Name Unit

For use with:

• The Giver:  Look up the meanings of Gabriel and Jonas (Jonah)

• House on Mango Street "My Name" by Sandra Cisneros

• A Mango Shaped Space p. 8

The wind starts up slightly, and a big green leaf sticks to the sweat on my leg.  I hold still and count to twelve before it flutters and falls to the ground.  The color of the leaf is exactly the same color as Jenna's name -- a bright, shimmering shade of green with some yellow highlights.  I think part of why I liked Jenna right away is that I like the color of her name.  But I'd never tell her that, nor would I tell my older sister, Beth, that her name is the murky brown of swamp water.  Beth is sixteen and in the process of wearing down our parents' patience.  She changes her hair color the way normal people change their underwear.  We used to be a lot closer, before she went to high school and dropped me like a piping-hot bag of microwave popcorn.  

Questions to ask about your name:

• Why did your parents choose your name?

• Are you named in honor of someone?

• What does your name mean?

  • Look up the Origin of your name:  Behind the Name

• How do you feel about it?

• Similes showing my name.                 (“…my name is like…”)

• Metaphors showing my name.            (“…my name is…”)

• Other people who have my name.

• How my name sounds to me

• .Other names I’d like to have.

Sentence Starters:

• My Name is

• I was named by

• My name was chosen because

• My name means

• How I feel about my name is

Activities:

• Name Acrostic