Making Footprints into the Future

Everyone's first day is extremely nerve racking, especially in elementary school. You are excited yet scared of what your classmates and teacher will think of you. As a future educator we (Art 310) had to make a first day of school/ get to know me project. The project focused on important things that make up our lives. The project is a fun way to have student feel comfortable with their class and proud of who they are. It was a very easy to carry out.

• Step one: Student trace their foot (right or left) and cut it out.
• Step Two: Using three different mediums, draw/write/paste things that make your life special with in your foot. 
• Step Three: Present your footprint to your classmates. 

Here is my footprint I made for class:

I used newsprint, puff paint, permanent marker, pictures, a seashell, travel ticket, a concert wristband, construction paper as my mediums.

Each component of my footprint has meaning behind it.

• The newsprint: My love for reading.
• Puff Paint: My name drawn in my favorite color
• Permanent Marker: Jesus Christ is my savior
• Pictures: I love nature and my family is my rock.
• Seashell: I love being at my lake cabin in the summer.
• Travel Ticket: My love for traveling the world.
• Concert Wristband: I enjoy going to concerts.
• Construction Paper: My foot

This project was simple and relaxing. It can easily be modified into to something more than just a "All about Me" first day of school project. It could be integrated into any subject of the curriculum. An idea that stuck out in my head would be using it in a Social Studies class. When we are talking about communities and the details of society, I would have my students trace their hand and use items of their choosing to represent the role they have with in their community. Once students complete their hands and present them to the class, I would hang them on a bulletin  board in a circle to represent that "Everyone has a Hand in Making Communities go 'Round".