Name Game

Unit	Sustaining Community
Lesson Name	Name Game
Grade Band	Early Childhood (K-2) Elementary (3-5) Middle School (6-8) High School (9-12)

Unit

Sustaining Community

Lesson Name

Name Game

Grade Band

Early Childhood (K-2)

Elementary (3-5)

Middle School (6-8)

High School (9-12)

Required Materials	Printed list of name origins (optional)
Standards / Competencies	SEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness: identifying emotions, experiencing self-efficacy, linking feelings, values and thoughts, demonstrating honesty and integrity Self-Management: managing one’s emotions, exhibiting self-discipline Social Awareness: taking others’ perspectives, recognizing strengths in others, demonstrating empathy and compassion, identifying diverse social norms, showing concern for the feelings of others Relationship Skills: communicating effectively, developing positive relationships, showing leadership in groups, resolving conflicts constructively, seeking or offering support when needed ELA Standards: Listening and Speaking Social Studies Theme: Individual Development and Identity
Recommended Time	25 mins

Required Materials

Printed list of name origins (optional)

Standards / Competencies

SEL Core Competencies:

Self-Awareness: identifying emotions, experiencing self-efficacy, linking feelings, values and thoughts, demonstrating honesty and integrity
Self-Management: managing one’s emotions, exhibiting self-discipline
Social Awareness: taking others’ perspectives, recognizing strengths in others, demonstrating empathy and compassion, identifying diverse social norms, showing concern for the feelings of others
Relationship Skills: communicating effectively, developing positive relationships, showing leadership in groups, resolving conflicts constructively, seeking or offering support when needed

ELA Standards: Listening and Speaking

Social Studies Theme: Individual Development and Identity

Recommended Time

25 mins

Essential Question	What is the meaning of our names?
Learning Objectives	Students will: Identify the names of their fellow classmates Understand how names are connected to religious, cultural, national, and other forms of identity Recognize the personal significance names have to their bearers Understand and value different family arrangements

Essential Question

What is the meaning of our names?

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Identify the names of their fellow classmates
Understand how names are connected to religious, cultural, national, and other forms of identity
Recognize the personal significance names have to their bearers
Understand and value different family arrangements

Activating Prior Knowledge	Have students sit in a circle so that they are facing each other. Allow for a gap in the circle at the front of the room so that students can see the board or a projector. Sit in the circle with students and tell students that they are going to learn each other’s names. Explain that our names all carry meanings that are important both to us and the people who named us. Names originate from a variety of sources. As you provide this explanation, either hand out a list of origins for names, write out the list on the board, or project it on a screen. Here are some origins that can be included on the list: Geography Family history Media Sacred texts Religion Meaningful letters or combinations of letters Astrology Numerology Symbolism Literature Allow students two to three minutes to read the list. Once they have finished, ask them if there are any terms they would like to have defined or clarified. Ask students if they know of other kinds of meaning that go into names. Allow students to write additional types of meaning on their handouts if you provided them, or write them on the board as students provide examples. Ask students why it is important to know the meaning behind individuals’ names. Get two or three answers.
Core Instruction	Tell students that the class will now go around the circle and everyone will share both their names and the meanings their names carry. Tell students that you would like them each to answer the following questions: What name do you prefer to go by? What are your preferred pronouns (e.g., he/his, she/her, they/them)? Is there a story behind your name? Does your name hold any special significance to you? Write these questions on the board or project them on a screen for the whole class to see. Ask students if they would like you to clarify any of the questions they are to answer? If desired, allow students five minutes to silently reflect on these questions and write down their answers before sharing to the group. Once the class is ready, model an introduction by answering the four questions for yourself. Then proceed around the circle until everyone has introduced themselves and answered all four questions. You may proceed in order of seating around the table, or provide a soft object such as a ball that students can toss to a random person in the circle. Make sure that everyone has spoken before moving on.
Wrap-up	Tell students that something as basic as another person’s name can tell us something about their identity. Learning about other people’s names lets us know how much we have to learn about each other and our backgrounds. Call on students to identify one thing they learned about someone else in the class. Ask students if they learned anything new about themselves by doing this activity.

Activating Prior Knowledge

Have students sit in a circle so that they are facing each other. Allow for a gap in the circle at the front of the room so that students can see the board or a projector.

Sit in the circle with students and tell students that they are going to learn each other’s names. Explain that our names all carry meanings that are important both to us and the people who named us. Names originate from a variety of sources. As you provide this explanation, either hand out a list of origins for names, write out the list on the board, or project it on a screen. Here are some origins that can be included on the list:

Geography
Family history
Media
Sacred texts
Religion
Meaningful letters or combinations of letters
Astrology
Numerology
Symbolism
Literature

Allow students two to three minutes to read the list. Once they have finished, ask them if there are any terms they would like to have defined or clarified.

Ask students if they know of other kinds of meaning that go into names. Allow students to write additional types of meaning on their handouts if you provided them, or write them on the board as students provide examples.

Ask students why it is important to know the meaning behind individuals’ names. Get two or three answers.

Core Instruction

Tell students that the class will now go around the circle and everyone will share both their names and the meanings their names carry. Tell students that you would like them each to answer the following questions:

What name do you prefer to go by?
What are your preferred pronouns (e.g., he/his, she/her, they/them)?
Is there a story behind your name?
Does your name hold any special significance to you?

Write these questions on the board or project them on a screen for the whole class to see. Ask students if they would like you to clarify any of the questions they are to answer?

If desired, allow students five minutes to silently reflect on these questions and write down their answers before sharing to the group.

Once the class is ready, model an introduction by answering the four questions for yourself. Then proceed around the circle until everyone has introduced themselves and answered all four questions. You may proceed in order of seating around the table, or provide a soft object such as a ball that students can toss to a random person in the circle. Make sure that everyone has spoken before moving on.

Wrap-up

Tell students that something as basic as another person’s name can tell us something about their identity. Learning about other people’s names lets us know how much we have to learn about each other and our backgrounds.

Call on students to identify one thing they learned about someone else in the class.

Ask students if they learned anything new about themselves by doing this activity.

Generously supported by the Nissan Foundation.

Download this lesson to access handouts.

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