Calling all writers and poets!  Whether your family is indigenous or recent arrivals to America, everyone's got an American origin story.  What's yours?  Write a narrative about how your American story started.

And explore this Student Poetry Interactive to learn more about poets and poetry styles. The site explores how poetry and photography can be used to share stories about identity, includes samples of poetry, instructions about how to write a haiku and six word story, information about analyzing poetry, and background information about Native American, African American, and Mexican American history and culture. According to US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, “Without poetry, we lose our way.” How could you use poetry and your powers of creation to describe your own American story? Share your own haiku, six-word story, original poem to the discussion.

Create a video, graphic or image that completes the prompt:  My American Story Started When... Upload your image or link to the Make & Share tab or the PBS American Portrait showcase