Project #1 Footprints

Darcy's Footprints

This project allowed me to use many different mediums to express the "uniqueness" of myself. It allowed me to feel like a "kid" again as I haven't taken the opportunity to complete an art project in years. It was fun to cut out paper dolls and pictures from magazines. I was also able to play with fabric, wood, construction paper, chalk, ribbon, and even grass! If I were to explain this project to another educator I would tell them that I had a great idea on how to get to know your students at the same time that they get to know one another. I would tell them to have their students draw the outline of their foot or feet. Next students could use as many different materials and elements that they wanted to choose with a minimum of three. I would encourage them to make a separate list of things about themselves that they would tell someone who didn't know them. They could then use this list to choose the item and medium to decorate their footprint. Upon completion, each student could take a turn explaining their decorated footprint(s). This activity is a great way to introduce giving a presentation in front of a group. The material is simple and is familiar which elevates the comfort zone for someone new to speaking in front of others. An extension activity that might follow this is to explain the characteristics you chose to put on the footprint on a 1-2 page paper; or, a student could pick one characteristic (a favorite) and write a paragraph about it. Both of these writings could be incorporated as Language Arts lessons.