Young World 3, Unit 5: Sports & Games
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This unit covers Sports Day (also called Field Day), a popular tradition in schools to celebrate the end of the year. The day usually consists in a variety of outdoor games focusing often on running and relay races as well as other activities. This is not an easy topic to find supplemental literature. The books below have therefore expanded on the Field Day theme to include information on famous runners and sports in general.
Sports Day
Daisy and the Trouble with Sports Day, by Kes Gray
This is a very funny, quick and easy read. It’s about Daisy who has a habit of getting into trouble. She isn’t very sporty but wants to win a race at her school sports day. She tries to train really hard but runs into trouble along the way, everyone else in her class wants to win too so it won’t be easy for Daisy! (Lexile 960L) what is this?
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Sports Day: Sam Kerr: Kicking Goals by Sam Kerr
Sam Kerr is brilliant at playing soccer. Her school sports day is coming up but there aren’t any soccer events on the schedule. Sam endeavours to get soccer included on sports day and forms a soccer team within her class. Events at home mean that Sam is crazy busy and trouble erupts as other at school try to cause trouble. A fun read written by Sam Kerr, a professional Australian soccer player (No Lexile Level available)
The Million Dollar Race by Matthew Ross Smith
Grant is a really talented runner, he enters a race to win a million dollars sponsored by a large corporation. He faces difficulties when it is discovered that his parents didn’t officially get him a birth certificate and with the help of his brother he creates a new country so that he may compete. His best friend is in the race too, can he beat him? Does he want to? You’ll have to read it to find out!
This book is about friendships, families, (unconventional they may be) and sports. It touches on issues like big businesses and working conditions. (Lexile 590L) what is this?
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Great Runners and Track Events
DK: Life Stories Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens is the most famous athlete in Track and Field history despite many odds. His grandparents had been slaves, his parents were poor sharecroppers. He set multiple world- records, including three in less than an hour, considered to be the “greatest 45 minutes in sport.” In 1936, he won 4 Gold medals in the Berlin Olympics. It’s worthwhile reading about this truly inspirational athlete. (Lexile 920L) what is this?
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Inspirational Lives: Mo Farah, by Simon Hart
This is biography of Olympic champion Mo Farah. In it we learn about his life in Africa as a child and about his career as an athlete and famous British role model. (Lexile NC 1070L) what is this?
Mighty Moe: The True Story of a Thirteen-Year-Old Women’s Running Revolutionary by Rachel Swaby and Kit Fox
Maureen Wilton won a marathon at age thirteen in a world record time but she was not heralded, instead she was accused of cheating and was told that women should not run such long distances. This is her story, it follows her running career, her quitting running and later returning to it as well as her life as the mother of a runner. (Lexile 950L) what is this?
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Ultimate Sports Heroes: Usain Bolt, by John Murray
A biography written for young people about the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt. It tells of his love for chicken nuggets and how he preferred cricket to running as a child. It’s one of a series of biographies about famous sporting figures. (No Lexile measure available)
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She Persisted: Florence Griffith Joyner, by Rita Williams Garcia
This book is written about three time Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo Jo) and how she didn’t give up until she achieved her goals of beating every record and challenge her father set for her. It also tells us about her life after athletics. This book is one in a series about women who persisted until they accomplished their ambition. (No Lexile measure available)
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The Race of the Century: The Battle to Break the Four-Minute Mile by Neal Bascomb
The book is centered on three athletes in three continents trying to run a mile as fast as four minutes. The athletes were in the UK, USA and Australia. At the time it was considered by most to be too dangerous to run so fast and foolhardy to try, but at the same time, it was extremely interesting to find out if anyone could do it. It’s a gripping read, telling of injuries, family issues and overbearing coaches making the reader unsure of what might happen next and who would be the first to run the four minute mile.
This book is an adaptation for younger readers of Neal Bascomb’s bestselling book The Perfect Mile. (Lexile 1030L) what is this?
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Sports in General
Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends, by David Stabler
This is a book about several famous sports stars and the struggles they had to become successful. Most had one person in their corner who helped and encouraged them to get where they wanted to go. The athletes include Tiger Woods, Billy Jean King, Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Gabby Douglas and Michael Jordan. Did you know that Michael Jordan (marvelous, talented basketball player) was clumsy when he was a boy? Or that Babe Ruth, the baseball star was sent to reform school? The book included great illustrations of the stars. (Lexile 960L) what is this?
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Sportopedia, by Adam Skinner
Sportopedia is a sports encyclopaedia full of information, facts, pictures and history. It features information on ball sports, racket sports, athletics, gymnastics, water sports, motor sports, target sports, combat sports and sporting events.A sports fan’s dream book, it is easy to read and well laid out. (No Lexile measure available)
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Supplemental Activities
There really can’t be a discussion about sports without it eventually turning to the Olympics. And what better place to go to learn about this amazing event than the Olympic Museum in Lausanne! The Olympic Museum
It’s not just skiing that takes place in the Alps of Switzerland. Bobsledding has been a major sport for years. Next time you are in St. Moritz, check out the BobMuseum and learn about a sport you might not have thought a lot about. Bob Museum