Redefining Home

• Introduce students to the concept of “singularity” by explaining that it is a scientific theory that will be discussed in more detail after they read the poem “Singularity,” but for this first reading, simply consider the idea that everything is inherently interconnected.
   
• Before you begin, have students take out their journals. Then distribute copies of “The Singularity” by Marie Howe. Instruct students to read the poem silently. Emphasize that they should annotate parts of the poem that resonate with them on a personal level and record their thoughts in the margins as the poem unfolds.
   
• After reading, ask students to copy their favorite line, sentence, or phrase from the poem into their journals. You can encourage them to do this in their “two-pager” journal entry where they are collecting their ideas from the text set.
   
• Offer a more detailed, yet still brief, explanation of the “singularity” theory, explaining that physicists Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking posited the idea that our collective origins stem from a single point in the universe, suggesting that we all came from the same place billions of years ago. Marie Howe alludes to this theory in the poem and video, so it helps to be aware of this background.
   
• Follow the explanation by playing the video featuring Marie Howe’s reading of “Singularity” (0:00–04:25). Encourage students to view and listen carefully, as this visual and auditory option can deepen their engagement with the poem.
   
• After the video, form small groups for a discussion centered on the poem’s exploration of separation, aloneness, and the concept of a “boundaryless” home. Use all or some of the provided student prompts to guide the conversation.
   
  • Student Prompts:
    • Share your favorite line, sentence, or phrase from the poem.
    • How does this poem suggest that separation and aloneness cause suffering? Do you agree?
    • At the close of this poem, Howe asks us to consider what it might have been like before all things separated into distinctive parts. She ends with the line “All everything home.” 
      • What does this mean to you?
      • Why do you think the poet chose to end the poem this way?
      • How does this poem connect to our guiding question: In what ways can home exist without boundaries? 

• Let students know that they will be reading a new poem that engages with similar themes related to home and our origins. However, in Clint Smith’s poem “Meteor Shower,” students will more specifically explore the impact of personal and collective pasts on our present identities and sense of home and belonging.
   
• Pass out copies of the “Meteor Shower” Reading and Reflections handout. Optionally, you may project the poem for the class to follow along with during the reading.
   
• Direct students to complete the reflection questions at the top of the handout, focusing on imagery, sound, and emotional response.
   
  • Visual Imagery: What images or scenes do you visualize as the poem is read? Concentrate on identifying one or two vivid images.
  • Auditory Elements: Pay attention to the poem’s rhythm, rhyme, and sound patterns. Is there a particular musical quality you can identify? 
  • Emotional Response: What emotions does the poem evoke? Without overanalyzing, simply note your immediate emotional reaction. This could range from happiness to curiosity, or anything in between.
     
• Read the poem aloud, allowing a moment of silence afterward for personal reflection. 
   
• Then encourage students to discuss their responses and interpretations by addressing Part 1 of the “Meteor Shower” Reading and Reflections handout with a partner, focusing on the poem’s thematic connection to history and personal life.
   
  • First, take a moment to share your responses with a peer. 
  • Second, discuss what the poem is about (the dramatic situation) and the effect it has on you. 
  • Finally, consider how the following lines may be referring to both history and our own lives: 
    • “It’s funny, I think, / how even the universe is telling us / that we can never get too far / from the place that created us. / How there is always a streak of our past / trailing closely behind us / like a smattering of obstinate memories.” 

• Guide students to answer the personal reflection question in Part 2 of the “Meteor Shower” Reading and Reflections handout.
   
  • In his poem, Clint Smith suggests that when we leave familiar places, like our homes, “we bring a part of where we are from / to every place we go.” With this thought in mind, consider the question: How might your history and origins have a lasting impact on your identity?
     
• In order to synthesize the lesson’s themes, initiate a whole-class discussion to reflect on the poem’s implications for personal identity and the concept of home.
  Begin by first encouraging students to respond to the following prompts in writing or in small groups:
   
  • Student Prompts:
    • What was your favorite line from this poem?
    • What images, ideas, or thoughts did the poem evoke?
    • How did this poem invite you to think differently about the concepts of home and belonging?
    • How did the poem help you reflect on the question: How might your history and origins have a lasting impact on your identity?

• Explain to students that the goal of this culminating activity is to review and synthesize major themes related to the concept of home from the unit by comparing the “notable quotes” studied at the beginning of the unit to texts they read afterward.
   
• Distribute copies of the Exploring Texts through Notable Quotes handout and ensure that students have access to all their materials (handouts, readings, notes, journal entries) from the unit. Remind students to return to their “two-pager” in order to process and reflect on the development of their learning. 
   
• Instruct students to individually review all materials, focusing on identifying patterns or shifts in their understanding of home. Encourage them to note these insights in Part 1 on the handout.
   
• Afterward, allow students to form groups of three or four to discuss and determine which quotes in Part 2 best represent the message of particular texts explored in the unit. Emphasize that the goal of this activity is to stimulate deeper thinking about similar ideas by looking for connections between the texts and quotes. There is no correct answer; however, students do need to use evidence from the texts and lessons to support their choices.
   
• Remind students of the value of respectful dialogue and encourage them to use specific strategies for constructive disagreement, such as referencing the texts directly and listening actively to each other’s perspectives. It may also be beneficial to introduce or review tips 1, 3, and 4 in the Facing History resource How to Be an Upstander.

• Debrief the activity by facilitating a whole-class discussion focusing on the group process, outcomes, and thematic connections. Possible discussion topics:
  • Share what worked well in your groups. 
  • Describe any challenges you encountered.
  • Did your group reach a consensus on the quotes for each text?
     
• Then tally the group consensus from the handout with the entire class. Begin by reading each quote out loud and asking one member from each group to share their corresponding text. While you tally the responses, note areas of agreement and disagreement. Facilitate the part of the discussion around the consensus quote-text pairing, and then direct the conversation to any of the following culminating student prompts:
   

• Student Prompts:
  • Share how your working definition of “home” has evolved over the course of this unit.
  • Share something insightful or new that you learned over the course of the unit.
  • Share your favorite texts, activities, or lessons from your learning journey.
  • Based on your new understanding, how would you answer the essential question: How can reimagining “home” empower us to define how and where we belong in the world?

In this activity, students write a “Where I’m From” poem, modeled after George Ella Lyon’s poem “Where I’m From.” To begin, let students know that they will be writing a poem using specific details about who they are and where they come from. If you plan to have students share their poems with the class, let them know before they begin this activity.

• As a class, read “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon twice. During the second reading, pause deliberately throughout the poem to note specific details while students simultaneously annotate the text. 
   
• Afterward, pass out the Where I’m From Brainstorm handout and give students time to complete it on their own.
   
• After the brainstorm activity, ask students to write their own “Where I’m From” poem using Lyon’s poem as a guide. Students should insert the details from their brainstorm handout and add any extra information they’d like into their own poems.
   
• Provide time to finish the poems during or after class. When drafts are complete, invite students to share in large or small groups.