7/30/2019 Lesson Plan - Where I'm From

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Lesson Plan: Where I’m from – The Poetics of Place

1. Individual Brainstorm

  Students will brainstorm sensory details about the neighborhood in which they live.

  Have students list at least the first three to five things that come to mind when they hear each category (no

need to use all of these, though feel free to add more and save in dropbox). You may want to give an example o

two, for each:

o  Streets near where you live.

o  Sounds you might hear in the morning.o  People you might see (names or nicknames).

o  Things you might smell in your house.

o  Things you would see if your back was to your front door, and you looked from left to right.

o  Things people in your neighborhood do for a living.

o  Businesses in your neighborhood.

o  Things you might see people doing outside.

o  Things people do for fun.

o  Things people care about.

o  Animals you might see.

o  Buildings you might see nearby, or the way buildings might look in general.

o  Things you might see people eating.

o  Sounds you might hear at night.

2. Pairs/Small Group Brainstorm 

  Have students list as many musicians and where they are from as they can (e.g. Kanye West: Chicago, Lil’

Wayne: New Orleans). Students can work in pairs or small groups.

  Share examples. Ask students how they know where these people are from. What do the students know about

these places? Why do these musicians rap/sing about the places where they’re from? 

3. Respiration

  Make sure students have a copy of the “Where I’m from - Poems” document. 

  Listen to the first verse of Respiration by Black Star (just so you don’t sound like an idiot, Black Star is the name

of the group, Mos Def is the one rapping). Have students read along with the song. Video is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeTnog5RRQo 

  After listening to the song, have students reread the lyrics. Have them underline passages they liked. Have them

place a box around any sensory descriptions (describing an image, sound, smell, etc.). Have them place a

question mark next to any line or phrase they do not understand or have a question about.

  Have students share lines that they enjoyed. Ask the students what they think these lines mean. If they’re slow

to offer up favorite lines, ask them to share some of the sensory descriptions and discuss how and why he might

use that description.

4. Where I’m from 

  As a class, read “Where I’m from” by Willie Perdomo. 

  After reading the poem as a class, have students reread it individually. Have them place a box around anysensory descriptions (describing an image, sound, smell, etc.). Have them place a question mark next to any line

or phrase they do not understand or have a question about.

  Have students share lines that they enjoyed. Ask the students what they think these lines mean. If they’re slow

to offer up favorite lines, ask them to share some of the sensory descriptions and discuss how and why he might

use that description.

5. Where They’re from 

  Have students write their own “Where I’m f rom” poems/raps. Encourage students to use whatever format

they’d like, though if they need a template to work from, they can follow Perdomo’s model.