Identity 5: What's in a Name?

Title:What's in a name?

Author: M. Hill

Subject:ELA

Grade: 6

Week:1

Unit/Lesson Plan #: Identity 5

Unit theme: Identity

Textbook references: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, "Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvarez (PHL), House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Learning objectives:

- To explore how names are important parts of our identity

- To think about how what we call someone influences that person

- To explore how understanding our identity helps us understand ourselves as readers/writers

- To consider our individual feelings about our names

- To conduct background research for descriptive paragraph about names

Key Questions, Concepts, or Themes:

Why is understanding our identity important to understanding ourselves as readers/writers? Why are names important?

Stage 1:

JOURNAL: What's your name? How do you feel about your name? Why?

Stage 2:

A. Turn and talk to neighbor about your name (and ask clarifying questions as needed). DISCUSS: How do names impact our views of ourselves and others?

Stage 3:

Read "My Name" by Sandra Cisneros. DISCUSS: What do you notice? (Talk about descriptive language, subject matter choices, etc.)

Homework: Family interview about Name; Read "Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvarez (PHL 115)

Read p. 97-106 of Write Source 2000, "Building Paragraphs"

Assessments: (attach/link copies)

__ Group assessment

__ Observation of process/student work

__ Self-assessment by student

_x_ Teacher generated assignment

__ Written project

__ Test/Quiz

__ Other: ____________________________________