Group Mural

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Directions

• Begin with a discussion about how and why graffiti is used as an art form to communicate opinions about an idea or group identity. Consider how color, shape, and line function in graffiti art. Explain that today the group will respond to an open-ended prompt using words and images to share their thoughts using the style of graffiti artists to communicate their opinion.  Invite the group to sit or stand around one very large piece of blank paper on a table, floor, or taped to a wall surface and provide a large set of marker or crayons for writing. Or, divide the large group into smaller groups, each with their own piece of large, blank paper and set of markers/crayons. Ask students to work silently to use words and images to respond to the prompt. Play music while students work. After 10-15 minutes, gather around the Graffiti page/s to reflect. Or invite to students to place a word or image as a respectful response to something made by another student in a final, silent round or to add further color or detail to an image/word already on the paper.

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Reflection

What images/words stand out to you the most?

Are there specific words/phrases that appear on multiple pages? What connections can we make across the pages?

Why did this group offer these responses?

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The House on Mango Street Adaptations

Esperanza and her family have called many places “home.” What is home to you? What makes you think of home? When you hear the word home, where does your mind go? Maybe it’s the place you live, where you go to bed each night. Maybe it’s a place you spend a lot of time at, like a grandparent’s house or your favorite park. Maybe to you, home is a specific group of people.

Think of a place that is “home” to you, where you feel safe and comfortable, where you feel joy. I want you to imagine that place. We’re going to create a mural titled “A Portrait of Home.” What does home look, feel, smell, and sound like?