Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic, Amelia Earhart, and addresses the concepts of setting goals and persevering through challenges. 

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Prompt students to think of a challenging goal they’ve set for themselves. Ask:

  • What was your goal and what made it challenging?
  • What steps did you take to reach your goal? 
  • What setbacks or obstacles did you face along the way and how did you overcome these challenges?

Step 2: BUILD BACKGROUND

  • Read aloud the description below the Movie player.
  • Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding.
  • Students examine the Primary Sources and answer the accompanying questions.
  • Have students choose to read one of the following Related Reading articles: “Quotables” or “Unsolved Mysteries.” Pair students who read different articles and share with each other what they learned.  

Step 3: APPLY

Students synthesize their ideas and express them through one or more of the following creative projects. They can work individually or collaborate.  

  • Make-a-Movie: Imagine you’re Amelia Earhart, and make a vlog ( “video blog”) about one of your groundbreaking flights. Describe how you feel, what you see, what message you want to send about setting goals and persevering despite obstacles.
  • Make-a-Map: Identify characteristics that describe Amelia Earhart and evidence to support each one.
  • Creative Coding: Code a newscast reporting on Amelia Earhart’s 1932 solo flight across the Atlantic.


Step 4: REFLECT & ASSESS 

  • Reflect: After sharing creative projects with each other, students reflect on what they’ve learned about Amelia Earhart. Prompt them by asking questions such as:

    • What barriers did Amelia Earhart break? What character traits enabled her to persevere and reach her goals?
    • How did Amelia Earhart impact women’s history?
    • Why do we still celebrate Amelia Earhart’s accomplishments today?
    • What can we learn from Amelia Earhart about setting goals and following dreams?

Step 5: EXTEND LEARNING

For strategies on how to set and achieve goals, explore the Setting Goals topic with support from the accompanying lesson plan.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

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