Curriculum Connections

Shape Poem
based on Winners Never Quit!
by Mia Hamm
Grades: K–3

View and print the student activity sheet (PDF)

About the Book
Mia Hamm knows a lot about the game of soccer and never quitting. She brings this great message to kids in her new book. Children will learn that no matter how the game goes you must play your best for yourself and the team.

Set the Stage
Get students ready to read by discussing some of these items:

• Ask students if they have ever heard of the author, soccer star, Mia Hamm. Show them her photos on the back cover and the inside back cover.
• Select several students to share some of their stories about sport wins and losses. Discuss some emotions that you have when you lose a game and what it means to be a team player.
• Show students some of the pages where the words are illustrated in large print and ask them why the author treated the words in that way.

Review
After reading the book lead a class discussion with these questions:

• What was the author�s message in this book?
• Would you want Mia to play on your team if she always quit before the game was over?
• How did Mia�s brother help her learn how to be a team player?
• What are some ways you could help a friend who wanted to quit because they did not make a goal?
• Ask students why they think Mia Hamm wanted to write a book for children? Read the note from Mia in the back of the book and see if the student�s predictions were right.

Student Activity
Students will practice creative writing as they create their own soccer shape poem.

Related Activities
To extend students� enjoyment of the book, try these:

• Scrapbooking Fun!: Review the scrapbook pages of Mia Hamm in the back of the book and read each caption to the class. Have students create their own scrap book page that includes captions that describes what is going on in each of their photos. They can bring in photos from home or illustrate their own pictures.
• Sports Bio: Have students form groups and research information on Mia Hamm or another sports figure. Have them prepare a biography and pick three new things they learned from their research to present to the class.
• New Endings: Have students rewrite a different ending for this book. Have them explain why they chose their new ending.
• Trading Cards: Have students create trading cards that feature themselves and their favorite sport. They can illustrate a picture of themselves on one side and include important sport stats on the other.

(PDF)
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