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Amelia Earhart: Flying Across the Atlantic

A complete A1 classroom lesson with the EnglishDrills nine-colour lesson sequence.

A145–55 minutesPeople & explorationPrintable
Teacher lesson: Look at the picture and title. What can you see? What do you know about pilots? Work through the nine panels in order, or choose the sections that suit your class. Teacher answers and the listening script are stored separately.
Teacher Answers
1 Lesson Goals
Amelia Earhart beside an aeroplane above a coastal landscape

By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:

  • understand key facts about Amelia Earhart.
  • use simple vocabulary about flying and travel.
  • talk and write about a brave person.
Start here: What words do you know about aeroplanes and flying?
2 Reading
Before you read:

Look at the picture. Where is Amelia? What is she wearing?

Amelia Earhart was an American pilot. She was born in 1897. At that time, very few women were pilots. Amelia loved flying and worked hard to become a skilled pilot. In 1932, she became the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. The journey was difficult. The weather was bad, and her aeroplane had problems, but she continued. After many hours, she landed safely in Ireland. People around the world became interested in her story. Amelia showed that women could do difficult and exciting things in aviation. She later tried to fly around the world, but her aeroplane disappeared in 1937.
3 Vocabulary
Words: pilot · aeroplane · Atlantic · journey · safely

Match each word to a meaning, or write a simple example.

pilot –

aeroplane –

Atlantic –

journey –

safely –

4 Check Your Understanding

1. What job did Amelia Earhart have?

2. What did she do in 1932?

3. Where did she land after crossing the Atlantic?

4. Was the journey easy or difficult?

5. Why do people still remember Amelia Earhart?

5 Language Focus

Complete the sentences with was or were.

1. Amelia Earhart a pilot.

2. There few women pilots at that time.

3. The weather bad.

4. People around the world interested in her story.

6 Listen & Speak

Listen

Listen to your teacher. You will hear the text twice.

1. What did Amelia love?

2. In what year did she fly alone across the Atlantic?

3. Where did she land?

4. What happened in 1937?

Speak

Discuss with a partner.

• Would you like to learn to fly?
• What makes a person brave?
• Name someone you think is adventurous.

Amelia Earhart: Flying Across the Atlantic — Continued
7 Use Your English

Something New

Imagine you are a newspaper reporter in 1932. With a partner, create a short headline and one sentence about Amelia’s flight.

Write

Write 6–8 simple sentences about Amelia Earhart. Use at least three words from the Vocabulary panel.

8 Puzzle or Game
True or False Race

Write T or F. Then correct the false sentences.

1. Amelia Earhart was a pilot. ____

2. She flew alone across the Pacific in 1932. ____

3. She landed in Ireland. ____

4. Her final aeroplane disappeared in 1937. ____

9 Success Criteria ✓

Tick each statement when you can do it.

  • I can say who Amelia Earhart was.
  • I can use at least three new lesson words.
  • I can use was and were correctly.
  • I can say or write why Amelia was important.

One thing I am proud of today:

10 Show What You Can Do
Final challenge: Amelia Earhart

Plan: Write 3 facts and 3 useful words from the lesson.

Respond: Write 5–6 sentences, or give a short spoken response, about Amelia Earhart.

Reflect: Underline your best sentence.