Where Im From Multimedia Project

When asked Where are your from? most of us respond with a report of facts such as the city
we live in, a neighborhood or country. We might even go as far as tell about our family, our
school or our work. Again, we report information.
Use the space below to describe what has made you who you are today. Think about all of your
five senses as you jot down a few notes. Dont worry about flow at first, just try to remember . . .
what did you touch, smell, hear, taste, see? After you have some things listed you can then
work on putting them into a poetic flow using the template.

The original poem by George Ella Lyons

Where I'm From
by George Ella Lyons
I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the black 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 momentssnapped before I buddedleaf-fall from the family tree.

Where Im From
By Nancy Metteauer
I am from the Chinaberry tree where the rope swing hung,
from Sure Jell and Mason jars,
the Maytag wringer washer and Mrs. Stewarts bluing.
I am from shelling peas on the front porch while watching cars pass by.
I am from the butterbean dumplings Mama made,
the crimson clover and verbena growing in the pastures.
I am from washing water jugs and
shaking down feeders in the chicken houses,
from Hardy, Lott, Tinsley and Lewis.
I am from Daddys yodeling as he came home from the fields,
and Mamas quilts in the frame hanging from the ceiling.
I am from sunrise services on Easter mornings,
Hymns played on the piano and organ,
and gospel songs every Sunday morning.
I am from San Augustine, from Maurice and Esther,
Cream peas, stewed squash and cornbread.
From the Whoas, Yeas and Haws at the mule while Daddy was plowing,
The smells of beets and peaches while Mama was canning
And the laughter with cousins who visited Grandma across the street.
I am from property deeds, civil war records,
old letters, newspaper clippings
and pictures kept in an old shoe box inside a pillowcase
in Mamas dresser.

Where Im From Template

I am from __________________________________________ (specific ordinary item),
From _________________________(product name) and ____________________________ .
I am from the _________________________________________________________________
(home description.. adjective, adjective, sensory detail)
I am from the ___________________________________________(plant, flower, natural item),
the __________________________________________________(plant, flower, natural detail)
I am from _______________________________________________________(family tradition)
and __________________________________________________________________(family
trait), from_______________________________________________________ (name of family
member) and____________________________________________________(another family
name) and ______________________________________________________(family name).
I am from the ________________________________________(description of family tendency)
and _____________________________________________________________(another one).
From ___________________________________________(something you were told as a child)
and ________________________________________________________________(another).
I am from _____________________________________(representation of religion, or lack of it),
____________________________ and, ___________________________ (further description).
Im from _________________________________________(place of birth and family ancestry),
____________________________________________________________________________
(two food items representing your family).
From the ______________________________________________(specific family story about a
specific person and detail),__________________________________________________
(another detail), and the _____________________________________________________.
(another detail about another family member).
I am from _________________________________________________________________
(location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).

Where Im From Storyboard

Its time to start thinking about your visuals. What type of images do you see when you read
your poem? Can you capture images that would give the viewer the same message?
Use the following storyboard to help decide what images you will need to collect for your
multimedia project. Fill in the square with the words from the poem as well as a description or
file name of the image you would like to include in your project. Dont worry if you cannot come
up with an image for every frame, maybe you will just use written text for a frame.
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