Making Inferences Using Banksy

Street Art can be a wonderful vehicle in the classroom

One of Banksy's orginal artwork paying tribute to Basquiat, by Banksy

This last spring we visited a street art exhibit titled "Beyond the Streets." It was in a gritty part of LA tucked inside a massive warehouse. It housed works of art from the infamous Shepard Fairey to Space Invader and the elusive Banksy. Banksy is an anonymous, gorilla street artist who is known for his most recent prank: A timed shredder that destroyed his million dollar painting right after auctioning. He also was featured in the acclaimed Exit Through the Gift Shop, a commentary documentary on the value of art. But more importantly, Banksy's work is intelligent, full of rich social commentary from immigration to social media and his work will make kids think. And when I say think, I really mean infer. Not only will this engage your most reluctant learners but also this is a friendly way to engage your students in inquiry, critical thinking AND....wait for it.......Inferencing. I absolutely love sneaking in thinking!

An inference is, in a way, like Banksy: difficult to catch and leaves clues behind.

Art, in my opinion, is a function of literacy. It is a visual message and leaves the interpretation up to the viewer, similar to literature. And it is an excellent pathway to introduce and practice making inferences, providing evidence, and drawing conclusions. All of these skills are addressed throughout the Common Core State Standards and on state testing.

Typically when I ask my students to do something difficult, I like to start with a visual. I begin with having students make observations, not evaluations just yet. I stay more in the "What do you see? or What do you notice?" type questioning. This is important because anyone can participate. Everyone will see something and can make a contribution. The idea is to treat this like a crime scene and to inventory all the "clues" the artist left behind.

After I have recorded their observations, we can now make some inferences. These are the "What does it mean?" type questions. We take each "clue," detail, color, symbol, item and speculate why its there and what it shows. Additionally, it also involves using the evidence found previously. They must support their theories. This takes some probing. But most importantly, let the kids do the work!

Next we break down the big idea. What is the artist saying? What is his/her message? What does s/he want us to know? This step can only occur if the hard work has been done. It will happen as naturally has a fruit ripening on the vine. Essentially students will draw a conclusion and identify a theme.

This skill crosses over nicely into practicing speaking skills and supporting claims with evidence in an engaging way. Banksy has some really thoughtful pieces that kids will respond to including a tiger walking through a bar code, a kid crying because he has no likes, and a girl swinging in a parking lot.

I encourage you to find some thought-provoking art and make something everyday.