From the classroom of Miriam Sikking (SDAWP 2010)
The tried-and-true “Where I’m From” poem used as a mentor text encourages students to reflect on their experiences and the everyday things that shape their identities. Inspired by George Ella Lyon’s poetry, students delve into their personal histories to create powerful pieces about who they are. Sharing their “Where I’m From” poems with classmates helps foster a welcoming classroom community by celebrating diversity and acknowledging the uniqueness of each student.
Do you use “Where I’m From” to get to know your students at the beginning of the school year? What other texts or writing activities do you use to help your students explore and share their backgrounds in order to build understanding and acceptance?
View the “Where I’m From” lesson reel HERE.
Resources
- George Ella Lyon’s website
- I Am From Project
- Kentucky’s Poetry of Place
- “Where I’m From” read aloud by George Ella Lyon
- Where I’m From: Family, Community, and Poetry — Welcoming Schools
- Inviting Students’ Lives into the Classroom — article by Linda Christensen
Related Books
- Where We Come From by John Coy, Shannon Gibney, Dion MBD, and Diane Wilson
- Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez and Jaime Kim
- I’m from by Gary R. Gray, Jr.
SDAWP Voices 