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Summary and Objective
Students will study a child’s shoe from the colonial period. They will contrast its attributes with those of the shoes they are wearing. Students should be able to explain how and why the two pairs of shoes are different. The students will understand that most of the materials used to manufacture shoes today had not been invented, so were not available during the colonial period. They will also comprehend that shoes were viewed as necessities, often luxuries, and not accessories, as they are in most of modern-day American society.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Students are instructed to observe their own shoes. As a class, discuss the design, color, purpose, materials and place of manufacture for their modern-day shoes. This may require removal of shoes in order to inspect labels and inside markings. If time allows, extend the discussion to include the number of pairs of shoes the students own and what kind of shoes are worn for different activities/seasons. Sarah probably owned just one pair.
Step 2.
Students will view Sarah Coleman’s shoe from the digital collection. Each student (or group of students if working with partners) should have a hard copy of Sarah Coleman’s shoe. Focus a new discussion on the attributes of the colonial-period shoe. Guide the conversation to include the shoe’s design, purpose, materials and possible place of origin. Explain to the students that most shoes in Sarah’s time were made on a straight last, which means they had no right or left designation. The tops would conform with wear, but the soles would stay straight.
Step 3.
Brainstorm as a class, to develop a chart which will contrast the features of the students' shoes with Sarah Coleman’s shoe. Include in the chart the reasons for the differences.
Step 4.
Students should be able to generate reasons such as: Colonial-period shoes were made of only natural fibers. Modern shoes are made of both natural and man-made materials such as plastic, vinyl and nylon. In the time between the colonial period and the present, new materials have been invented and used for clothing and shoes.
Step 5.
In culminating the class lesson, each student should choose one feature to contrast. The student will use the copy of Sarah Coleman’s shoe and cut and glue it next to a drawing of their own shoe. The student should clearly state the contrasting feature in sentence(s) form at the bottom of the paper. Encourage students to include reasons or further explanations for the contrasting attributes of the shoes in their writing.
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