Grades 3-7
Fred Bowen’s newest book, Out of Bounds, teaches readers how
true athletes exemplify sportsmanship. Nate, an eighth-grade soccer player, must
choose to either keep playing after an opponent has been injured or to send the
ball out of bounds in an act of good sportsmanship. Much to the chagrin of some
of his teammates, Nate kicks the ball out of bounds in order to give the
injured player a chance to recover.
This book uses real-world events to help portray how young
athletes can be sportsman-like. Throughout the book, Nate and his team must
learn how to work together and how to demonstrate good character. Try this
activity with your class in order to practice creative writing skills and to
also prompt discussion on fairness and sportsmanship.
After the class reads Out of Bounds, discuss how the sportsmanship discussed in the book
can be applied to situations that do not involve sports. Emphasize that
sportsmanship is a display of fairness and of high character.
- Ask the class to write a one to two page essay
describing an instance where they witnessed excellent sportsmanship or an
example of fairness.
- These essays can be about sports, dance class,
camp, extracurricular activities, or anything that the student thinks applies
to the situation.
- This activity will help the class to practice
their writing skills and to learn the importance of sportsmanship in everyday
situations.
For the full discussion guides of Fred Bowen’s books, click
here, and for the full summary of
Out of Bounds, click
here.
