Where I’m From

“Where I’m From” Activity Ideas

Poems are like jigsaw puzzles made of sound and reading out loud helps put the pieces together. Use any of these ideas to help you artistically express the puzzle of “Where I’m From.”

Brainstorm Ideas

• Read or Listen to George Ella Lyon read the poem
• Brainstorm a list of people, places foods, sports, music, family sayings, etc. that have made you You.
• Go through these lists or images until you find one you like to write about.
• Step into the shoes of your favorite writer or literary character and brainstorm a list of things that make them who they are.

Create A Poem

• Create a visual or audio version of your poem.
• Write about a member of your family.
• Write as if you were a tree or an animal.
• Write as your favorite writer or literary character
• Write from the perspective of your community or favorite place.

Create With Your Community

Encourage members of the community to share their poems by creating public presentations.

Host Local Events

• Host a reading or poetry slam. Include audio, video, and musical interpretations of the poems.
• Bring together senior citizens and students from middle and high schools to share and discuss their poems with each other.
• Invite the community to share and write new poems at a potluck dinner.

Share through media

• Develop a webpage that includes community poems in written, audio, and video formats.
• Make a chapbook of written poems to distribute at county fairs, libraries, schools, and vice versa.
• Arrange to have the local news paper, radio station or cable access channel to include poems from the community.

Resources

For Teachers

Connections to KDE Standards