I am

• Have students read the title of the poem and look at the image of the girl, noting the expression on her face. Ask: How do you think she might complete the sentence “I am ______________”? (If possible, project the poem and cover the text so students can make predictions before reading the poem.)
• Have a volunteer read aloud the Up Close box. Make sure students understand what a metaphor is by looking at the first two lines. Ask students what the speaker is comparing herself to. (a song longing to be sung) Discuss what she might mean: What kind of song could she be, and what do the lines show about how she feels? Why would the song be “longing to be sung”? (Answers will vary, but students might suggest that she is a joyful and upbeat song, and she wants to express her joy. It could also show that she has potential [or possibilities] inside that she wants to share with the world.)
  

• Continue reading the poem by having students listen to the Audio Read-Aloud or call on a student to read the poem for the class.
• Discuss the poem together by answering the questions that follow.
  

• Read the second two stanzas in the poem (lines 3-6). What two things does the speaker compare herself to? What do they tell you about how she feels about herself? (metaphor) The speaker compares herself to “the shine belonging to the sun” and “the sweetness in the breeze.” These are very positive comparisons, so they suggest that the speaker feels confident and happy with who she is.
• Read the fourth stanza (lines 7 and 8). What do roots do? How might a person be like the roots of a tree? (metaphor) Roots keep trees and plants in place. A person could be like the roots of a tree by feeling like they’re strong and steady and that they belong in the place where they are.
• How is the fifth stanza different from the fourth? What can you conclude by reading both of these stanzas together? (compare and contrast) The fifth stanza compares the speaker to a fish, which can swim anywhere. A tree held steady by its roots stays in one place. Together these stanzas suggest that the speaker feels both free and grounded.
• Read the last stanza. What can you tell about the speaker’s ancestors from these lines? Why might they have had “prayers to be free”? (interpreting text) The speaker’s ancestors were likely enslaved or oppressed people who longed for and worked toward freedom. (Note to teacher: Depending on your students’ level of background knowledge, they might need support to answer this question. You can share with students that the poet is Black and is making a reference to the time when Black people were enslaved in our country.)
• How do you think the speaker feels about her ancestors? Explain your answer. (inference) The speaker seems to feel grateful to her ancestors. She is benefiting from their dream of freedom by being free herself and having the possibility to do anything she wants. All of the joyful and confident qualities she expresses in the previous stanzas are the “results” of what her ancestors did.
• What big message do you think all readers can take away from this poem? (theme) Like the speaker in the poem, we can all feel good about who we are and embrace everything that is possible for us.

Distribute or assign the Poetry Kit, which will include the above discussion questions and prompts for students to write their own poems using metaphors about themselves. It is available to print or as an interactive slide deck that students can complete digitally.

Have students work in groups to write a collaborative “I Am” poem. Instruct each person to contribute one stanza starting with “I am” and including a metaphor about themselves. They can give each other feedback, then put the stanzas together into a poem, adding a final stanza to wrap it up. Finally, each group can choose a member to read its poem to the class.