic novels, both the pictures and the text are important to the story. Try reading a few pages of a graphic novel aloud. Then, repeat the reading while displaying the pictures on the page via an overhead projector. Ask students which version of your story-telling they liked best and why? Which version gave them a greater understanding of the story?
  2. Read the introduction, written by Eileen Collins, aloud to the class. The intro is very wordy and therefore is not suggested for children’s independent reading. But, it provides some important background information on Amelia and should be shared before reading.
  3. Introduce students to basic concepts of aviation at the time the novel takes place (the 1920’s and 30’s). This can be done through short video clips on the history of flight. Video segments will help children to picture what airplanes looked like back then and will also help them better visualize the story when reading… even if it is a graphic novel.


 Comprehension Strategies:

Before Reading: A major theme in this novel is gender inequality. Have students research in small groups some gender-norms of the time (the 1920’s and 30’s). Some sample research questions are: What type of jobs did women hold? How were women expected to act? How were men expected to act? Reconvene as a whole class and discuss findings. Then, discuss how these findings are different or similar to gender-norms of today. The teacher can compile the discussion results into a Venn diagram on the board. Emphasize the importance of gender-norms of the 1920’s and 30’s in contributing to Amelia Earhart’s story.

During Reading: The novel spans over a period of almost 10 years, and it is not always sequential. While reading, have students create a timeline, done either individually or in small groups, of Amelia’s life within the novel. They may also want to include aspects of Grace’s life on their timeline. This will help students to better visualize the sequence of events and clear up any confusion while reading.

After Reading: Visit the New England Air Museum! Located at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT, the New England Air Museum offers flight simulations, scavenger hunts, a kid-sized airport replica and exhibits dedicated to women in aviation.

Writing Activity: Have students write their own front-page newspaper article about a major event in Amelia Earhart’s life (her first flight, her disappearance, etc.). Students should put themselves back in time and imagine as if the event had just happened, and they need to spread the word! Encourage students to use their imagination but remember to stay true to the facts. Students can then type their article into a template to make it look like a real front-page story!

Electronic Resources:

Even if you’re not planning a field trip to the museum, the website offers some great pictures of exhibits and a lot of information ont eh history of aviation.

Amelia’s official website offers a short biography, pictures from her life, little known facts about her, and speculations on what happened to her after she disappeared. This website would be useful for students to skim before they read, or as a suggestion for students who show a heightened interest in the story.

“Amelia” (movie) Directed by Mira Nair in 2009
This recent film chronicles Amelia Earhart’s life and disappearance. It is rated PG and is therefore appropriate for students who would be reading this novel. It would be most time-efficient to only show certain clips of the movie, but it will allow students to better visualize what airplanes, people, clothes, etc. of Amelia’s time would have looked like. 

Taylor, S.S. & Towle, B. (2010). Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean. Hong Kong: Hyperion Books. 

1 comment:

  1. Dear Michelle,

    After looking at your blog posts, I can tell that you put in time and effort in each book that you read. When I read the activities and teaching suggestions for each post, particularly, the graphic novel with Amelia Earhart, I noticed that we had different activities and suggestions. It is amazing that even though we read the same graphic novel, we had different perspectives of looking at it. We had different interpretations of the summary, vocabulary words, and electronic resources. Although we had different perspectives, in all, we wanted our readers to receive a deeper understanding of the novel, which you have done successfully. For example, when you wanted students to look at the differences of gender norms from the 1920s-30s to today. When I teach this graphic novel to my students, I hope to use your teaching strategies. Keep up with the great work!

    -Sylvie Chho

    ReplyDelete