Introduction TIGHAR has been involved in the Earhart Project for ten years. We have grown increasingly aware of the middle school educational value of our research and its application to the teaching of science, math and technology. The professional team at TIGHAR proposes to use the ongoing search for Earhart as a vehicle to develop an educational program and instructional materials that will include an interactive website, a CD-ROM, a series of video tapes, printed curriculum materials and professional development opportunities for teachers.

Need for the Project

It's hard to teach students to use the scientific method in problem solving. The scientific method is typically not taught in ways that interest children, nor is it often shown to be applicable to everyday problem solving. Instead, it is usually taught in isolation as an abstract set of methods, quickly forgotten and seldom used.

To teach children, we must first capture their interest. Serendipitously, we have discovered that children are fascinated with the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. This fascination can be harnessed to generate excitement about science, mathematics and technology. The mystery of Earhart's disappearance presents an opportunity to exercise the kind of critical thinking, scientific methodology and rational thought that is so badly needed in our daily lives. Amelia is a package in which to wrap the greatest gift a teacher can give a student: the gift of how to think.

Project Goals

1. The project's primary goal is to use the investigation of Amelia Earhart's disappearance to teach students how to apply the scientific method in problem solving.
2. The project's secondary goal is to use the investigation of Amelia Earhart's disappearance as a context in which to teach science skills.

Essential Features of the Project

It is difficult to capture the interest and attention of students. Competition with the entertainment industry has left teachers struggling to make their lessons as captivating as a video/computer game or as spectacular as the special effects of the big screen.

Our children fail to grasp the essential underpinnings of science. Attitudes toward science are often apathetic or indifferent, especially for girls and young women, who say that these areas are boring or too hard. Teachers need real life situations that inspire imagination and intellect, problems that challenge and stimulate students to dig deeper into their minds to find solutions. Children can then be faced with authentic tasks applicable to real life situations that develop and strengthen leadership, creativity, higher level thinking and creative problem solving skills. There is no more perfect opportunity to do this than through the ongoing search for Amelia Earhart. Earhart is particularly compelling as a pioneer woman who is interesting and appealing to girls and women of all ages.

A Real Life Example

In the spring of 1998 a group of fourth grade students requested detailed information about TIGHAR's research. These children had become very interested in Amelia Earhart and were fascinated with the investigation TIGHAR was conducting. With the assistance of TIGHAR's Executive Director, Richard Gillespie, they participated in several public events (including an appearance in a History Channel documentary) to disseminate the research results and emphasize the importance of the science involved. Through an ongoing partnership with TIGHAR, the students have been able to examine various aspects of the research that would never have been addressed in an elementary curriculum.

The same group of students continues to build science skills through new resources developed by TIGHAR and their teacher, Barbara Norris, and have exhibited an increasing fascination with the subject matter. The students are currently participating in email correspondence with TIGHAR's expedition archeologist, Dr. Thomas F. King, to learn more about archeology and problem solving. These students are planning to add to the TIGHAR website with a section just for kids written by kids. Informally known as "The Airhearts," these children demonstrate an exceptional enthusiasm that has grown out of a partnership between a historical foundation and a group of children. It has astounded everyone from parents to school administrators.

Project Design

There is virtually no area of the school curriculum that cannot be addressed in the context of the Earhart Project. From the computation of fuel consumption, to the study of tropical island environments, to the employment of remote sensing search technology, the possibilities are endless. We believe the curriculum we have developed to date can be enhanced and expanded upon to help fill the void in current elementary science materials. In addition, the proposed curriculum can be enriched and modified for almost every age group and ability level. Here lies a wonderful opportunity to bring into the classroom a real-life situation, full of intrigue, historical significance, and opportunities for science and math skill development. The search for America¹s most famous missing person promises to be the catalyst for meaningful, "embraceable" learning about science and the scientific method.

TIGHAR's educational program, christened Finding Amelia: A Voyage of Discovery, envisions the following products. We propose to prepare three generations of materials:

First Generation:

1-1	Web site access to online information about Amelia Earhart and the search appropriate for teachers, students and their family members.
1-2	An expedition to Nikumaroro, Niku IIII, is scheduled to begin in late April, 2000, for an approximately six week duration. A Voyage of Discovery website, to be inaugurated four months prior to the expedition, will offer a series of approximately fifteen weekly presentations complete with photos, film clips and interactive features which will provide background information on the Earhart flight, its disappearance, the investigation so far and preparations for the expedition.
1-3	Support and assistance for teachers via an Internet maillist.
1-4	Internet coverage of the expedition via the Voyage of Discovery website from the expedition ship, Nai'a, a 120 foot motor-sailer based in Fiji. Daily updates with photos and Q&A sessions with members of the scientific party will cover the five-day, 1,000 mile voyage from Fiji to Nikumaroro, the 30 days of on-site archeological investigations, and the return voyage.

Second Generation:

2-1	Printed curriculum materials appropriate for middle school levels in regular education and special education, that include adaptations for learning support and gifted programs. Reproducible materials for students along with teacher guides will enhance the future video/CD-ROM or could be used in isolation should technology be unavailable.
2-2	Seminars, conferences and workshops for teachers that help implement curriculum and increase teacher knowledge base for more effective student instruction.
2-3	Assessment tools and strategies for evaluation of student performance.

Third Generation:

3-1

To supplement the published curriculum materials, video tapes geared toward an elementary audience will be produced from footage shot during and after the expedition.

3-2

A Voyage of Discovery interactive follow-on CD-ROM will be produced after the expedition which will enable students to recreate Earhart's flight and conduct their own investigation of her disappearance. State of the art features will allow students to gather data, formulate hypotheses, and test their theories through original source research and a virtual expedition. They will be able to examine historical documents, analyze anecdotal accounts, search for and find artifacts to identify and learn how to draw supportable conclusions. This Voyage of Discovery CD-ROM will have all the allure of popular fantasy adventure games but will deal with real facts and actual historical events. The CD-ROM will build on previous knowledge and a progressive understanding of both the subject area and the use of technology.

Program Objectives

Our goal is to create a program that inspires and motivates all participants toward becoming valued, capable members of society who can ask questions, collect data, and draw conclusions using circumstantial, reasonable, and scientific evidence. Students will also come to understand that not all problems have solutions. Objectives of this project reach far beyond the academic world, and into the realm of preparation for life.

Hands-on, simple activities will be built upon with increasing challenge and complexity. Examples include:

1. A study of critical questioning will lead to an introduction of probability and statistics that uses objects and ideas in real-life problem solving.
2. Deciphering Morse code messages to and from Earhart will segue into radio communication, radio theory and crystal radio building.
3. Creative problem solving that implements scientific methodology will provide a natural path toward applications of analysis and synthesis, as well as evaluation of conflicting and ambiguous data.
4. Discussion of the navigational methods used on the flight will lead to elementary work in algebra, trigonometry, and geology, as well as a basic understanding of optics.
5. Computer skills will develop a greater understanding of technology and the vast knowledge that is accessible using the World Wide Web and Internet with their global connections.
6. From maps will come instruction in the use of a compass, an introduction to astronomy, and navigation, which opens the door to a discussion and understanding of time zones and the International Dateline.

The educational aspect of our work has been growing steadily as the project's value as a learning tool has become increasingly apparent. We enjoy contacts and relationships with a wide range of government agencies, scholars, educators and museum professionals, manufacturers of technology, laboratories, research institutes, and forensic experts who help us evaluate artifacts. Our present educational activities include Internet access to a wealth of information on the Earhart disappearance and other aviation historical subjects on the TIGHAR Web site; an email forum among individuals interested in and assisting with TIGHAR's research; and active participation in the proof-of-concept 4th/5th grade pilot program previously described.

Evaluation

By its nature, this sort of program doesn't lend itself to traditional testing. If we are going to teach children to think, we must challenge them to do so rather than having them scratch through multiple choice tests. The best test of the acquisition of the skills we are promoting will be the ability to apply those skills to a new problem. We envision a "test" for each student which begins early in the life of the program with the child choosing a topic of interest to him---perhaps from a report in a newspaper or popular magazine, or a television program. Parallel with the development of skills and concepts in the program, each student will apply his new knowledge to the topic of his choice, developing descriptions of the methods appropriate for researching and solving the problem, and perhaps, at the end, an essay on the different paths which might lead to a good solution. The group of students would then choose a few of the proposed questions for analysis and actual reports (for not all would be appropriate for middle schoolers; it usually is quite difficult to incorporate travel to remote archives for original-source research in a fourth grader's life), making use of the skills they have learned in real time, and working in small groups for greater efficiency and social growth. By actively choosing and researching their own topics, the students will "own" the results and be motivated to dig deeply. By working both individually in small groups, teachers will be able to identify those children who are struggling and need extra help to assimilate the material, and the children will be able to learn from each other.

The fourth/fifth grade pilot group has progressed significantly in their understanding of the scientific method, and in their skills in science, creative problem solving, and higher level thinking. Spending time "doing science" has proved fruitful in other areas. Parents and teachers report that these students are more motivated, are developing better responsibility and accountability skills, demonstrate confidence and leadership, and continue to be infectious in their enthusiasm for learning. In weekly email correspondence with Dr. King, he poses questions to the students and requests that they discuss them, then formulate and test their own hypotheses. Deriving a genuine sense of contribution from their efforts has motivated this community of learners to new heights.

Dissemination

We are seeking a major educational publisher to partner the production and promotion of the end products of the Voyage of Discovery. We anticipate that after initial funding, the program will be self-supporting through sales of materials and promotion of workshops and conferences. Marketing will be done both by traditional methods and through TIGHAR's web site, offering curriculum samples and tips on a regular basis.

Timeline

1-1	Web site access, already in place and expanding.
1-2	Pre-expedition Web site section in place by January 2000.
1-3	Teacher support and assistance available via an Internet email forum concurrently with the launching of the pre-expedition Web site.
1-4	Internet coverage of expedition, April-May 2000.
2-1	Printed materials, to include teacher¹s guide, activity book, reproducibles, poster, portfolio cover, etc.; updatable and ongoing; first releases available September 2000 and continually thereafter.
2-2	Seminars, training sessions, and workshops for teachers, beginning September 2000.
2-3	Assessment tools available for teachers September 2000.
3-1	Videos available September 2001.
3-2	CD-ROM available September 2001.

Preliminary Budget

Finding Amelia: A Voyage of Discovery

 

	Year 1­1999	Year 2­2000	Year 3­2001
Salaries	27,555	182,950	84,585
Equipment	14,150	75,600	12,240
Consultants	2,955	136,850	221,600
Travel	4,212	267,500	47,000
Overhead	9,774	132,580	73,085
Other Costs	41,200	165,600	90,800
TOTAL	$99,846	$961,080	$529,310

TOTAL THREE YEAR BUDGET $1,590,236

Staff

 

Richard E. Gillespie, BA, State University of New York at Oswego, History, 1969. A highly experienced pilot and former aviation accident investigator, co-founder of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) in 1985. As the organization's Executive Director he has led over three dozen aviation archeological expeditions in North America, Europe and the South Pacific. He has also taught seminars in aviation archeology and historic preservation at major aviation musems throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Gillespie has been Project Director of TIGHAR's Earhart investigation since its inception in 1988.

Barbara P. Norris, BS, West Chester University, Elementary Education, 1992 Employed by the Downingtown Area School District, Downingtown, PA since 1993 as an elementary teacher. She has co-authored pilot performance task assessment and curriculum for district use. Currently enrolled in masters degree program. Norris is TIGHAR's Development Director for Education. Previous work experience includes 14 years as an expanded duty dental assistant, with certification in dental radiology.

Thomas F. King, Ph.D., University of California, Anthropology, 1976, San Francisco State University, Anthropology, 1968 Thirty years experience as professional archeologist and historic preservation expert, including extensive fieldwork in Micronesia. Publications include textbooks, journal articles, and popular articles on a wide range of archeological and historic preservation topics. TIGHAR expedition team archeologist.

no photo available Randall S. Jacobson, Ph.D., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1980. Employed at the Office of Naval Research since 1986 as Program Manager in Geology and Geophysics NS Mine Countermeasure Tactical Sensing. Twenty-four years of research in marine geophysics and related geophysical search techniques. Author of 40 articles, of which 19 are peer-reviewed, including one invited paper. Senior researcher at TIGHAR.

Karen Ramey Burns, Ph.D., University of Florida, Forensic Anthropology, 1987, University of Florida, Physical Anthropology, 1974. Currently employed by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work. Burns has been involved in education and research since 1974 in the fields of dentistry, forensic sciences, psychology human rights, and natural history. She has written 17 papers, and authored 15 published reports. Her work includes international experience in Guatemala, the Middle East, Poland, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Haiti and Tunisia.