You probably know a lot about famous female aviator Amelia Earhart. After learning to fly in the early 1920s, she went on to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and the first person to fly solo across three major U.S. routes.
Earhart disappeared attempting to circumnavigate the globe in 1937, spurring an ongoing fascination with her life and that loss. If she were alive today, we’re pretty sure there’s a new challenge she’d be taking on: learning to code.
Case in point: Earhart loved defying expectations about what women could do. According to a recent Gallup poll, 60% of people put girls’ interest in computer science below boys’, and more than a third say boys are more likely to be successful at it.
A second piece of evidence: as a pilot Earhart mastered aviation radio communication. From aircraft call signs to the NATO phonetic alphabet (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie…) to distinct callouts that signal the beginning and end of a transmission, that form of communication is its own kind of code.
So, why not celebrate what would be Earhart’s 121st birthday with an Ozobot creative prompt? Recreate her attempt to circumnavigate the globe, with your bot and some Color Codes!
You’ll need:
- 1 robot (Evo or Bit)
- A world map – Draw or print one. We chose a map from Etsy.
- White paper (or a roll of receipt paper)
- Tape or glue
- Color Code markers
- Color Code Reference Chart
Color Codes work best on white paper. To add Amelia’s flight path to your map, tape or glue down strips of white paper or use a roll of receipt paper. Next, mark these major stops on her flight (and brush up on your geography skills!):
- Oakland, CA
- Miami, FL
- Caripito, Venezuela
- Natal, Brazil
- Dakar, Senegal
- Assab, Eritrea
- Karachi, Pakistan
- Singapore, Malaysia
- Darwin, Australia
- Lae, Papua New Guinea
Then, draw lines and Color Codes leading past each stop. We used codes to make our Amelia Evo pause at certain stops, spin for a landing at others, and speed up or slow down based on wind patterns. Whatever you create, show it off. Share your creation with us @ozobot and mention the #OzoSquad!
