Cool S

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cool-s

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the emergence period?Became widely prevalent in the early 1980s, coinciding with graffiti culture's rise
2. Why is it called the Universal S?It is called the Universal S because it is seen all over the world and many people understand it. It works like a secret language that kids use in school and on the street.
3. How did the Cool S become so popular?It started in the early 1980s with graffiti art. Kids copied it in notebooks and on walls, and it spread quickly through friends and schools.

Visual Vernacular: A system of visual symbols and expressions understood within a particular culture or community.
Subcultural Communication: The methods and symbols used by members of a group to communicate within and outside their group.
Folk Art: Art produced by self-taught artists who are not formally trained, often reflecting cultural traditions.