The Power Of Names

The Power Of NAMES

START

"It is through our names that we first place ourselves in the world. Our names, being the gift of others, must be made our own. [...] They must become our masks and our shields and the containers of all those values and traditions which we learn and/or imagine as being the meaning of our familial past."

Ralph Ellison from The Collected Essays of Ralph Ellison

CHOOSING NAMES

What reasons might people have for changing their names?

WHOLE Group DISCUSSION

What reasons might people have for changing their names? Do any of these name changes on this list surprise you? Why? How are names related to our personal histories? How might they be related to our national history? Are names the same as who we are? How much of you changes when your name changes?

MY NAME

Reflect on some of your personal thoughts about your name.

Quick Write #1

Use one or two of the following prompts to reflect on your own name and what it means to you. I was given my name because . . . I like/dislike my name because . . . My name is/isn’t a good fit for my personality because . . . Describe a time when someone made an assumption about you because of your name. Describe a time when your name affected your behavior.

Click the icon above to make a copy of the independent work document. Note that once you've made your own copy, clicking the link above will make a new document.

Empowering OR LIMITING

In what ways do our names empower us? Limit us? What can we do to make sure our names or other people's names are empowering and not limiting?

Group DISCUSSION

Have ONE group member click the icon above to make a copy of the dicussion document. This person will also screen share and take notes!

Share the document with Mrs. White: amanda.white@coronadousd.org

TWO NAMES, TWO WORLDS

Read the following poem by Jonathan Rodriguez and consider what message he is trying to convey through this poem.

READ AND RESPOND

READ AND RESPOND

In your independent work document, respond to the following questions:

1. What do you think Jonathan Rodríguez means when he uses the phrase “two names, two worlds”? What two worlds does his name represent?
2. Rodríguez says, “I’m not the typical kid from suburbia.” He also says he is not a “smooth Latin cat.” What does he mean by this? What evidence does he give to support his claims?
3. In the poem, Jonathan Rodríguez reflects on his name. How does his name reflect his space in the world? How is his name a mask, a shield, or a container?

TEACH ME YOUR NAME

TEach me YOUR NAME

Use Flipgrid to teach me about your name! Before you record, take some time to research what your name means (you can just Google your name and "name meaning" to easily find the etymology). If you are able, talk to your parents or guardians to see if there is any history behind your name or reason why they chose your name that you might not know about. Use the space on your independent work document to record your notes about what you’ll say. You can also copy and paste this into the notes section on Flipgrid so you can have it in front of you as you record. Then, use the next slide to join Flipgrid and make a video with the following information:

1. Please say your name and teach me how to pronounce your name properly. If you know the denotative meaning of your name (what it means when you Google it) please share! 2. Explain what your name means to you, specifically. What are the connotative meanings of your name or the connections you have to your own name? Do you know why your name was chosen? 3. In what ways does your name empower you or make you feel good about yourself? Then, after you've recorded, respond to two other students' videos with a compliment, a word of kindness, or a thoughtful question!

FLIPGRId ASSIGNMENT

Period 1

Period 3

Period 2

Click on or use your phone to scan the QR code above to join the discussion. Choose "Join with Google" and use your coronadousd.org email. Choose the topic titled "Teach Me Your Name."

Click on or use your phone to scan the QR code above to join the discussion. Choose "Join with Google" and use your coronadousd.org email. Choose the topic titled "Teach Me Your Name."

Click on or use your phone to scan the QR code above to join the discussion. Choose "Join with Google" and use your coronadousd.org email. Choose the topic titled "Teach Me Your Name."

"If I'm gonna tell a real story, I'm gonna start with my name."

Kendrick Lamar from an interview in Vulture