Have You Used Bio-Poems?

Hi Colleagues,

Another technique mentioned by Dr. Mary Ann Corley in her recent event about helping adults increase their writing fluency was Bio-Poems. A Bio-Poem is a poem, usually about a person, that uses a certain format (see below). Bio poems do not rhyme, and they can be about ourselves, a family member, a historical figure, a book character, or something else.

Here is the Bio-Poem format:

First Name
Four adjectives that describe you
Son or daughter of . . . . or wife or husband of . . . . mother and father of . . . .
Lover of (list 3 things you love)
Who feels (list 3 things you feel)
Who gives (list 3 things you give)
Who fears (list 3 fears you have)
Who would like to see (list 3 things)
Who lives (brief description of where you live)
Last Name

Have you used Bio-Poems or a similar technique that helped get your students' writing?

Thanks for your input,
Steve Schmidt, Moderator 
LINCS Reading and Writing Group 

Comments

Hi Everyone,

It's always helpful to give our students some models of a finished writing product, so here are some Bio-Poem examples:

Book Character (Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird)

Scout
tomboy, brave, intelligent, loving
sister of Jem
lover of justice, chewing gum, reading, and Alabama summers
who feels outraged when her dad is maligned, happiness when school is over, and fright on a dark Halloween night
who needs her dad’s acceptance, Jem’s loyalty, and Dill’s admiration
who gives friendship easily, black eyes to cousins, and sassy words to Calpurnia
who fears Boo’s dark house, owls in the night, and giving her open palms to the teacher
who would like to see all mockingbirds sing freely whether they are creatures of flight, shy neighbors, or kind handymen
resident of Maycomb, Alabama
Finch

Source (Corley, MA Help Adult Literacy Students Increase Their Writing Fluency PowerPoint)

WIOA Friendly Example (Have students research careers and create Bio-Poems)

Auto
Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, hard working
Son/daughter of Henry Ford 
Lover of engines, oil and fuel injectors
Who feels pride in serving others, a job well done, and keeping people moving
Who gives advice, their best effort every day, and free estimates
Who fears a bad reputation, poor maintenance, and cheap parts
Who would like to see a good salary, benefits, and respect
Who lives in thousands of places around the country
Mechanic

Source: (Schmidt)

Will you supply some other examples?

Thanks for your input,
Steve Schmidt, Moderator 
LINCS Reading and Writing Group

Hello Steve and colleagues, I have often used George Ella Lyons’ “I am from …” template for bio poems in my classes. On Lyons’ website, you can find her original poem as well as both audio and video of her reading the poem. You can also find a link to a radio interview with Lyons with the National Writing Project.

As noted on Lyons' site, the Kentucky Arts Council has collected “I am from …” poems from around the world. These 731 poems from 83 countries can be found at this link. In addition, Lyons has joined artist and teacher, Julie Landsmen, in supporting the “I Am From Project” which is devoted to bringing people together in a divisive world.

I'd love to hear how other teachers have used bio poems in class.

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, English Language Acquisition CoP

I started using "I am from..." poems in the late 90s when I worked in an alternative high school before using them with adults when I started in ABE. We would read some examples together and generate a list of the types of things people related their identify to, such as experiences, traditions, special foods or objects, family, geographical locations, music, spiritual beliefs, childhood events, etc. Then students would work on creating their own "I am from..." poems, and we'd post them for other classes to see. Everyone was always hugely impressed by the depth of the poems. I found this a useful activity for students who tended to not like poetry or did not like the idea of writing poetry. I would tell them they were just making a list of "I am from..." statements. They would always surprise themselves. These poems would often start simply and then really expand as students thought of more and more pieces of their identities. This activity not only connects to our students funds of knowledge but is almost completely built on what our students bring to our classrooms.

Thank you for the reminder of this wonderful activity and for the links to resources!