“Where I’m From” Poems Activity

For a language teaching activity, I would have my students write “Where I’m From” poems. I found this idea while doing research for a paper on using literature and poetry to teach ESL students and found that it was something I would like to use. The premise of the assignment would be to have students write poems, as the name implies, based on where they come from. This activity would be used as an introduction to writing and serve as a means to assess students' writing abilities. To begin the lesson, I would have the class take turns reading lines from short poems I have selected. This way, they get a chance to practice reading and speaking in L2 while also starting to hear what a poem sounds like compared to other literature. 

For the assignment, I would simply ask them to write a short poem, somewhere between five to seven lines, explaining where they come from or something from home that they feel passionate about. I would not confine them to needing a rhyme scheme or complicated language, this would just simply be a chance to practice writing in English. After the students finish their poems, I would put them in small groups of no more than four students and ask that they read their poems aloud to their groups. This way, they get more opportunities to practice reading and speaking in their groups. They would also be asked to peer review and react to each other's work, allowing for them to practice communicating with others in English. 

The final part of this assignment would be submitting their poems for grading. I would read their poems and check for things like grammar and spelling, but the focus would be on scoring how effectively they were able to express themselves with their poem. I would follow up with each student afterwards and Review their poem with them, offering guidance and assistance and answering any questions they may have. 

I found this idea to be quite interesting as, according to the reading it was based on, the main point of the assignment was to help students boost their confidence in writing in an L2. I believe confidence is necessary to progress with learning, so an assignment like this is one I would like to use if possible. 

Purpose: Give students the opportunity to practice speaking, reading, and writing in English through the use of the poetry format. Main goal is to help students boost their confidence in writing in an L2. Age/Proficiency Level: Grades 5-8; Beginner to Intermediate English proficiency 

Instructions: 

1. Read three short poems aloud with class. Each student reads one line of the poem and the next reads another line until each poem has been read through out loud.When this is completed, review the poems with students and answer questions before moving to the next poem. Repeat until all three have been read aloud and reviewed. 

2. Ask the students to take 15 to 20 minutes to write a “Where I’m From” poem. Explain to the students that it should be between five and seven lines and should focus on where they are from or something of significance to them about their home. Write instructions for the assignment where all the students can see (ex: chalkboard/whiteboard) so they have something to reference when they are in need of guidance. 

3. After poems are completed, put students into small groups of three to four. Ask each student to read their poem aloud to the group. Students must respond to the reader/speaker by commenting on what they liked about their poem or things that stood out to them. Repeat until all students have presented to their small groups. 

4. After poems have been shared and reviewed in small groups, students will submit poems for grading.