Alice Yazzie's Year
7th graders at Wilson Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico created "I Am" poems in preparation for a larger discussion of culture. By employing sensory details in the creation of these poems, students began to recognize it is these details which help to define our cultural heritages and our lives. The following are some well-crafted examples from the class.
Who I Am by L.M.
I am from somewhere where it is hot.
I am a cactus on a hot day.
I am a bird running a long time.
I am pink.
I am a look.
I am rock, pop, hip hop.
I am a smart girl.
I am a math book ready to learn.
I am a cauliflower.
I am Navajo and Spanish.
Who I Am by A.B.
I am a girl.
I am a blue bonnet smeller.
I am a watermelon eater.
I am a cardinal hearer.
I am a sight of flowers.
I am 13 years old.
I am from San Antonio.
I am great hot weather.
I am a family lover.
I am a walk by the Riverwalk.
Who I Am by K.A.
I am the waves hitting the ocean shore.
I am the clear blue sky on a winter day.
I am always busy.
I am a pink, orange and purple sunset.
I am the sun hitting the golden roads.
I am a star on the sidewalk hall of fame.
I am the board on the waves.
I am the sands of the land.
I am the love in the ocean.
I am a star stuck on the pier.
Who I Am by J.M.
I am a cactus in a desert.
I am hot like fire.
I am a tamale with chile.
I am a lizard sleeping on a rock.
I am a red ornament on a Christmas tree.
I am the sun hitting the desert which I lay upon.
I am the fresh new smell of sand.
I am the red on the Lobos shirt.
I am a Chihuahua running on the streets.
I am a Yucca plant in the desert.
Who I Am by J.K.
I am a person who listens to my sister.
I am a monster when I eat my food.
I am as cold as the Rockies when I lived
in my hometown.
I am a football rolling in the grass.
I am a peach growing in the trees.
I am a baseball when it is hit out of the
park.
I am a basketball when it gets shot for
the game shot.
I am nachos when the cheese pours on.
I am from a big state.
Who I Am by T.R.
I am Native American.
I am first daughter and big sister.
I am hot Cheetos.
I am loud and sometimes shy.
I am tall and slim.
I am the smell of vanilla perfume.
I am a basketball bouncing on the court.
I am dancing with my friends.
I am an ipod with lots of rhythms.
I am pink on cold days.
I am T.R.
The students then heard the story Alice Yazzie's Year and illustrated some of their own cultural traditions, accompanied by a brief narrative, using Alice's story as inspiration.
M.A. describes his family's New Year's
tradition of shooting bottles in the desert.
S.O. details how he learned to speak and write Japanese.
S.R. describes a traditional Cuban
New Year's feast.
G.R. shares how her family cooks tamales every Christmas.
