Graffiti

7-12
 * Grade Level **

Because this activity requires collaboration through group work and can be used with a variety of social studies concepts, I decided that the best standards to use are those of Teach 21 21st Century Skills.
 * Curriculum Standards **

21C.O.9-12.1.LS.3: Student creates information using advanced skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation and shares this information through a variety of oral, written and multimedia communications that target academic, professional and technical audiences and purposes.

21C.O.9-12.2.LS.1: Student engages in a critical thinking process that supports synthesis and conducts evaluation using complex criteria. 21C.O.9-12.3.LS.4: Student demonstrates ethical behavior and works responsibly and collaboratively with others in the context of the school and the larger community, and he/she demonstrates civic responsibility through engagement in public discourse and participation in service learning.

In preparation for this activity, the teacher should assemble six poster-size sheets of paper, six different colored markers, and a timer/stopwatch.
 * Description of Practices **

At the top of each sheet of paper, the teacher will need to write a question that correlates to the concept being learned. This will work best if they are open-ended questions so that students are able to provide a variety of answers.

To begin the activity, first divide the class into five groups. Arrange the poster-sheets so that each is in a different area of the classroom. The students will circulate through the room in a “round robin” fashion, spending approximately five minutes at each station. While at each station, each group must discuss the question and work together to form a response. The group members will write this response on the poster-sheet. Each group must be careful to not write a response that has already been listed. After each group has made it to all stations, the students can return to their seats and a class discussion will be facilitated based on the responses listed on the poster-sheets.

As it is explained also explained in the journal article, it is best if the teacher ensures that the students know a sufficient amount of knowledge on the chosen topic before beginning this activity. This will engage the students more, seeing as how they will then be able to generate more questions.
 * Implementation Considerations **

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 * Example **In this example, the graffiti teaching strategy is shown in steps by using the topic of government.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 17px;">Citation **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Franco, E. V. (2010). Using Graffiti to Teach Students How to Think Like Historians. //History Teacher//, //43//(4), 535-543.