Writing Inform: Murals and Community
This assignment explores how murals connect people and build community. You will read two passages about murals, answer questions, and write a short essay using information from both passages.
Group 1
Read the passages and images about murals and their impact on communities.
Source 1.1
Passage 1: Making a Mural
1 Underground might be the last place someone would go to experience art. But in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that's exactly where you can find it.
2 The city's 5th Street Tunnels are home to two murals. The huge paintings cover the walls. Cars and bicycles whiz past bright blue arrows. Painted leaves and flowers liven paths for people. And the murals teach history, too. In one painting, hometown hero Benjamin Franklin admires the workers who built the city. The underground murals honor the world above.
A City of Art
3 The murals in these tunnels were made by Mural Arts Philadelphia. Murals are large paintings. They are usually painted on buildings and walls. Murals might show the story of a neighborhood. Or an important person. Or maybe just a colorful design. Each mural is special in its own way.
4 This idea is at the heart of the project in Philadelphia. The artists create unique art. But Mural Arts is about more than beautiful paintings. It is about the process of creating. How a mural is made is just as important as the finished product.
5 The people at the project have a motto: "Look. Listen. Connect. Create. Celebrate." Making a mural starts with paying attention to ideas that matter. Next, they talk to people in the community. Then, they gather people together. They find artists to paint the mural and people to pay for it. After the mural is painted, they celebrate it. They thank everyone who played a part.
Wall Stories
6 In Hawaii, a project called Mele Murals has a similar goal. The people at the project believe that paintings can tell stories. They use lyrics, or mele, from the Hawaiian language. They tell old stories about places in Hawaii.
7 And Mele Murals wants kids to take part. Students design and paint the murals. They learn about their families and communities. They transform school walls into works of art. Plus, the students learn how to work together. They plan, paint, and clean up. The finished murals show all the hard work that went into them.
Painting a Community
8 Murals bring people together. They showcase artwork and share history. And they build community. From up high on building walls to underground in tunnels, murals celebrate people's ideas and stories.
Source 1.2
Passage 2: The Barn
9 Dear Grandma,
10 Thanks for letting me visit last week! I had so much fun exploring the city with you. You always plan the best adventures.
11 The mural tour we went on gave me so many ideas. I didn’t know paintings could be outside on walls. I really liked how the tour guide talked about all the steps that go into creating a mural. It made me want to make one myself.
12 So . . . I did! I made a mural with all our neighbors. Remember the white barn at the back of the farm? Well, guess what? It has a mural now! After I got back from the city, I couldn’t stop thinking about the murals I learned about with you. Then, I had an idea. I asked Auntie nicely if I could paint the barn. I told her all about my trip with you. I explained the paintings. And Auntie said “yes!”
13 Next, I had to think about what the mural would look like. My first thought was to paint our dog, Lucky. But then I remembered something said on the mural tour. “Creating a mural is about getting ideas from friends and neighbors.” That way the painting reflects the people who made it and the people who appreciate it.
14 Auntie and I went around to talk to our neighbors. Many people were excited and wanted to be a part of it. Some people started working on a design. Others helped get the right paint and brushes. My friends and I planned the day everyone would paint.
15 June 15th finally came. Mural day! I woke up early to start preparing. Everyone helped paint the barn. People sketched and outlined. I even learned how to paint one of the flowers from my neighbor, Bella. I never knew that there were so many artists in our community!
16 Finally, the mural was done. It shows the local sunflowers that bloom every summer. Plus, the old oak tree in the Cortez family’s field. Every time I think about the mural, I want to create even more art.
17 We all admired our hard work. And then we had a party to celebrate! That night, we sat out under the stars next to the barn. I can’t wait to show it to you when you visit!
18 Love,
19 Maya
No citation provided.
Source 1.3
Image 1: Common Threads by Meg Saligman. “Common Threads” by Rmarfuggi, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CommonThreads.jpg. Reproduced under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 License.
Image 2: Philadelphia Stars: A Tribute to Negro League Baseball by David McShane. “Philadelphia MuralArts Philadelphia Stars David McShane” by Morris Levin, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_MuralArts_Philadelphia_Stars_David_McShane.jpg, under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 License.
See above for image credits.
Source 1.4
Caption: A mural in Philadelphia created by Mural Arts Philadelphia.
Source 1.5
Caption: Philadelphia Stars: A Tribute to Negro League Baseball by David McShane.
Group 2
Answer the following questions using information from both passages.
Question 2a
Write a short essay in which you explain the different ways that murals connect people and build community. Use information from both Passage 1 and Passage 2 to support your answer.
You will be scored on how well you stay on topic, organize your writing, and use punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and sentence structure.
Question 2b
How is the information in Passage 2 organized?
Question 2c
Read the sentence from Passage 2.
"That way the painting reflects the people who made it and the people who appreciate it." (paragraph 13)
What does the word reflects mean in this sentence?
Question 2d
This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A What is the main idea of Passage 1?
Question 2e
Part B Select a sentence that supports the main idea in Part A.
Question 2f
Read the sentence from Passage 1.
"Painted leaves and flowers liven paths for people." (paragraph 2)
What does the word liven mean in the sentence?
Question 2g
In Passage 2, what makes Maya want to create a mural?
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