Making Your Mark: Street Signatures in Fourth Grade

This year, our fourth-grade class embraced graffiti by studying its origins both globally and within our community. We explored the different forms of graffiti and its role in society. After delving into the history of graffiti's emergence in the 1960s and 1970s in Philadelphia and New York City, we examined how gender influences the visibility and recognition of graffiti artists. Our research included learning about ancient cave paintings, the works of Philadelphia’s Darryl McCray (known as Cornbread), and the impact of iconic female graffiti artist Lady Pink.

Our project focused on the concepts of “Tags” and “Pieces,” drawing inspiration from graffiti seen throughout San Francisco. Each student chose a nickname or created a moniker that connected to their identity or experiences beyond school. They practiced designing a unique font for their name, called a “Tag,” and then transformed it into a stylized “Piece” using bubble letters or blackletter styles, complete with decorations, shadows, and vibrant color blends. The background of each piece was designed to resemble a distressed street wall, layered with graffiti and paint, capturing the essence of urban expression.