What a Wonderful Week in First Grade!
A Closer Look at Shoes!
Have you noticed your child thinking more closely about the clothes they are wearing? Have you noticed them looking at tags on their shirts or thinking about how to create their own hats and shoes? Over the past couple of weeks, we have been learning about the different types of clothing people wear in different jobs, climates and for various occasions. The first graders even became shoe designers as they learned about Kenton Lee and The Shoe That Grows and took a virtual field trip to the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Students were tasked with creating a shoe for a make believe "client" who had a need for a specific type of shoe. They worked in groups of one, two, or three to sketch, design, and build prototypes of shoes to meet their clients' needs.
After receiving their client, students got the opportunity to choose from available materials such as duct tape, cardboard, felt, burlap, pipe cleaners, yarn, foam paper, construction paper, bubble wrap and Washi tape to create their prototypes.
Next, they created sketches of their shoes.
Once their sketches were checked by a teacher, the students began the process of tracing, cutting, gluing and building their shoes based on their designs. As groups came up against challenges (the piece of foam they cut was too small, the laces were unable to poke through the burlap, the school glue wasn't strong enough to hold together the materials they chose, etc.), they worked together to change out materials and adapt their designs.
After two class periods, the students' prototypes were complete!
They continue to be very proud of their work!
Up next, where do our clothes come from?
Why is wool so itchy?
Which fabrics are man made and which fabrics are found in nature?
Stay tuned!
