Aim: How can the use of annotations aid in analyzing the figurative language, tone and conflict in “My Name,” by Sandra Cisneros?
We started the class with the Do Now question, “what does your name mean?” and “do you feel any connection to this meaning?”
The class was given time to look up the meanings. Afterwards, we had a class discussion to share our findings as well as if we felt any connection to the meaning of our name. My name, Ryan, means “little king”. I do not feel a connection to this meaning, however I feel that it is part of who I am.
Annotating
Before we got into the main part of the lesson, we watched a video, learning about what annotating is and how to annotate a text. Annotating is to take notes while reading a text. It helps you actively read, stay focused, and get a deeper understanding of what you are reading. In addition to learning about what annotating is, we learned about different annotating techniques, such as summarizing, highlighting information that stands out to you, and recognizing common themes and ideas in the text.
Breakout Rooms
After we learned about annotating and certain techniques, we returned to the question at the beginning of class and were put into breakout rooms with a group of classmates. With our groups, we conversed a similar question with each other:
My parents chose my name because they liked the name. I know what my mom was the person who brought up the name Ryan, and my dad liked it too. My middle name is also my dad’s first name, Glenn, however I don’t know why my parents chose my dad’s name to be my middle name. When we returned to the main room, we talked, as a class, about what we had discussed in our Zoom breakout rooms.
“My Name”
Afterwards, we spirit read the first chapter from the novel The House on Mango Street as a class, and we annotated the text individually as we read the chapter. We focused on annotating any figurative language that was used, as well as diction, syntax, and tone, which we learned about in our last lesson.
We then met with our groups in breakout rooms to discuss what we annotated and answer the questions that were given to us about the text. In the breakout rooms, we talked about how the narrator, Esperanza, used figurative language to describe her name and what it means. We also discussed what she reveals to us about her feelings of herself and her future.
Individual Activity
We met back in the main room and were given an individual activity to sum up the lesson. We were to write a paragraph about our own name, using the text we read as an example of how to write it. In the paragraph, we had to include:
What is your whole name?
What does your name mean? Share what your name actually means and define what it means to you by using figurative language.
Are you named after someone? Who are they and how do you feel about them?
What does your name remind you of?
Does your name reflect who you are?
Do you wish you had a different name/have you ever wanted to change your name?
We wrote about our names using figurative language and talked about the backstory of how we each got our name. Each of us wrote if we wished we had a different name and it we felt a connection to the meaning behind our names.
Reflection
Throughout this lesson, I learned what annotating is and how it can help us when we are reading. Annotating is a great way to mark a text so you focus on and actively read the text to retain important information. Not only this, but annotating helps the reader have a deeper understanding of the text. It also helps the reader if they need to refer back to the text, annotating makes it easy to find such information. The lesson taught me some techniques that I can use while reading, and these techniques were helpful while I read the chapter “My Name”. I found it simple to answer the questions that were given to us during class since I marked important information and uses of figurative language. I can use what I learned for future reading tasks to help me retain important information and get a deeper understanding of what I am reading.
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