Our aim for today was “How can the use of annotations aid in analyzing the figurative language, tone, and conflict in ‘My Name’, by Sandra Ciseneros”.
For our Do Now we were asked to research what our names meant and discuss whether or not we felt any connection to the description.
It was after this discussion that we watched a YouTube video that gave tips relating to annotating text. We then discussed further techniques that can be applied to annotating text while reading.
We then discussed with each other why our parents chose our names, who chose it, and whether or not we were named after a particular person, if so, who and why?
Next, we read “My Name” , the first chapter in the book, The house on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and annotated it using the techniques we learned in the beginning of class. We then answered questions about the text like how Esperanza (main character) describes her name using figurative language, as well as, what she reveals to us about her feelings, about herself, her life, and her dreams for the future all through the discussion of her name.
We summed up our lesson by writing our own paragraphs about our own name using the text as a model. We included our names, what it means, describing it using figurative language, whether or not we were named after someone, if so, who, what our name reminds us of, if it reflects who we are, and finally, if we wish we had a different name/if we’ve ever considered changing our names.
Reflection:
Today’s lesson really exemplified and showed just how important our names are, but not in the way that most people think. Our names are important in the way that they show who we are through their meaning, and it reflects who we are as a person. After reading the excerpt, it really shows how much our names have an impact on us. In the text, Esperanza details the meaning of her name and the kind of impact it has on her life. The meaning is something she doesn’t resonate with, she feels it doesn’t truly show herself as a person, she struggles with bullying because of it, and she wishes she had a new name that showed the side of her that nobody else sees. It really puts in perspective how significant names are in our life. While completing the final activity of the lesson, I had to answer the question, “Do you wish you had a different name/have you ever wanted to change your name?”. To answer it, I have thought about changing my name solely because of what it reminds me of and the meaning. I don’t have any connection to the meaning and it reminds me of the name any stereotypical popular high school girl would have, which I don’t exactly feel I am. After taking some time to think about whether I would want to change my name, it occurred to me that my name is such a strong part of my identity and who I am to everyone in my life. If I were to change it, I feel that I wouldn’t be the same person which is terrifying. This lesson provided a whole new idea of our names and just how significant they are to us which I never previously thought about. I will definitely use this to better understand others through their name and how they feel about it and whether they feel a connection to theirs.
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