Where I’m From

In this lesson, students explore themes of community and identity by analyzing a poem and creating their own poem inspired by the themes. Through these activities, students reflect deeply on their lives and learn to apply a variety of literary devices that enable them to express their creativity and share their voices. This lesson is written with 9th graders in mind, but it could be used for many grade levels.

Teacher considerations: In this lesson, students use their memories of growing up to compose an original poem. When planning this lesson, take into consideration that students who come from diverse backgrounds and may have, at times, experienced difficulties related to their backgrounds. These activities are meant to be reflective and may be healing for some. However, you know your students best and should decide how to proceed. One option to consider is to allow students to write about their present if they are in a good place to share.

Grade(s)

Subject

Course

Time Frame

Duration

9

ELA

English I

3 - 4 Classes

180 - 240 mins

Standards

Essential Question(s)

5E Snapshot

Students view a spoken word poem video and respond using the First Turn/Last Turn strategy.

Using their five senses and descriptive language, students brainstorm memories and experiences from their lives.

Using Categorical Highlighting, students read George Ella Lyon’s poem, “Where I’m From,” and analyze it for literary devices and figurative language.

Students compose their own “Where I’m From” poem and reflect on their classmates’ writing pieces.

Students reflect on their writing process.

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