I didn’t take my cue from Shakespeare, but the results were poetic none-the-less. This year, I repurposed a project that I created many years ago and have shared with many. I have traditionally used the What’s In a Name project as a BOB (Building Outside the Blocks) project in Grade 6 to help students introduce themselves to me and to each other at the beginning of the school year. As well, it has been a great diagnostic for writing and presentation skills. This year, for the first time in two decades in the classroom, I am not teaching Language Arts aka English aka Language and Literature. I really felt that I could glean meaning from this project in a new context as the criteria worked well in my new focus: Individuals and Societies aka Social Studies/History/Geography. For this reason, the What’s In a Name project, fondly referred to as the W.I.N., became my diagnostic for research, interview, writing and presentation skills in Grade 6.
The process and results of the W.I.N. were very interesting. The students presented their projects to the class over 2 months as each student selected a date among the 6 per week that were allotted. To begin, the students were given the outline and the success criteria as a checklist. They were permitted 1 period of class time to research the origin and etymology of their name as well as other interesting facts. They had to write interview questions to ask their parents about why they had chosen their name and what it meant to them. Any additional research and preparation was completed outside of school time. Students were required to present on their first and last names, but some even added their middle names or translated their names into another language to add the meaning of that name, too. Like with all other BOBs, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcomes and feedback.
Students had a lot of positive responses about the W.I.N. They enjoyed the stories about how and why their names were selected, which many had never heard before. A lot of the students learned about the relatives they were named after or whose names and legacies now became theirs. They learned hilarious anecdotes about why they had their name or even the other names they may have had if their other parent had their way. One student had a different name for their month of life until their parents decided that it didn’t suit him and changed it. Some parents even wrote to thank me for the opportunity to partake in the interview process for this assignment because they had never thought to discuss their child’s name with them as a narrative or because they had a particularly bonding experience with their child though the assignment. More than anything, the students found the project informative and engaging.
Among the feedback I received through the W.I.N. reflections after everyone in the class presented were some things that had not occurred to me. Many students reflected on their learning from their classmates’ presentation on their names. After months of presentations, details of the stories or even the actual middle names of other came up in their responses. A few even commented on the power of a name. Now that’s a big idea for students at the beginning of their school year. There were many insightful points that showed a lot of learning from the experience and evidence that we were already building a community. Even more, we were building a great foundation for our content area learning.
The W.I.N, tweaked from a different subject area was even more powerful in Social Studies because it connects the introduction of the students to building a framework for historical reference. It teaches that a name can be a piece of longitudinal narrative linking a person to their past. As well, it can bridge geographical and familial distances and requires the use of both primary and secondary resources. Simultaneously, it allows the teacher to have a window into the student while being an effective getting-to-know-you tool for the class of children who may or may not have met each other before. It is also a powerful way to invite everyone to share parts of themselves that helps contribute to creating a space for everyone.
When Carol Salva started using the WIN for her high school newcomers, I was surprised at the application. I had never considered this project as a way to help English Language Learners "tell their story". I was elated when she sent me the footage of Uri:
All BOBs have the same elements: student choice and voice, projects presented to class community who provide feedback, teacher as facilitator. What is unique to this Building Outside the Blocks project is that is invites students to talk about themselves, their family heritage and the ever-powerful themes of immigration, determination, sacrifice, hope, continuity, loss and love all through the conduit of a student’s name. It can be a praoctive way to build an inclusive space where everyone feel visible and valuabel. What’s in a name? A lot more than I even realized.
