1 of 3

NOT EQUAL TO FAMILY (REDUCED DOWN TO ME)

​

RYAN JAFAR ARTES

​

2 of 3

INSTRUCTIONAL

NOTE

Feel free to modify, add, or select specific questions from this bellringer to best fit your instructional goals and available time. Adjust as needed to align with your lesson focus or classroom pacing.

​

Also, some of the materials in these bellringers contain sensitive subject matter and/or language. Please preview the resources beforehand and make any alterations as needed.

3 of 3

BELLRINGER FOCUS: LINE BREAKS & STRUCTURE/FORM

  • Read “Not Equal to Family (Reduced Down to Me)” by Ryan Jafar Artes.
    • Go to http://bit.ly/4ljY7eR to access the poem.
  • Answer the following question(s):
    • How do the poem’s short, staggered line breaks reflect the speaker’s sense of identity?
    • Choose a section where mathematical notation is broken across lines. How does this affect the pacing and emotional weight of the “equation”?
    • How do the abrupt or isolated line breaks near the end (e.g., “And I begin to tally”) emphasize the speaker’s realization?

CREATIVE WRITING EXTENSIONS

  • Write your own poem using mathematical symbols or equations to explore a personal truth.
  • Create a list poem using “If… then…” statements to express something unresolved in your life.
  • Write a letter to an abstract concept (like identity, family, or belonging) using fragmented lines and logic-like phrasing.