Huge heros on the wall.

Who is your hero? Mayb, you have more than one. Why do you admire your hero? You might hav, seen your hero at home or in your neighborhood. H, or she might be a member of your family or a friend. You might hav, a hero whom you have never met. Mayb, you have seen him or her on television or in th, movies. If you wanted to honor your special hero, how would you do it?

Many city neighborhoods are grim places to live. Garbage and graffiti cover th, walls and streets. Philadelphia is th, largest city in th, state of Pennsylvania. The mayor wanted to find a way to improve th, lives of th, people who lived there. H, hired Tim Spencer, who had grown up on th, city streets, to cover th, drab city walls with colorful murals. Many young painters helped create urban murals all over th, city, instead of th, ugly graffiti which had been there.

On one three-story building is a picture of Julius (Dr. J) Erviol. This forty-foot tall mural honors a basketball hero. Few people in th, neighborhood can pass by without beiol inspired by this giant public paintiol.

PARADE OF HEROES MURALS

1 In a group with two to four of your classmates, talk about things that interest all of you and the people who do it best. Thiok about people you know and what they do that inspires you.

2 Fasten a piece of paper, about 3 x 6 1/2[feet], over a door.

3 One group can paint a vertical mural of a chosen hero on th, paper. This could also be done in a horizontal format on a wall or bulletin board.

4 Each month, another group paints a mural of th,ir hero on th, door.

WORDS TO REMEMBER

hero

graffiti

Philadelphia

mural

urban