Lesson Title: I Am From Poetry

Name: Katie Glenn

Objectives/Assessment
o Goal: Students will learn how to write a poem about themselves
to encourage self-reflection.
o Objective: Students will be able to write a poem using specific
details after the teacher models how in order to encourage selfreflection.
Formative: During the Grand Discussion, I will listen to
see if students are discussing about self-reflection
Summative: Students will be writing their own I Am From
poems that will be assessed by the teacher using the
attached rubric.
o Standard: 3.RN.3.3 Distinguish ones own perspective from that
of the author of the text.
3.W.4 Apply the writing process to
Generate a draft by developing, selecting and organizing
ideas relevant to topic, purpose, and genre; revise to improve
writing, using appropriate reference materials
Differentiation and Culturally-Responsive Practices
o In the grand discussion, students will be asked to brainstorm
about what makes them unique
o During the writing portion, students will be able to express their
own personal modes of input/output
o This writing is all about personalization. I have few technical
parameters for the assignment because they need to be
creative.
o This assignment celebrates uniqueness and diversity in a highly
positive way
Building Background Knowledge
This whole unit, weve been discussing Who we are. Whether its a
Math function, Science lesson about parts of a plant, historical figure,
or character in a story, everything has something that makes it unique.
This includes you.
You are important. You are unique. You are special. Only you can be
who you are meant to be.
Activating Background Knowledge
Have students think about what could make them unique. I will share one
unique thing about myself (I really love to sing. I was in the most prestigious
choir in my high school, the select chorale). Have about 5 students share
similar things about themselves. Thinking about what makes us unique helps
self-reflection and helps us become more confident in who we are. Poetry can
help with this.

Purpose
Say: Now I am going to read this poem, its an I Am From poem. I want you
to pay attention to the things in it that makes the author unique. I also want
you to pay attention to how the poem is set up because after I read, you will
be writing one of your own.
Essential Questions
The big idea of todays lesson is to understand that through reading and
writing this type of poem, everyone is unique, and because everyone is
unique, everyone is special and important. The way that this poetry is
written helps you understand that everyone is unique and special.
Constructing Understanding
Have students move to the front of the classroom to listen.
Read the Who I Am poem that I wrote, but do not tell them that I wrote
it until after the grand discussion.
Students will listen to the poem. Read the poem aloud, expressively
monitoring behavior throughout.
After reading the book, there will be a grand discussion that focuses on
the uniqueness of the author that is made evident in the text.
Possible questions to ask:
o What did you notice about the poem?
o What did you like or dislike?
o What do you think the author is like?
o Think about what you saw in your head while I read. Can you
explain what you saw?
o Do you have any idea who the author is?
o Now I want you to start brainstorming about things that make
you unique. Dont share with the group yet, youll have a chance
to do that later!
After all of these questions are asked, and the students are thinking
about their own unique qualities, have them transition back to their
seats.
Using New Understanding
After the poem discussion, students will be writing their own I Am From
poems.
Write the instructions for the poem on the front board so that all
students can see.
The instructions are as follows:
- You will be writing your own I Am From poems!
- You need to have around 10-12 lines for your poems.
- Every line should start with the words I Am From.

The lines do not need to have a certain amount of words in them,

and they do not need to rhyme.
- Make sure that you use details that are unique to you, and
include details that your classmates may not know about you.
- You will have 5 minutes to brainstorm ideas that you want to use,
and then I will give you 20 minutes to write your poems. Youll be
sharing these in small groups when you finish!
Give the students 5 minutes to brainstorm, use this time to redirect
students if necessary and to take a formative assessment to if they
understand the objective.
Circulate around the room
Then give them 20 minutes to write their poems!
Circulate, assess, and redirect as necessary.
Closure
Come back together after the 20 minutes are up (if a significant
amount of students have not completed their poems, allow more time
in one-minute increments).
Split students up in groups of 3-4 (they should have that many at their
pods of desks)
Students will then share their poetry with each other. I will circulate to
listen to student work.
When they have finished, collect the work; it will be displayed on a
bulletin board. Then conclude with saying: I hope that through writing
using this technique, and listening to my poem, that you now
understand that you are each unique, important, and special. There is
only one you. Good job with this activity.

Poem Rubric
Needs
Improvement
1

Fair

Good

Excellent

Students will
provide concrete
details about
themselves,
their
environment,
their homes,
and/or their
families
Poems will be
10-12 lines long

Students will
use complete,
proper
sentences.

The student will

use legible
handwriting.

Students will
clearly express
personal
uniqueness