Generate Great Conversations With Math Graffiti

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I love to hear what children think! I learned to combine my love of comics and math with kids' need for math conversations. Enter: Math Graffiti! It was as simple as could be - if you take into account how hard it was to find and download math comics from the Internet...20 years ago!

I hunted down some great math comics, focusing on "Calvin and Hobbes". I love Calvin's attitude on almost everything! You shouldn't have any TOU issues if you use one copy in your classroom for educational purposes.

I made a simple display on the inside of my classroom. I laminated a piece of construction paper with a "Math Graffiti" header. I taped the current comic onto the laminated sheet and added a pen. I asked a specific question each time, but students were allowed to make other comments, as long as they were appropriate. In reviewing the ones included here, I noticed the word "stupid" a time or two. I guess they missed the memo.

I left each comic up for a week and tried to find time by Friday to have a whole-group conversation, sharing some of the comments.

My kids loved Math Graffiti! They loved "writing on the wall", getting a chance to share their thoughts and the comics! I highly recommend Math Graffiti as a regular, or occasional, part of your math program.

How do you solicit students' thoughts in math conversations? I'd love to hear your ideas!

We're all in this together!