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Footsteps to Success

What steps must be taken to reach one's goals? Students will choose a role model and learn what this person did to achieve success.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

Steps

  • Step 1

    Ask students to think about people they admire who have achieved success. It might be an author, astronaut, musician, or anyone else who inspires them. Discuss the path they had to travel to reach their goals. Each step might have been different - a future doctor might have volunteered at a hospital before going to med school and a musician may have formed a band and played at local venues - but the common thread is that they were determined and persevered. Ask them to reflect on goals they themselves would like to achieve and think about what steps would be needed to get there.

  • Step 2

    Have students choose a person they admire and then research the steps they took on the way to success. Then have them illustrate some of these steps on footprint shapes cut out of construction paper. They can then glue the footprints onto another piece of paper in a contrasting color and add label the background page with the person's name and their profession or a notable accomplishment.

  • Step 3

    Have students present their work and talk about the person they researched and why they admire them.

  • Step 5

Standards

SEL: Self-Awareness: Recognize one's strengths, emotions, and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

SEL: Self-Management: Set and achieve goals to better understand oneself.

Adaptations

Have students research Mae Jemison, the person featured in the artwork image. She was the first Black woman to be admitted into the NASA astronaut training program and has accomplished much both before becoming an astronaut and after leaving NASA.

Ask students to interview someone they know and admire. It might be a teacher, family member, sports coach, etc. Questions might include: Did you always want to be a ______? What was required to get here? Who, if anyone, supported and nurtured your dream? What are you most proud of in this career or volunteer position?