Introduction
Mrs. Namendorf's webquest "My Name"
Students will research the origin and meaning of their name. The final project will be to create a Name Poem.
Introduction
As we have been learning about how others feel about their names, it is now your turn to consider the importance of your own name. Do you know how you got your name? Parents sometimes name their children after relatives, celebrities or for characters in popular literature, movies, or television shows. Do you know the origin and meaning of your name? If not, it is time to find out!
Task
Task
After reading "My Name" by Sandra Cisernos, research the origin and meaning of your name. You must also create a personal Name Poem using the template provided.
Process
Process
Step 1: Onomatology is the study of proper names. Click below to review the full
definition. Once you have opened up the link, type out the word onomatology in a word document and save. You will be doing more work on this saved document.
Step 2: Read the vignette, "My Name" by Sandra Cisneros. Answer the questions below when done. Make sure you turn in your answers before you leave.
“My Name” by Sandra Cisneros from The House on Mango Street In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting. It is like the number nine. A muddy color. It is the Mexican records my father plays on Sunday mornings when he is shaving, songs like sobbing. It was my great-grandmother's name and now it is mine. She was a horse woman too, born like me in the Chinese year of the horse--which is supposed to be bad luck if you're born female-but I think this is a Chinese lie because the Chinese, like the Mexicans, don't like their women strong. My great-grandmother. I would've liked to have known her, a wild, horse of a woman, so wild she wouldn't marry. Until my great-grandfather threw a sack over her head and carried her off. Just like that, as if she were a fancy chandelier. That's the way he did it. And the story goes she never forgave him. She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don't want to inherit her place by the window. At school they say my name funny as if the syllables were made out of tin and hurt the roof of your mouth. But in Spanish my name is made out of a softer something, like silver, not quite as thick as sister's name Magdalena--which is uglier than mine. Magdalena who at least- - can come home and become Nenny. But I am always Esperanza. I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees. Esperanza as Lisandra or Maritza or Zeze the X. Yes. Something like Zeze the X will do.
Questions:
1. Think about the girl's reaction to her name. Why does she want another name?
2. What do you think about the name she would choose for herself, Zeze the X?
3. Why do you think she liked this name?
4. Why does exchanging names seem so important when you first meet someone?
5. What about your name? Do you like it? Do you think other people like it?
6. What other name might you choose for yourself if you were free to do so?
Step 3: What about your name? Do you know what it means? Start by doing some research on your name. Try the links below.
Step 4: For homework ask your parents why they gave you your name. Write a short paragraph including this information. You will be sharing this information with the class tomorrow.
Step 5: Have you ever wondered how common your name really was? Well, wonder no more; click on the link below and find out. When done, type how popular your name was in the year
Year of 2014.
Name:____________ Rank: ___________
Step 6: Now that you know all about your name, create a Name Poem using the template provided below. Print it out when you are done. I have also included a sample poem for you to view.
http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/namepoem.htm
Evaluation
|
Beginning
1 |
Developing
2 |
Accomplished
3 |
Exemplary
4 |
Score |
|
|
Homework Paragraph |
Many spelling and grammatical errors. Many sentences sounded awkward and many punctuation mistakes. |
Had some spelling and grammatical errors. Some sentences were awkward and some errors in punctuation. |
Most spelling and grammar is correct. Few sentences were awkward, and punctuation had few errors. |
No spelling or grammatical errors. Uses proper sentence structure and punctuation. |
|
|
"My Name" Questions |
Many questions were not answered in complete sentences. Many errors in punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. |
Answered most questions in complete sentences. Some sentences did not include the correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. |
Answered all but one question in complete sentences. Mostly used the correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. |
Answered all questions in complete sentences. Used the correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. |
|
|
Final Project-
Name Poem |
The poem is not structured like the template. There are many punctuation and capitalization errors. |
Some parts of the poem follow the structure of the template. There are some punctuation and capitalization errors. |
The poem mostly follows the structure of the template. Most of the punctuation and capitalization is correct. |
The poem completely follows the structure of the template. The correct punctuation and capitalization is always used. |
Conclusion
Conclusion
You are now a published author! You have written a poem based on the research that you have done on you name. You have gone through a long, perhaps difficult process of finding out the meaning behind your name. Perhaps now you feel different about it, just like Julia did. Perhaps now you feel empowered by your name. After all, your parents selected it especially for you.
"Knowledge is Power." -Sir Francis Bacon
Credits
This webquest was designed and laid out by the below teacher and the same rights are given for use to others who would like to use it.
Kellie Mallon I am a National Board Certified Teacher working at Chasco Middle School. I teach Language Arts to middle school students.
Permissions We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is granted for others to use and modify this WebQuest for educational, non-commercial purposes as long as the original authorship is credited. The modified WebQuest may be shared only under the same conditions. See the Creative Commons Attribution • Non-Commercial• Share-Alike license for details.
It was modified as needed by:
Christina Namendorf I am a middle school and high school ESL teacher working in Secaucus Public Schools.