Where I'm From
A Poetry Project 2009
We're fortunate to be able to join other classes around the nation in a National Day of Writing Project. Our inspiration comes from Dollie Evans, a teacher in Illinois. Please see her welcome message here.
Where are we from? That question could take us back hundreds of years or next door! Here's what the poet George Ella Lyons wrote, in her own voice: Click here.
You will create a poem based on the mentor text, “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyons. You will learn about the writing process, experiment with poetic techniques, participate in a writing community, and share your poems. Many people love this poem and all the writing possibilities it opens up. After completing this unit, you will have grown as a writer and learned a few tricks along the way. What wonderful words will we create?
Let's listen to the poem again and discuss:
“What techniques does the writer use that makes this a poem instead of an essay?”
Prewriting
Listen to a Mrs. Evans introduction to prewriting here. What ideas will you imagine?
Download a brainstorm sheet here. To view, click here.
Listen to the song "Back Where I Come From" by Kenny Chesney here and write on your brainstorm sheet the ideas you imagine about where YOU come from as you listen to the music.
See sample ideas by students here
Keep writing and adding to your memories. Another strategy for prewriting memories is to write a timeline of your life events. Examples and Resoources:
Directions for Online Graphic Map or view here.
Add your ideas here, if you have permission.
Drafting
Now that we've searched our minds and memories for places and people, food and fun, that brought us to where we are today, it's time to write drafts of our poems. Here's how Mrs. Evans explained it to her students. Click here. If you need the templates, download them at her site, but do try to write on your own -- can you see the pattern? Let's look at the original again here or and sample poems here. Do you see:
That's what we need to do, too! Let's draft!
Show and Share
Stars and Wishes
Your first draft is just that: a first draft. We've all got ideas and images organized into stanzas with the "I am from" repeated. Remember, we want:
Next, writers share and show each other what they've done. They talk about what works and what doesn't. That's what we'll do today. Remember: Be kind. As writers, we depend on each other for honest thoughts about our ideas -- and we say what we think in positive ways. We share because it helps us grow as writers when we know what our "readers" "see" in our writing. So, here's the process we will learn from Mrs. Evans. Click here.
Our process:
Authors: Read your wishes and stars. Your decisions on what you add, change, rearrange, delete is your decision, but do listen to what your peers explain to you.
What did your readers say that might help you make your poem better? Why?
What did your readers say that you won't use to change your poem? Why?
Revision
Add-What else do I need to include? Can I add a more descriptive verb? Can I add a simile?
Remove-Can I leave out any unnecessary words like of and the? Is there a line that doesn't fit?
Move-Is the information in the most logical place? Do I need to change my line breaks?
Substitute-What words could be replaced with clearer, stronger words?
Poets are masters of word power with ARMS using figurative language. Review our strategies:
Poetry Techniques
Let's listen to the poem again here and discuss:
“What techniques does the writer use that makes this a poem instead of an essay?”
"What poetic techniques did she use?"
Now: Use your ARMS and poetic figurative language to revise your poem --- "re-see" your ideas in more powerful ways using your ARMS and figurative language.
Read your poem aloud. How does it sound?
Show and Share again.
Revision
Spend time fine-tuning the lovely language that captures your creative word images to stir the imagination of your readers.
Edit
Now's the time to finalize how your poem will "sound" by how you add line breaks and punctuation. Your readers will use your line breaks, line lengths, and punctuation to help them read your poem aloud. Think how you want your reader to "read" your poem, and create your "breaths" and "pauses" with your line breaks and punctuation. Read what Mrs. Evans says to her students here.
Check your spelling and grammar.
Download the rubic for assessing your progress here or view here.
Publish:
Handwritten
Wiki page in your folder
Google Doc
Blog Comment (link provided later)
Illustrate
You may choose to create a presentation to bring your poem to life with images.
If you were to put images to your words, what images would you choose? Do you have photos or can you draw sketches? Can you find Flickr images to match your words?
Presentation Choices:
Google Presentation
VoiceThread
Glogster
Use the presentation rubric here to guide you in your illustation and presentation. Also viewed below:
Photo Credits
Apple Compass by klmontgomery CC Flickr
Fountain of Gold by klmontgomery CC Flickr
Sakakawea by Leonard Crunelle GNU licesnse Wikimedia Commons
Water Color by klmontgomery CC Flickr
Down by the Watering Hole by ian CC Flick
Reading Between the Lines by Bob Jagendorf CC Flickr
Chipmunk Tamia rayé -- Eastern chipmunk by Gilles Gonthier CC Flickr