Get your students involved in the classroom discussion {and classroom decorating!} with a fresh, fun interactive "graffiti wall"! Yes, we do understand that you students are in middle and high school, so they'll likely need some 'guidance'/reminders on graffiti that's 'appropriate for the classroom', but we're confident that most of your students will be able to handle participating responsibly! Here's what we envision...

Graffiti Wall

Nothing fancy. Simply paper an empty bulletin board with black background paper and set out some neon/metallic paint pens. Since it's a graffiti wall {emphasis on the graffiti} try your hand at stylizing a title using the paint pens or make a mini poster using word processing software like we did! Here's what we did:

1. Found an appropriate background image/wallpaper.
2. Downloaded several free graffiti fonts from GraffWriter {We chose Magik Marker™ and 08 Underground™}
3. Keeping the specific class in mind {for our example we chose AP English}, we complied a list of concepts, topics, authors, literature selections, themes, etc. to be studied throughout the year and created a word wall/collage to superimpose on the background image {e.g. morality, hubris, poverty, individualism, William Shakespeare, etc}.
4. Gave the poster a title - "Graffiti Wall" - and purpose statement - "...a collaborative collection of ideas, insights, and reflections."

With the wall and purpose properly identified, during the year, students can then use the empty space and the paint pens to respond to the day's lesson or a specific focus question you want them to reflect on {in words, pictures, symbols, etc}. To motivate your students to include well thought reflections - check the responses at the end of each day, choose the best, take a photo of it, and use your projector system to have a 'big reveal' at the beginning of the next period.

Supplies for this bulletin board...

• Black bulletin board paper
• Paint pens