Activity 01
Gallery Walk: Mural Analysis
Display photos of diverse Canadian murals (e.g., Indigenous murals in Winnipeg, Francophone murals in Montreal). Students use a 'See-Think-Wonder' chart to analyze how the location of the mural adds to its meaning.
Analyze who the intended audience is for a piece of street art.
Facilitation TipDuring the Gallery Walk, place students in pairs to discuss one question per mural to encourage accountability and deeper observation.
What to look forProvide students with images of two different public artworks. Ask them to write one sentence identifying the likely intended audience for each and one sentence explaining how its location might affect its message.
UnderstandApplyAnalyzeCreateRelationship SkillsSocial Awareness
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Activity 02
Inquiry Circle: The Community Wall
Groups are given a 'problem' in their school or neighborhood (e.g., 'littering' or 'loneliness'). They must design a mural that addresses this issue, choosing colors and symbols that would speak to their specific neighbors.
Explain how the location of a mural changes its message.
Facilitation TipWhen facilitating the Collaborative Investigation, assign roles to each group member to ensure all voices contribute to the mural design process.
What to look forPose the question: 'Should public art always be beautiful, or can it be challenging?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their opinions, referencing specific examples of public art they have studied.
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Activity 03
Formal Debate: Art or Eyesore?
Present a case study of a controversial piece of street art. Students are assigned 'roles' (the artist, a local business owner, a city councillor) and must debate whether the art should stay or be removed.
Compare arguments for whether public art should always be visually pleasing or whether it can also be challenging and provocative.
Facilitation TipFor the Structured Debate, provide sentence stems to help students frame their arguments clearly and respectfully.
What to look forDuring a virtual tour of public art, pause at a mural. Ask students to individually jot down on a sticky note: 'What is one local concern this mural might be addressing?' Collect and review notes for understanding.
AnalyzeEvaluateCreateSelf-ManagementDecision-Making
Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teachers should approach this topic by grounding discussions in student experiences with their own neighborhoods. Avoid assuming students know the difference between commissioned murals and illegal tagging; instead, use local examples to build understanding. Research shows that when students see public art as a tool for social change, their engagement and empathy increase significantly.
By the end of these activities, students should be able to identify the purpose and audience of public artworks and explain how location and community shape artistic messages. Successful learning shows in their ability to analyze murals critically and contribute meaningfully to group discussions about art in public spaces.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During the Gallery Walk activity, watch for students who assume all street art is illegal.
Use the murals in the Gallery Walk to point out the difference between commissioned murals and unauthorized tags, noting the artist names or community organizations involved in creation.
During the Collaborative Investigation activity, watch for students who believe public art is only decorative.
Ask groups to include a message or purpose in their mural design and explain it to the class, referencing examples like memorial murals or protest art they have studied.
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