Your Name is a Song

The book Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thomkins-Bigelow is an important and empowering story of a young girl who is frustrated with her teachers mispronouncing her name. She learns the beautiful history and culture behind her name as she walks through the city with her mother. After reading the story aloud and discussing it with the class, students can make a storyboard about their own name using illustrations and descriptions to explain its meaning or origin. Using a T Chart, they can have the letters of their name on the left and illustrations on the right.

Not all students will have deep meanings or stories attached to their name, and that's okay! Students may also create an acrostic poem where the cell beside each letter includes pictures or words beginning with that letter that relate to the student. For example, they could name and illustrate activities or hobbies that they enjoy, personality traits, their favorite color, food, animals, etc. These provide a great opportunity for students to memorize the names of their peers as well as encourage classroom community by learning more about one another. These storyboards can also be printed to create a beautiful and meaningful classroom decoration!

Due Date:

Objective: Create a T Chart to teach the class about your name and about you!

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. In the left hand column of the T Chart, write the letters of your name, one letter for each cell.
3. On the right hand column, create an illustration in each cell using scenes, characters, and/or items, and write your descriptions in the speech bubbles.
4. The pictures can represent the meaning of your name or the story behind how you got your name.
5. You can create pictures and words in the speech bubbles to describe something about yourself: activities and hobbies you enjoy, your characteristics, your favorite color, animal, book, show, food, etc. Each word to describe yourself should start with the same letters as your name like an Acrostic Poem.
6. Save and exit when you're done.