This document outlines a study exploring the use of autobiographical poetry in social studies education. It discusses how preservice teachers wrote "Where I Am From" poems based on George Ella Lyon's model to examine their personal histories and origins. The poems and reflections were analyzed for themes. Preliminary themes that emerged included poetry clarifying identity, looking to future generations, reiterating life touchstones, depicting a journey across one's life, expressing gratitude, contradictions, and places of growth. The document concludes that poetry is a powerful learning tool that can help teachers meet Common Core standards and capture students' personal stories to understand larger social studies contexts.

1. Where I am From:
Capturing our
(her/his)stories
through poetry
Sherron Killingsworth Roberts, Professor
Nancy Brasel, Associate Instructor
University of Central Florida
Patricia A. Crawford, Associate Professor
University of Pittsburgh

2. OBJECTIVES FOR TODAY
To examine the ways in which explorations of poetry,
in particular, George Ella Lyon’s Where I am From
poem, might enhance our personal and interior
(her/his)stories.
To explore the potential for including poetry writing as
a part of social studies education, focusing on
personal, interior histories, landscapes, and origins
situated within the larger exteriors of history and
geography.
To share preliminary themes of preservice teachers’
perspectives on poetic autobiographical innovations
of Where I am From poems.

3. How it all started…
George Ella Lyon, a great poet, wrote
her poem: “Where I am From”
Here’s a website to get started with a
video she made:
http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.
html
Poetry can be understood and utilized in
many different ways. This particular study
situates poetry at the intersection of two
particular perspectives: sociocultural theory
and arts-based inquiry approach.

4. Theoretical framework or
perspectives
Vygotsky’s (1978; 1986) sociocultural theory is
invoked as a means of understanding the negotiated
relationships between personal or interior spaces and
larger public spaces of histories and geographies.
Sociocultural theory also provides a means of exploring
the ways in which participant understandings of social
studies (histories and geographies) are mediated in the
midst of researching and exploring personal
(her/his)stories.
An arts-based inquiry approach (Barone & Eisner,
1997) provides the foundation for exploring the possible
roles that poetry writing might play when integrated into
social studies education. Where I am From poems as
conceived by George Ella Lyon (1999) certainly contain
components that represent the lived experiences, both
interior and exterior, in social understandings. More
specifically, using George Ella Lyon’s Where I am From
poem/pattern, as the research poem, provides an
authentic lens through which these experiences can be
probed more fully (Willis, 2002).

5. We sought to explore the use of Where I
am From poems in establishing a
personal context for social studies
learning, in particular, the history,
geography or landscapes, and the
cultural origins of our preservice
teachers.
Researching and writing poetry in
authentic contexts for preservice
teachers can be supported within the
Common Core State Standards (Burkins
& Yaris, 2012; Calkins, Ehrenworth, &
Lehman, 2012).

6. Our methodological story…
First, we introduced the actual
poem and structure of George
Ella Lyon’s Where I am From
poem. Then, teacher candidates
brainstormed, researched, and
wrote their own personal versions
exploring their interior spaces of
history and geography.

7. Next steps…
Participants explored possible
connections to exterior, public
(his/her)stories, geographies, cultural
origins, focusing on on a Where I am
From poem highlighting a time period
they studied.
Participants reflected on the process,
connections, learning, and possible
benefits of this constructivist, art-based
inquiry and of their perceptions of
poetry writing within social studies
learning in open-ended reflections

8. In light of CCSS, guiding our
participants through the steps of
creating Where I am From poems
provided for close reading as well as
researching personal artifacts and
reading informational texts as part of
the emphases put forth in the
Common Core State Standards (NGA
& CCSSO, 2010).

9. Data sources
For the purposes of this study, the data
sources were the Where I am From poems
and accompanying reflections of
approximately 80 elementary (K-6) teacher
candidates currently enrolled in teacher
education programs.
Each teacher candidate provided at least
one Where I am From poem (one personal/
interior and perhaps one exterior)
representing the participants’ understandings
and thoughts about histories, geographies,
and origins.
Reflections were collected from teacher

10. Taking a look
These poems and reflections will then
be analyzed using a constant
comparative method (Glassner &
Straus, 1967; Maykut & Morehouse,
1994), with the goal of identifying
patterns, themes, or categories.

11. Preliminary themes
“From” as a clarification of identity
“From” as a basis for generativity—
looking into the next generation
“From” as a reiteration of touchstones
of our lives
“From” as a journey across our lives
“From” as a point of gratitude
“From” as a statement of contradiction
“From” as a place of growth

12. “From” as a clarification of
identity
“I am from the big-hearted and
unfaithful. From “I’m leaving” and “I’ll
be back…
I am from staged family photos beaming
with the fake smiles and matching
outfits that hung over our fireplace for
years—reminding us of the family we
could have been, better than the tears
and anger that would’ve otherwise filled
candids of my childhood.”

13. “From” as a basis for
generativity—looking into the
next generation
“I am from the attic, tucked away in
boxes and photo albums just waiting to
be shared with future generations…
I am from an enormous family tree that
continues to bloom as the years roll
forward.”

14. “From” as a reiteration of
touchstones of our lives
“From the death of my mother at age
12, the strength of my father, and the
love of my gram.”

15. “From” as a journey across our
lives
“I am from “daddy loves you” and
“mommy cares”… From the
introduction of my stepfather to the
wedding of my dad and step mother…A
family separated, but grown together.”
“I am from these moments of my
childhood that have transformed me
into who I am today.”

16. “From” as a point of gratitude
“ I am from mementoes displayed
around my home that I cherish
everyday.
I am from those memories of loved
ones, whose who have passed, and
those I have only met through research.
I am from a strong African family tree,
origin unknown, the respected members
of it, are dear to me, and their blood
strengthens me.”

17. “From” as a statement of
contradiction
“I am from the big brick house, old and
falling apart, shaking as sirens race
down to the park. . . I’m from
Washington, DC with wine and brie…”
“I’m from the strong-willed and the easy
going…”

18. “From” as a place of growth
“I’m from multiple rented houses in
Montgomery, Mt. Airy, Clifton, and
Westwood, from the eventual JOY(!) of
achieving home ownership, Bighorn Ct.,
here we come!
I’m from bankruptcy and from bologna
with ketchup sandwiches in my lunch
box
every.
single.
day.”

19. “I’m from being the difference and
setting a good example, from newly-found
optimism and hope for the future.
I’m from my past, from stories that
shaped me.
I’m from my present, from stories being
lived. Here. Now.
I’m from my future, stories I’m eager to
create.”

20. Educational implications
and future research
Poetry is a powerful medium for learning.
Teachers can guide students to meet
CCSS through poetic writing within social
studies; therefore, teacher educators
must work to capture personal, organic
(her/his)stories as an authentic means to
understand larger contexts and the
significance of social studies.