Research+Your+Name

= Name Research Project ... Webquest =

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[|What’s in a Name? A Back-to-School Literacy Unit] ======

Our names are an important part of our identity, and during the first few days of school, we are naturally focused on matching the names with the faces in our class. A name unit, then, is a natural extension of this focus. It emphasizes each student’s uniqueness, and helps to reinforce our classroom values of acceptance and individuality.

**Beginning With Thematic Read-Alouds** Several thematically linked read-alouds sparked discussions among my students about the importance of names, cultural diversity, tolerance, and self-acceptance. Below is a short list of some of my favorite picture books on the subject. I've also included a __ longer annotated list __ on my class Web site.
 * Picture Books About Names:**
 * //__ Chrysanthemum __// by Kevin Henkes
 * //__ The Name Jar __// by Yangsook Choi
 * //__ My Name Is Sangoel __// by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed
 * //__ Three Names of Me __// by Mary Cummings
 * //__ The First Thing My Mama Told Me __// by Susan Marie Swanson
 * //__ My Name Is Yoon __// by Helen Recorvits

I also set out a basket with a variety of baby name books borrowed from the public library. You would never believe how much excitement baby name books generated among my students! This was a new microgenre for most of my students, and they eagerly pored over the books with their partners. This was hardly a quiet reading period. The classroom was full of exclamations such as: “Lauren, your name was the thirtieth most popular name!” “Mia’s name was the fourteenth most popular in 2008!” “I can’t find Keo’s name in any of these books!” We charted their discoveries, touching on several features of nonfiction books in the process.

**Let's Research!**

To set the stage for their personal name research, I read the students the second chapter of Lois Lowry’s book //__ Gooney Bird Greene __//. In this chapter, Gooney Bird regales her new class with “The Story of How Gooney Bird Got Her Name.” This is a perfect springboard for the students to begin researching the stories behind their own names.

My students researched their names in three different ways: by referring to the baby name books, by using online names databases, and by conducting a family interview. I wanted to structure a very controlled experience for this first class foray onto the Web, so I directed the students to a __ prescreened list of resources __ on my classroom Web site.

Directions: Work with a partner and take turns researching each other's names. Use the links below to explore the meaning of your name. You can read about the history of your name, similar names that it may have come from, the country or region of the world it comes from, and how popular your name is. Take notes on what you learn about your name on the note-taking page. Are there any books in our library with your name in them? Check on the catalogue..

__ Behind the Name Website __ __ Think Baby Names __ (A lot of websites about names were created to help parents decide on names for their babies. There are also a lot of books about names.) __ Babynology __ __ Nameberry __