Lesson: Students study an everyday item, the sneaker, tolearn about the roles of need and demand, technology anddiscovery, and advertising on supply, innovation and designand consumption.Level: Beginning to AdvancedSubjects: Mathematics, Science, EnglishRelated Activity: Art, Civics, Social Awareness
Procedure
Read and DiscussAsk students to take a look at the shoes they are
wearing. Are they new or are they old? How sturdy arethey? Are they good for rainy days? For hiking? Forplaying baseball? Read the timeline “The History of theSneaker.”
1. What shoes did the Greeks wear?2. Why were grasses and moss used?3. How long has rubber been used for soles? Why was
rubber used for soles?4. What is vulcanization?5. What inspired Bill Bowerman to create running shoes
with a new design for their soles?6. What early shoe designs are still worn today?7. Explain how jogging is an example of supply and
demand.8. In what ways have advancements in technology and
the discovery of new materials influenced what shoes looklike and when they are worn?
Give students “Word Study: A Look at Shoes.” Thisintroduces students to the etymology of “shoe” andchanges in shoe design. In addition to the shoes thathumans wear, there are other forms of shoes. Discussthem. What does the idiom mean? If you have time, do theactivity in “One Size Doesn’t Fit All.”
ReadYou might take a survey: Which athletic shoes do
students want to buy or which would they prefer to own?Read “Girls Against Boys.” Do your students agree withthis characterization of purchasing decisions made by boysand girls?
Design and PersuadeWhat are the parts of an athletic shoe? What features do
all athletic shoes have? How do they differ? Give students“A Shoe Is a Shoe Is a Shoe?” Ask them to compare andcontrast the athletic shoes pictured.
Sale Language
AAddvveerrttiissee:: To call attention to a product or business; toseek notice to increase demand and sales of a product orservice
CCoonnssuummppttiioonn:: Spending by households on services andgoods
DDeemmaanndd:: To want a product or service and to have themoney to buy it. Also, how many products and servicespeople are willing to buy at a certain price.
EEnnddoorrsseemmeenntt:: Giving approval or support; making a publicstatement of approval, usually by someone who is famousand easily recognized
FFaaccttoorryy ccoosstt:: What the manufacturer must pay to producegoods. This includes the building, equipment, salaries andtaxes.
MMaannuuffaaccttuurreerr:: The person or business that makessomething
MMaarrkkeettiinngg:: To sell
MMaarrkkeett rreesseeaarrcchh:: Gathering and evaluation of informationabout consumers' preferences for products and services
MMaatteerriiaallss:: Fabric, rubber, leather and goods that are usedto make the product
PPrrooffiitt:: Money that is left after expenses are paid
RReesseeaarrcchh aanndd DDeevveellooppmmeenntt:: Experiment to find a newproduct or way to do something, then find a way toreproduce it for profit
RReettaaiill:: To sell goods in small amounts to consumers
SSuuppppllyy:: The amount of products (goods) and services thatare available for sale or the amount that sellers are willingto sell for a particular price
SSuuppppllyy aanndd DDeemmaanndd:: When many people want to buy a fewavailable items, the price goes up; if many items areavailable for sale but not many people demand it, theprice lowers
Sneaker Supply and DemandKidsPost Article: “Thrill of the Feet”
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Volume 1, I s sue 17 May 14, 2002KLMNO
Pretend you are a shoe manufacturer who islooking for next year’s hot item. Ask students todesign a shoe that they think is needed and will sell.Have students draw a sketch of the shoe. Willanything in “Girls Against Boys” influence them?You may wish to discuss market research with olderstudents.
Students are to put this information in writing topersuade you to make their shoes:
■ Who will wear the shoe you designed?■ When will it be worn?■ From what materials will it be made?■ In what colors should it be made?■ Why is it needed?■ In what way is it an improvement over shoes that
are already for sale?
Name ItSneaker, tennis shoe, basketball shoe, athletic shoe.
Whatever you call it, it’s basically the same thing: arubber-soled shoe that’s perfect to wear when it’stime to play. How have shoes gotten their names?When rubber soles were placed on canvas shoes, theywere called “sneakers” or “sneaks” because thewearer could easily sneak up on someone. In Britain,sneakers are called “plimsolls.” The rubber bandscircling these shoes reminded people in England ofthe Plimsoll mark, horizontal lines painted on thehull of merchant ships to indicate how deep thesevessels could be legally loaded. Adidas is namedafter company owner Adolph Dassler whosenickname was “Adi” and Puma is named after themountain lion. Some products are endorsed bycelebrities. Usually, the well known people just tellhow great the product is; occasionally, the person'sname is added to the product. What example ofendorsements can students give?
Now that your students have designed a product,have them name their shoes. Will they name theirproduct after an object, a person or an idea? Willthey make up a new word? They are to write aparagraph in which they tell why they have selectedthis name.
Do the MathWhat will you charge the customer for the shoes
you make? Give students “Sneaker Economics 101.”Students, given data from 1995 and 2002, are askedto create graphs to explain why shoes cost what theydo. The instructions are left general so you candetermine the type of graph and what will beillustrated. The class could be divided into groups to
Shoes from These
ON THE WEBhttp://www.kicksology.net
Kicksology.netOne man’s opinion. Chicagoan Ernest Kim evaluates the latest sneakers on themarket. Reviews are archived. Kicksology 101 provides definitions forterminology associated with shoes.
http://www.nike.com/main.html
NikeSelect your language and part of the world to learn more about products. Acomparison of Web design and approaches to promotion in different worldmarkets makes it worth a visit.
So You Wanna.comTakes you through the decision process (activities and needs) of finding the bestsneaker.
http://www.centuryinshoes.com/home.html
Solemates: The Century in ShoesLook decade by decade at the 1900s from your feet up. Pictures and postersillustrate the popular styles, narrative tells about day and evening shoes, heels andcobblers, silhouettes and what was to dye for, as well as economic and socialinfluences. Boxed copy lists “all the rage.” A must-see online museum.
History of ShoesBrought to you by Northampton Borough Council, U.K., home of museums withdistinctive shoe and boot collections. Take a closer look at early shoes, medievalshoes, Tudor to 20th century shoes.
IN PRINTLawlor, Laurie. Where Will This Shoe Take You?: A Walk Through the History ofFootwear, Walker & Co., 1996.
From bark sandals to Elton John’s rhinestone platform shoes, the author providesstories of customs, origins and social status associated with 7 shoe styles. Onechapter features shoes in myth and literature. Suggested for ages 9-12.
Pratt, Lucy, Linda Wooley and Sara Hodges. Shoes, Victoria & Albert Museum,1999.The shoes in this volume were exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum inLondon. From Henry VIII’s wide-toed shoes and Queen Victoria’s narrowslippers to contemporary artistry, colorful photographs, engravings, paintings andadvertisements capture the details and prose captures the history.
“Worked Till They Drop: Few Protections for China’sNew Laborers”Washington Post Foreign Service reporter Philip P.Pan tells the story of the death of nineteen-year-oldLi Chunmei who died after working long hours in atoy factory in Songgang, China. Learn why Chinesefamilies encourage their young children to leavehome, live in a dormitory and work in factories.
In PrintFreedman, Russell and Lewis Hine. Kids at Work.Clarion Books, reprinted 1998.
Appropriate for nine- to twelve-year-olds, Kids atWork is a profile of photographer-reformer LewisHine. Illustrated with black-and-white photographsthat Hine took in the early twentieth century whileworking for the National Child Labor Committee.Recognition for this work include ALA NotableBook and Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year.
Bartoletti, Susan and Lewis Hine. Growing Up inCoal Country, Houghton, 1996.
Photographs and narrative focus on children whoworked in the mines of Pennsylvania in the early1900’s.
create graphs to illustrate the cost to factory owner, cost to shoecompany, and cost to store owner. What data is needed for theparticular graph they are to make?
EvaluateIn 2001, Americans spent $15.42 billion on athletic shoes. About 107
million pairs of those were bought for kids. Rank these in importance toyou: Brand, Comfort, Design, Durability, Endorsement, Materials used,Peer comments, Price, Store appearance (where you buy the shoes).What are the top three in your class?
Read “For Some, an Uncomfortable Fit.” Either debate thesequestions or ask students to argue on paper. Are sneakers worth morethan $100 a pair? Should you or your parents purchase your sneakers?What percent of your allowance or your parents’ budget should be spenton your athletic shoes?
EnrichmentWhat is the relationship of sneaker production to child labor and
sweatshops? After reading “For Some, an Uncomfortable Fit,” askstudents what the corporations say about the wages they pay and whatthe activists for fair wages and better working conditions say.
Tell students: A sweatshop exists if a company is violating at least twolabor laws, including child labor laws, according to the U.S. Dept. ofLabor. When you are asked to help do chores at home, you are notengaged in child labor even though you are working. You are being ahelpful member of your family. The work that your family asks you todo should not interfere with your educational opportunities.
When does harmful child labor take place? Child labor takes placewhen children under the age of 15 work full-time jobs and are preventedfrom attending school. Kids are asked to do work that is dangerous andthat is hazardous to their physical, mental or emotional health.
Research more about child labor laws, sweatshops or the efforts tochange work conditions and wages in factories that produce athleticshoes and toys for the American market.
“The History of the Sneaker” can be found athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/
“Girls Against Boys” can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/education/kidspost/nie/A11124-2002May13.html
“For Some, an Uncomfortable Fit” can be found athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
You enjoy walking bare-foot at the beach or acrossthick, green grass. Beingbarefoot is part ofsummer’s freedom. Thensomeone gets cut on a pieceof coral or scratched on thefoot bottom. It rains or ismuddy.
It’s time to find yourshoes. What do you wear?Clear plastic flipflops,colorful sandals or tennisshoes? Shoes today makefashion statements as wellas provide protection foryour feet.
Shoes have been a basicnecessity for centuries, notjust a fashionable accessory.Otzi, the 5,300-year-oldBronze Age hunter foundfrozen in the Italian Alps,wore shoes. The Icemanwore goatskin leggings andshoes made of grass tiedaround his feet.
Paintings on vases revealthat early Greek athletesdid not wear shoes whilecompeting. In daily lifemost early Greek men andwomen went barefoot. Onrough ground, men woresandals made of leatherthat had been treated withoak bark and polished witholive oil. Women’s sandalswere simple, soles andthongs usually stained redor yellow. In cold weather,peasants wore leather boots.
The noun “shoe” comesfrom the Old English wordscoh. A soldier, a priest or amerchant could travel onfoot much further if he waswearing shoes. Made ofdurable material such asleather, shoes usuallycovered the foot from toe toheel.
In 1868 sneakers began as“croquet sandals,” thebeginning of sport shoes.These soft fabric shoes thatare worn for sports orcasual wear became knownas plimsolls in the UnitedKingdom and sneakers inthe U.S. In South Africa,sneakers and the tires ontrucks both are calledtakkies. Do you know otherwords for sneakers?
A horse is shod with fourshoes. Supports for thesuperstructure of a bridgerest in a shoe. Brakes on acar have shoes. Youcertainly don’t want themto wear out.
“Shoe” is also an adjec-tive. You have gone to ashoe shop. Shoe polish canbe purchased in manycolors. How many colors doyou have at home? Do youspit and polish or use ashoe shine brush?
Have you ever wonderedhow your brother would actif the shoe were on theother foot?
Word Study: A look at shoes
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One Size Doesn’t Fit AllShoes come in many sizes and shades. They are
made of leather and rubber and cloth. Theyprotect your feet and do much more.
Shoes dance and jump and hike. Look at theshoes in your house. Where have they been andwhat do they do?
Find a picture or draw one of each of theseshoes. Identify the shoe, then tell when and whyeach is worn.
Design history: Air Jordan line dates to 1984-85; new model released in February.Color options: 2 (black/metallic silver or white/college blue). New colors planned forsummer and fall. Famous tall guy who has worn the shoe: Michael Jordan.
Design: Basically unchanged since the 1920s. Color options: 13 (includes stars andstripes combo, as well as black with orange flames). Famous tall guys who’ve wornthe shoe: Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, punk rocker Joey Ramone.
Sneakers, tennis shoes, takkies, plimsolls. Whateveryou call them, athletic shoes are basically the samething: rubber soles, canvas uppers, a pair of shoe laces.So is one athletic shoe just like another or are there bigdifferences that require closer study?
Take a look at the examples on this page. Use theinformation that is given, the pictures and what youknow about athletic shoes to write a comparison-contrast of these athletic shoes. In what ways is a NikeAir Jordan XVII similar to a Converse Chuck TaylorAll Star? In what ways do they differ?
A Shoe Is a Shoe Is a Shoe?
NAME __________________________________________________ DATE _____________
In 2002An $80 pair of sneakers has about $11 worth of materials
in it, according to sneaker giant Nike. So why does it costnearly eight times more? Here's the breakdown of howthose shoes make their way from a factory to a store.
STEP 1Materials: $11
(This is the fabric, rubber, leather and other things that gomaking the sneaker.)
Factory Cost: $6 (This is the cost of the equipment to make the sneakers, as
well as rent on the building and the salaries and taxes thefactory must pay.)
Factory profit: $1 (Profit is the amount of money a company can keep after
expenses are paid.)Nike pays factory: $18
STEP 2Shoe Cost: $18Nike Cost: $17 (Nike's costs include research and development to invent
new shoes, the money they pay to superstars such asMichael Jordan and the ads they buy on TV.)
Nike taxes: $1.50Nike net profit: $2.50Retailer Pays Nike: $39
STEP 3Product Cost: $39Retailer cost: $38 (The retailer is the store customers buy the sneakers from.
Its biggest costs are paying the salespeople and payingrent on the store.)
Taxes: $1Retailer net profit: $2
COST TO CONSUMER: $80
Source: Nike
In 1995The typical American in 1995 owned two or three
pairs of athletic shoes, which ranged in price from a$20 pair of old-fashioned sneakers at a discountstore to $135 for top-of-the-line basketball shoes.One big seller was Nike’s Air Pegasus, which, likenearly all athletic shoes, was manufactured bysuppliers in Asia. This accounting is based on a saleat an outlet of a large national retailer.
Production labor $ 2.75Materials 9.00Rent, equipment 3.00Supplier's operating profit 1.75Duties 3.00Shipping .50Cost to Nike $20.00
Rent $9.00Personnel 9.50Other 7.00Retailer's operating profit 9.00COST TO CONSUMER $70.00
SOURCES: Nike Inc., Reebok International Inc., The Finish LineInc., Just for Feet Inc., Melville Corp., U.S. Customs Service,Athletic Footwear Assn., industry consultants and executives
Sneaker Economics 101Who and what determine the price that you pay for a pair of sneakers?
Here are the numbers and information from two years, 1995 and 2002. Create graphs to help us understand:■ What it cost the factory owner to make a pair of athletic shoes,
■ What it cost Nike to produce and promote a pair of athletic shoes,■ What it cost the shoe owner to have athletic shoes in stock ready for you to buy them.
NAME __________________________________________________ DATE _____________
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An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program
Academic Content StandardsThis lesson addresses academic content standards of Maryland, Virginia and the District ofColumbia. Among those that apply are:
MarylandMathematicsKnowledge of Statistics (4.0):Students will collect, organize,display, analyze and interpret datato make decisions and predictions.By the end of grade 3, studentsknow and are able to: gatherrelevant data and compile theresults to answer a question;organize and display data usingtables, pictographs and bar graphs;interpret, compare and makepredictions based on tables,pictographs and bar graphs.
Process of Problem Solving (7.0):Students will demonstrate theirability to apply a wide variety ofmathematical concepts, processesand skills to solve a broad range ofproblems.
ScienceChemistry, Structure of Matter: Bythe end of grade 3, students knowand are able to describe physicalproperties of materials (i.e., texture,size, color, shape).
Skills and Processes, Technology:By the end of grade 5, studentsknow and are able to explain thattechnology extends the ability ofpeople to change the world (e.g., tocut, shape or put togethermaterials).
Language ArtsWriting (3.0): By the end of grade5, students know and are able towrite essays of description andproblem/solution for an intendedaudience and purpose.
A complete list of Standards of Learning ofMaryland can be found on the Webat http://www.mdk12.org/mspp/standards/.
VirginiaMathematicsProbability and Statistics, Grade 3:3.21. The student, given grid paper,will collect data on a given topic ofhis/her choice and construct a bargraph showing the results. A titleand key will be included. 3.22. Thestudent will read and interpret datarepresented in bar and picturegraphs.
ScienceGrade 3: 3.3, The student willinvestigate and understand thatobjects can be described in terms ofthe materials they are made of andtheir physical properties.
EnglishWriting, Grade 3: 3.7. The studentwill write descriptive paragraphs.
■ Develop a plan for writing.
■ Focus on a central idea.
■ Group related ideas.
■ Include descriptive details thatelaborate the central idea.
Grade 5: 5.7 The student will writefor a variety of purposes todescribe, to inform, to entertain,and to explain.
A complete list of Standards of Learning ofVirginia can be found on the Webat http://www.pen.k12.va.us/.
Washington, D.C.MathematicsData Analysis, Statistics andProbability, Content Standard 3:The student collects, organizes,represents, evaluates and interpretsdata. Grade 4: The student makesstatements and draws simpleconclusions based on data. By theend of Grade 5, the student willcollect and organize tables andgraphs (e.g., bar graphs, line plots,stem-and-leaf plots, circle and linegraphs).
U.S. HistoryScientific, Technological andEconomic Change, ContentStandard 3: Students recognizescientific, technological andeconomic changes and understandhow they have affected societies,culture and politics throughouthistory. The student analyzes therelationship of supply and demandto production and consumption.
English Language ArtsLanguage for Research andInquiry, Content Standard 3:Students use language and symbolsystems to define problems andorganize information.
A complete list of Standards for Teaching andLearning of the District of Columbia PublicSchools can be found athttp://www.k12.dc.us/.
