Summary
Arnold Adoff's poetry collection celebrates the intensity, joy, and frustration of being a young athlete. LeVar Burton talks with young athletes and explores how sports push us to try our best even when it's hard.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Arnold Adoff's poems capture the feeling of playing sports.
- Which poem in the episode felt the most exciting or intense? What words made it feel that way?
- How does a poem about sports feel different from a story about sports?
- What sport would you write a poem about? What feeling would you want to capture?
- What does the episode say about trying hard even when you lose?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: poem, rhythm, stanza, athlete, perseverance.
Try it: Write a four-line poem about a sport you enjoy or want to try. Use at least one word that captures a sound or movement (swoosh, sprint, leap).