Graffiti 101: Look at public space
Antero Garcia, an English teacher at Manual Arts High, writes:
As explained here, this is the first lesson in a series that will use graffiti as a device to develop critical thinking and writing skills in my class.
Having returned from a nearly two-month break due to the year-round scheduling calendar, I've made today’s lesson about getting kids to think outside of the traditional classroom setting, and changing their expectations about what happens in our class.
By the way, the lessons presented throughout this project are aligned with the state English standards for 11th and 12th grade. These will be posted in the classroom along with daily objectives that students are meeting. I mention this because it's something most observers are looking for when visiting a classroom.
Anthropological Exploration
OK, class, today we are no longer simply high school students. Instead we will be part of an important historical investigation. The work is already underway. We’ll be leaving Room 162 shortly –- you can leave your bags. When you step outside of this classroom in just a second, you will be traveling 100 years into the future.
We will be anthropologists studying a research location originally called Manual Arts (or perhaps your neighborhood, students in the digital realm.) Your role as part of this research expedition is to document symbols, language, and images that this “primitive and ancient” society used to demarcate and code their landscape. Whenever you see a sign, writing on a wall, or a pertinent image, please record in your notebook what you saw, where you saw it and what you think it may have once meant. Remember, you are looking at this campus as if it is an ancient civilization – don’t take common signage for granted; how will it look to people unfamiliar with this culture?
If there aren’t any additional questions, we’ll proceed in teams through this anthropological site. As a historical exploration, please refrain from disturbing the native inhabitants or any objects you encounter. When you return, we’ll reflect on this exercise (assuming you safely return to the year 2008). Namely, please reflect on your experience as an anthropologist. How did it feel? What do you think you learned? What did you see? What did these signs and images tell you?
The Week Ahead
Though graffiti isn’t explicitly stated as something to record in student notebooks, part of our class discussion will be guided to have students identify purposes on writing on walls. Later on this week, students will be charged with similarly documenting the kinds of writing and signage they see as they travel from home to school. We will document what students report on a specially created Google Map I’ll be sharing with you soon.
In the meantime, any adventurous students out there are invited to write down anything noteworthy they see throughout their anthropological journey. Again, we’re not looking solely at graffiti. Look through the eyes of an anthropologist and be metacognitive about your experience throughout this process: What were you thinking as you did this activity? I’ll be sharing my experience testing this lesson in the classroom later in the week.
Photo by Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times
