After reading Famous Firsts, students can come up with their own variation on an activity already created, or they can start from scratch.  Discuss with the class safety precautions for this.  If time allows, let the class experiment with activities on the playground or in the classroom. 

Now comes the educational part: Have the students write detailed directions for playing their new game or activity.  Have each student share his or her idea with the class.  Allow the rest of the class to ask clarifying questions; then give students more time to “perfect” their activities.

Read to the class about two of the sports in the book.  As a class or in small groups, have students fill in a Venn diagram about those two sports: What is similar about them?  What is different? Click here for PDF

If this is too easy, bump the assignment up a notch with a three-circle Venn diagram. Click here for PDF 

Have students write up their own pages to my book by picking a sport or activity not included and writing up two “spreads” about it.  Have them study the layout of the book first: four total pages per sport (or two spreads), photos (they can create drawings), subtitled sections, “Learn the Lingo” sidebar with related vocabulary terms, “Trivia Time” facts, “Another Person to Know,” and a map labeling where the sport originated.

Although all the sports and activities in my book began in the United States, you may want to open it up to anywhere in the world so it’s less limiting to them.