Urban Street Artists : Graffiti Tags

Grade level: 5-8

Art form: Street Art, Font Design, Painting

Lesson length time: Two Hours

Lesson Objective

Graffiti is everywhere and has a long history dating back to Ancient Rome. Now graffiti is part of our  main stream culture and advertising. This lesson explores graffiti fonts, art work and tags of local Toronto graffiti artists as well as the legal and moral issues surrounding graffiti. Students will create their own tag or word in a font style that they will create using the elements and principles of design.

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Materials

  • Pencil, eraser, ruler

  • Papers for sketching – A4 size or similar 

  • Sharpie or similar black marker

  • Watercolours 

  • Paint brushes, palette, water cup, rags

  • A4 size (or similar) cardstock or thick paper for final artwork (if available)

  • This lesson can be customized if watercolours are not available, using any one alternative colouring medium – markers/pencil crayons/pastels  

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • learn a vocabulary of art techniques and practices

  • explore the elements of design (line, shape and form, space, colour, texture, value)

  • explore all the principles of design and focus especially on the one required by their grade: grade 5: proportion, grade 6: balance, grade 7: unity and -harmony, grade 8: movement.

  • learn about local Toronto artists and their art practice

  • have the opportunity to explore materials and concepts

  • analyze the role and history of graffiti in society and the legal/moral issues surrounding it

  • take part in a comfortable, supportive environment where they can engage in art making

  • reflection, critical thinking and analysis of their own work, as well as peer’s work

 

Curriculum Connections

Visual Arts, Media literacy, Language, Social Studies

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