When parents find out they are expecting a baby, one of the focus items involves selecting the right name. Honestly, this is one of the hardest decisions to make! Parents know that names are a vital part of who a person is. This means there is so much culture and history behind the decision. So, it makes sense that names are unique and deeply meaningful. However, students may not realize this when they are so young. Thankfully, learning names are special with Your Name is a Song that teaches students to embrace who they are!
Students will truly realize the story behind their names with the book and Read Aloud Activities!
Your Name is a Song
Author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrator Luisa Uribe remind students how special their name is.
A little girl never wants to go back to school after enduring an entire day of people mispronouncing her name. After telling her mother about her awful day, her mother teaches her about African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names. This involves a lyrical journey that shows how much culture and history are behind each name.
After going through this journey, the little girl is ready to head back to school to share her knowledge with her classmates.
Read Aloud Activities
If students ever had their name pronounced wrong, they know how bad it feels. However, correcting someone when they are wrong can be uncomfortable, so most do not say anything. While this is understandable, the hope is that people become more aware of name pronunciations. Then, if they are unsure, they gain comfort in asking someone. Thankfully, learning names are special with Your Name is a Song helps students feel proud of their name! They will make sure others say it correctly while ensuring they pronounce others correctly as well!
Since teachers have so much to prepare, there is a teacher guide to outline the entire unit. Specifically, this contains all of the lesson plans needed. Additionally, it includes an introduction to help prepare students and sets the purpose for the story. Likewise, it has essential vocabulary words!
Students often need to share their thoughts when learning how names tell a story just like a song. So, there is an anchor chart to create an interactive way to discuss this social skill as a whole class!
Since discussion is imperative when learning names are special with Your Name is a Song, there are talking points. This consists of higher-level thinking questions and points to help students analyze the importance. There are even page numbers to help teachers know where to stop and discuss!
While discussion is essential to include in lessons, personal reflection is also critical. Thankfully, this social skill has both aspects! There is a written response and activity sheet to help students understand how magical names are. There are even differentiated options to ensure every student knows their name is a beautiful song.
Furthermore, there is a hands-on craftivity! Students will love how the craft connects the story to their lives.
Application
Teachers work hard to ensure students understand how the material taught in the classroom relates to life outside of school. Therefore, there are task cards that provide scenarios or thought-provoking questions. This helps students understand how much history and culture is behind each name.
There are different ways to use the task cards. Honestly, they work great for whole class or small group discussions. They even work perfectly for individual work time.
No Prep Resource
Teachers have to handle so much. Thankfully, the Read Aloud Activities are all no prep! Teachers just need to print the resources.
Honestly, learning names are special with Your Name is a Song is an essential way to build acceptance for all! Students will realize that their name is more than just letters put together. Their name represents their family, identity, and culture.
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Grab this Free Read Aloud
Would you like to try out a FREE interactive read aloud lesson? You can grab this lesson plan for Jabari Jumps to share with your students. Just fill out the form below and it will be delivered straight to your inbox!
Save this Read Aloud
Be sure to save this pin to your favorite read aloud board on Pinterest! You’ll be able to come back to this lesson plan when you are ready to read it aloud with your students.
