Where I'm From Poetry Activity - The Inspired Classroom

This poem, Where I’m From written by George Ella Lyon, is a touching one that gives insight to the person who wrote it through the senses and visualization.  From family sayings to the smells that bring her childhood to life, it is like a time capsule of memories: an opening to a her heart and an inside secret all in one. The Where I’m From poetry activity will sure open a door in getting to know your students and encourage creativity and expression.

Connections to SEAL: Social-Emotional Artistic Learning 

Studying this poem and then creating a sort of copy-cat poem from it is a great activity for your students (and YOU) to do. 

It encourages deep reflection as students practice self-awareness.

Through this activity, students will be able to identify important people and events in their family and connect them to emotions.

The poem study also give students a change to reflect on the supports they have around them and express gratitude for them!

Based on this poem, you can help your students create their own poetry to encapsulate this time in their lives.  In the past I have used this poem and the creation of one as an activity around this time of year as part of National Poetry Month.  And since it is a poem about the student, it is also a great project to complete as a gift for a family member. (A real tear-jerker!)

To get you started, here are three steps (plus an optional fourth) you can take to bring the poem into your classroom.

The Original Poem:

Where I’m From

by George Ella Lyon

I am from clothespins,

from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.

I am from the dirt under the back porch.

(Black, glistening,

it tasted like beets.)

I am from the forsythia bush

the Dutch elm

whose long-gone limbs I remember

as if they were my own.

I’m from fudge and eyeglasses,

from Imogene and Alafair.

I’m from the know-it-alls

and the pass-it-ons,

from Perk up! and Pipe down!

I’m from He restoreth my soul

with a cottonball lamb

and ten verses I can say myself.

I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,

fried corn and strong coffee.

From the finger my grandfather lost

to the auger,

the eye my father shut to keep his sight.

Under my bed was a dress box

spilling old pictures,

a sift of lost faces

to drift beneath my dreams.

I am from those moments–

snapped before I budded —

leaf-fall from the family tree.

Step ONE – Read the Poem and Listen to the Audio:

Follow this link to hear George Ella Lyon, the poet, recite her poem

Play this multiple times for your students and ask them to give their reflections on the poem.

• What parts of the poem stand out to you?
• What creates a sense of flow and rhythm in the poem?
• What images come to mind as you listen to/read the poem?
• What conclusions can you draw about the poet from the things she has described?

Step Two – Have Student Brainstorm Ideas:

Get a copy of the worksheet for students to gather ideas for the poem by entering your name and email in the form below.