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. 

Step Three – Study the Patterns in the Poem:

Following a brainstorm and before giving students time to write theirs, invite students to study the poem, noticing where Lyon writes “I’m from…”, “from…” and uses lines to further describe some aspect of her childhood.

Step Four (optional) – Look at Other Examples:

Here are some student examples (grade 4) of their own “I’m From” poems:

by Kate

“Where I’m From…”

I am from sweet smells,

New books and paper.
Reusable shopping bags,
And sprinkle coated ice-cream that taste so good on hot days. From Germany and England,
My bed, chair, and couch.

I am from my family,
My mom, dad, sister, and Grandma That comfort me when I’m sad.

I am from “I can hear you up there!” To, “Go for it!”
From the old story of ‘Princess Kate’

I am from the sugary taste of mint chocolate chip ice-cream, And salty, orange Play Dough
From chicken frying on the grill,
And candy apples waiting on a napkin.

I am from the beautiful pictures of my family,
Coming from my mind,
my pink, glistening camera, and my quilted scrap-book It is these memories I will never forget.

I hope you try this in your classrooms.  Please let me know how it goes by adding to the comments!  (Be sure to see the comment by the poet herSELF!)