Students write a story from the viewpoint of a shoe. They tell where they have been and where they are going as well as feelings they have experienced.
Objectives
Students
create a story with an interesting beginning, middle, and end.
use voice in telling fictional story events.
Keywords
creative writing, story elements, point of view, shoe, perspective
Materials Needed
collection of various sizes and styles of shoes from different eras and in different physical condition
pencil and paper
camera (optional)
The Lesson
Ask friends and relatives, as well as students, to donate a variety of shoes in different styles, sizes, and states of repair. Visit thrift shops and garage sales for unique finds.
Display shoes in boutique fashion in your classroom. Use fishing line to hang some from the ceiling; prop some on tablecloths and other places.
Give students time to admire the shoes. Discuss who might have worn the shoes and to which types of events or activities. Think how the shoes came to be in the condition they are and what a person might feel under the circumstances. Ask students to transfer their ideas and feelings as the write a story from the viewpoint of one of the shoes. In the story, students might relate
how the shoe wound up with the owner or owners;
events and activities the shoe took part in; and
feelings the shoe might have experienced as a result of its circumstances.
Remind students to write with in the shoe's voice (first person), as if the shoe was experiencing everything themselves.
Provide a digital camera (or a throwaway camera) so each student can take a photo of the shoe to display with their story.
Assessment
Invite students to read their stories to the group and post their story and picture on the bulletin board. Use the voice and fluency rubrics (pages 4 and 6) to assess students' work.
Submitted By
VaReane Heese, Springfield (Nebraska) Elementary School
Walk In My Shoes