Walking in Your Shoes

Imagine you could put on someone else’s comfortable shoes. What would you see if you were walking in an unfamiliar place?

• 1.

  What kind of shoes would you wear if you lived in another country? In Senegal, children wear sandals; in England, some might have oxfords; and in Switzerland a pair of hiking boots might be the best fit. Choose a place to explore in your imagination. Find out what kind of shoes you would wear if you lived there. Then create a unique display to show what you might see while wearing those shoes.

• 2.

  <STRONG>Sculpt your shoe.</STRONG> Scrunch newspaper into a shoe shape. Use masking tape to hold your paper armature in place. Roll neon Crayola Model Magic® into a flat sheet with a Crayola Marker. Drape the modeling compound over the newspaper to shape it into footwear. Roll coils in contrasting colors. Attach them to the shoe for the sole, laces, or straps. Use your fingernail or a marker cap to impress details such as stitching or tread. Air-dry the shoe overnight.

• 3.

  <STRONG>Make local cutouts</STRONG>. On construction paper, draw and color what you would see as a traveler in the country. In Switzerland, you could find the Alps, brown Swiss cattle, cheese, skis, and timepieces. Cut out your drawings with Crayola Scissors, leaving a small tab at the bottom of each one to attach it to the poster.

• 4.

  <STRONG>Show the country</STRONG>. Trace the country’s name and land mass on posterboard. Fill in its flag with Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils. Erase areas as needed. For example, Switzerland’s flag has a white cross in a field of red. 5<STRONG>. Ask an adult</STRONG> to cut slits in posterboard where you will attach your cutouts. Slide tabs through the slits and fold up. Attach the shoe and cutouts with Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the display before you explain the country to your class.

Benefits

• Students research information about clothing and major attributes of another country or area.
• Students see things in their area of study from a resident’s perspective.
• Students express their understanding about another culture’s attributes in a 3-D presentation.

Adaptations

• Make an audio component to go with your poster. Find samples of some of the languages you would hear. In Switzerland, there are four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. What kinds of music are popular in the country? Play samples of
• Discuss the Cheyenne saying "Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins." Start an initiative at your school based on this theme to help short-circuit bullying and to develop tolerance and appreciation of others.
• Assessment: Students demonstrate a deeper understanding of the chosen country that is meaningful and compassionate. Fewer incidents of criticisms and negative behavior are exhibited in the classroom.