Graffiti Art Project Unit - Middle School and High School Drawing Unit

Every year, my art students look forward to our Graffiti drawing unit! Teaching graffiti has so many possibilities! Opportunities include teaching about public art, controversy in art, technique, skills, meaning making, communication, art history, and all of the elements of art. This drawing project is no prep, ready to go and sure to be a hit with your students!

This lesson is packed with 61 slides and focuses on artists whose work improves their community, rather than vandalizes it. If you are looking for a thoughtful and in depth lesson with tons of resources, this is it!

This lesson plan is in the format of a Power Point Slide Show. It has 61 information packed slides that will guide you through a successful Graffiti drawing lesson with tons of options for variation. It starts out with basic information about graffiti, its history, current artists, laws, etc and goes into teaching students how to make basic bubble and block letters. Next it shows students how to stylize those letters to become their own graffiti font. Finally it gives adjustable requirements for a successful graffiti drawing. I've also included my grading map so that students know how they will be graded.

I have done this lesson successfully with High School, Middle School. It is open for easy variation for whatever your teaching needs are. You could focus on one element of art or all of them! This lesson has it all!

I also have a Google Slides Version of this if you prefer that format.

Included in the lesson are the following

Definition of Graffiti

Classroom Discussion Questions

History of Graffiti

Lists of artists to reference

Current issues with Graffiti

Legalities

Where to paint legally

Artist who get paid to paint

Specifics on how to draw bubble and block letters

Specifics on how to stylize letters into graffiti style

Project Requirements

Project How To's

Examples

Student Checklist

Grading Map/Rubric

And more!

What teachers like you are saying about this lesson:

"This was an excellent resource, and I only wish we had more time to go through it fully. The info was comprehensive, with many examples and explanations. It greatly improved my street art unit from last year! Thanks!"

"This resource was very helpful. It provided lots of tools for discussing street art, as well as engaging with the work of street art artists. It was very handy because it was all in one place. A great resource!"

Check out this other drawing lesson Zentagle- Everything You'll Need to Teach Successful Zentangle

Below is the Table of Contents so that you know what is on each slide.

Intro Slide

Notes to Teacher - 2-4

Defining Graffiti 5

Journal Or Discussion Questions 6-7

Notes to Teacher 8

History & Links to Interviews - 9-10

Cost of Illegal Graffiti - 11

Journaling Activity 12

Where and Why You Should Painting Legally Only 13-14

Teacher Notes 15

Modern Graffiti Artists 16-19

Teacher Notes 20

Step By Step How To’s 21-30

Sketchbook Assignments & Practice 31-33

Elements of Art 34-35

Tutorials Links 36

Sketch Notes 37-39

Elements & Principles 40-55

Teacher Notes - 56

Project Requirements (Editable) 57-58

Grading Map (Editable) 59

Credits and Notes 60-61