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1-Draw your name and the meaning. Upload the picture here.

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1-Draw your name and the meaning. Upload the picture here.

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 3- Provide a possible option 'I think my name means_______ because _______________'

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 3- Provide a possible option 'I think my name means_______ because _______________'

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Celebrate diversity in your classroom by highlighting the importance of students' names. Set the tone at the beginning of the year (and every day!) with these heartwarming books about names to teach kids about empathy, culture, and identity.

(Note: WeAreTeachers may earn a few cents if you purchase using our links, at no extra cost to you.)

Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. Instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name from a jar by the following week.

What's in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from-and who she may one day be.

How and why did some animals get named after other animals? This book is a clever collection of animals with similar names and a coordinating 4-line poem for each illustration. Use it to talk about how names are created!

A GPS system navigates you to where you are going, but your name could lead to what you are looking for. This author uses the alphabet letters as she showcases her family, history, culture, language, geography, and more.

This is one of the sweetest books about names for students! Join Ruby, a plucky little bird, as she ventures through life, making new friends, learning new skills, and asking questions that may have some very surprising results.

6. My Name is Elizabeth! by Annika Dunklee, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe

Meet Elizabeth. She's got an excellent pet duck, a loving granddad, and a first name that's just awesome. After all, she's got a queen named after her! So she's really not amused when people insist on using nicknames like Lizzy and Beth.

7. My Name Is Yoon by Helen Recorvits, illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska

Yoon's name means "shining wisdom." When she writes it in Korean, it looks happy, like dancing figures-but her father tells her that she must learn to write it in English. In English, all the lines and circles stand alone, which is just how Yoon feels in the United States.

8. My Name is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin, illustrated by Barbara Kiwak

A young boy wrestles with his Muslim identity until a compassionate teacher helps him to understand more about his heritage.

Andy may be the littlest kid on the block, but he's very important. He has a wagon full of letters that spell his name, and he takes it with him wherever he goes. He could probably spell out his own list of books about names!

10. Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Luisa Uribe

Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city.

Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect-until her first day of school. "You're named after a flower!" teases Victoria. "Let's smell her," says Jo. Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?

12. Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name ... one that's all his own. Dad is known as big Thunder, but little thunder doesn't want to share a name.

On a freezing winter night, nine-year-old Konisola and her mother step off a plane in Canada. They are running for their lives when Konisola's mother becomes sick, and Konisola is forced to fend for herself in a strange country. Will they be allowed to stay as refugees, or will they both be sent back across the ocean?

This is one of the silliest books about names! Meet Barbara, the bear with balloons for sale in Brazil, New York Ned, the newt who owns a noodle emporium, and finally the zipper-selling Zambian zebra and zebu, Zelda and Zach.

15. How Nivi Got Her Names by Laura Deal, illustrated by Charlene Chua

Nivi has always known that her names were special, but she doesn't know where they came from. One sunny afternoon, Nivi decides to ask her mom to explain. This book is an easy-to-understand introduction to traditional Inuit naming, with a story that touches on Inuit custom adoption.

16. My Name is María Isabel by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by K. Dyble Thompson

For María Isabel Salazar López, the hardest thing about being the new girl in school is that the teacher doesn't call her by her real name. "We already have two Marías in this class," says her teacher. "Why don't we call you Mary instead?" Can she find a way to make her teacher see that if she loses her name, she's lost the most important part of herself?

17. My Name is Sangoel by Karen Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Catherine Stock

Sangoel is a refugee. Leaving behind his homeland of Sudan, where his father died in the war, he has little to call his own other than his name, a Dinka name handed down proudly from his father and grandfather before him.

18. Always Anjali by Sheetal Sheth, illustrated by Jessica Blank

Anjali and her friends are excited to get matching personalized license plates for their bikes. But Anjali can't find her name. To make matters worse, she gets bullied for her "different" name and is so upset she demands to change it.

Even animals need books about names! Fluffy the porcupine is unhappy with his name: "So he decided to become fluffier." He climbs a tree and pretends to be a cloud! He even poses as a pillow. When Fluffy meets a rhinoceros named Hippo, it puts his plight in perspective ... and he makes a friend.

20. The Change Your Name Store by Leanne Shirtliffe, illustrated by Tina Kügler

Wilma Lee Wu does not like her name, so she marches to the Change Your Name Store, where she tries on new names. Each time Wilma selects a new name, she is transported to the country from which the name originates. Will Wilma find a new name that she likes? Will she discover her real identity and where she truly belongs?

21. The Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland, illustrated by Ted Lewin

All day long, Ahmed maneuvers his donkey cart through streets crowded with cars and camels, down alleys filled with merchants' stalls, and past buildings a thousand years old. He keeps his secret safe inside. It is so special and wonderful, that he can reveal it only to his family when he returns home at the end of the day.

Yoko is so excited about the first day of school. She's just learned to write her name. But when Mrs. Jenkins asks Yoko to show everyone, Olive and Sylvia make fun of her Japanese writing. "Yoko can't write. She's only scribbling!"

One ordinary day, Noah's parents tell him his name isn't really Noah, his birthday isn't really in March, and his new home is going to be East Berlin-on the other side of the Iron Curtain. East Germany seems the least likely place in the world for a kid from America with a lot of secrets of his own to make a friend, but then Noah meets Cloud-Claudia, the lonely girl who lives one floor down.

Isabella's heroes include U.S. Astronaut Sally Ride, activist Rosa Parks, and sharpshooter Annie Oakley-but there's no bigger hero than Isabella's own mommy! Join Isabella on an adventure of discovery, and find out how imagining to be these extraordinary women teaches her the importance of being her extraordinary self.

The intrepid, determined, and savvy Wakawakaloch learns to embrace what makes her special while lifting up her Neanderthal community.

If these books about names ideas inspired you, join our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group and come talk with the very teachers who suggested them!

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25 Books to Teach Kids About the Importance of Names

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Celebrate diversity in your classroom by highlighting the importance of students' names. Set the tone at the beginning of the year (and every day!) with these heartwarming books about names to teach kids about empathy, culture, and identity. (Note: WeAreTeachers may earn a few cents if you purchase using our links, at no extra cost to you.)

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 1- Yes , I do. I like my name because...

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 1- Yes , I do. I like my name because...

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Describe the story of your name briefly using past forms of the verb only.

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Describe the story of your name briefly using past forms of the verb only.

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103 Things to Do Before, During, or After Reading

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This article offers a collection of interactive activities that help kids become more involved in the stories that they read.

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If you notice big eye rolls or hear lots of groaning when you mention the words "book reports," it's probably time to shake up your repertoire of book-related activities. From developing chat room-style discussion questions and writing online book reviews to designing book covers and creating pitches to "sell" Oprah on a favorite author, there are many innovative alternatives to traditional book reports.

The following ideas will rev up your students' enthusiasm for reading while creating opportunities for them to practice reading comprehension strategies and build language arts skills. Most of the activities are adaptable across grade levels and are flexible enough for whole-group, small group, or individual assignments.

1. Write a letter to the main character and the character's reply.

2. Write a different ending for the book.

3. Pretend you are a talk show host and interview the main character.

4. Create a travel brochure for the setting of the story or scrapbook pages about key characters.

5. Create a book jacket, including illustrations, an enticing synopsis, author bio, and favorable reviews.

6. Summarize the book into a comic or story aimed for younger students or your classmates.

7. Write a news article about an important event from the book.

8. Write about the decisions you would make if you were the main character in the book.

9. Dramatize a scene from the story with other students or using puppets.

10. Choose two characters from the story and write a conversation they might have.

11. Write a letter or email to a close friend recommending the book you have just read.

12. Make a list of new, unusual, or interesting words or phrases found in your book.

13. Prepare a television commercial about your book. Act out the commercial for your classmates.

14. Write ten chat room-style questions that could be used to start an online discussion about the book. Or, write ten questions that test other students' understanding of the story. Make sure you provide a list of answers.

15. Explain why you think this book will or will not be read 100 years from now. Support your opinion by stating specific events in the story.

16. Discuss one particular episode in the story that you remember most. Describe why you think it remains so clear to you.

17. Write a letter/email to the author of your book. Address it to the publisher and mail it. Or, see if the author has a website and email it.

18. Write a ballad or song about the characters and events in your story. Set the words to the music of a popular song and sing it to the class.

19. Give a dramatic reading of a scene in the book to your classmates.

20. Describe in detail three characters from the story. List reasons why you would or wouldn't want to get to know these people.

21. Design a poster or new book cover depicting the climax of the story.

22. Write an acrostic poem about the book using the letters in the title of the book or the name of a character or author.

23. Draw a classroom mural depicting a major scene(s) from the book.

24. After reading an informational book, make a scrapbook about the topics.

These ideas were adapted from November! Idea Book by Karen Sevaly (© Teacher Friend, a Scholastic Company) and The Scholastic Teacher Plan Book by Bill Singer and Tonya Ward Singer (© 2005, Scholastic).

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Classroom Activities: 25 Book Report Alternatives | Scholastic

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If you notice big eye rolls or hear lots of groaning when you mention the words "book reports," it's probably time to shake up your repertoire of book-related activities. From developing chat room-style discussion questions and writing online book reviews to designing book covers and creating pitches to "sell" Oprah on a favorite author, there are many innovative alternatives to traditional book reports.

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I am not sure sure because Camila is too repeated

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I am not sure sure because Camila is too repeated

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I'm not sure, because it used to be very uncommon in the past, but now you find Valentinas all around

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I'm not sure, because it used to be very uncommon in the past, but now you find Valentinas all around

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I guess it has to do with bravery and romanticism

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I guess it has to do with bravery and romanticism

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I was told it was after the Russian astronaut, Valentina Tereshkova

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I was told it was after the Russian astronaut, Valentina Tereshkova

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Diego V.  Yes, I do. I love it because it's short and easy to remember 

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Diego V.  Yes, I do. I love it because it's short and easy to remember 

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I'm the first child, so my mom wanted to use her name - two Carolinas in one house. 

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I'm the first child, so my mom wanted to use her name - two Carolinas in one house. 

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I am not sure. I like Maria Ignacia, but I don't like just Maria. 

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I am not sure. I like Maria Ignacia, but I don't like just Maria. 

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Yes, I do. I like my name because not many men are called "Diego". (by Diego Huenchual)

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Yes, I do. I like my name because not many men are called "Diego". (by Diego Huenchual)

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My name is Roberto and my name means "bright with glory"

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My name is Roberto and my name means "bright with glory"

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Amparo: I didn't use to when I was younger. Actually until a couple of years ago, but now I realize it's a good name and it's my name. It's part of who I am.

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Amparo: I didn't use to when I was younger. Actually until a couple of years ago, but now I realize it's a good name and it's my name. It's part of who I am.

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My dad was learning English and he thought the best english name  was Katherine

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My dad was learning English and he thought the best english name  was Katherine

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In my case I prefer the name Corina instead of Yanette. Corina was the name of my grandma :D

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In my case I prefer the name Corina instead of Yanette. Corina was the name of my grandma :D

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No,I don't. Barbara sounds like the name from an old lady.

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No,I don't. Barbara sounds like the name from an old lady.

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Amparo: My name means protection or to protect, I don't know what is the best way to say it.

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Amparo: My name means protection or to protect, I don't know what is the best way to say it.

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I think Maria means the chosen one, like Harry Potter, because of its religious history. 

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I think Maria means the chosen one, like Harry Potter, because of its religious history. 

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My name is Carolina and my name means song of happiness or joy.

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My name is Carolina and my name means song of happiness or joy.

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My name is Camila and I think it has to do with being emotional 

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My name is Camila and I think it has to do with being emotional 

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Maria, because of my Grandmother, Ignacia, because it sounds nice 

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Maria, because of my Grandmother, Ignacia, because it sounds nice 

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I think it means "wise" (by Diego Huenchual)

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I think it means "wise" (by Diego Huenchual)

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I think my name Valentina has someting to do with bravery and romanticism

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I think my name Valentina has someting to do with bravery and romanticism

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Yes, I like it, but there are too many Carolinas in the world. 

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Yes, I like it, but there are too many Carolinas in the world. 

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I think it was a character of a book my mother was reading while she was pregnant (Camila)

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I think it was a character of a book my mother was reading while she was pregnant (Camila)

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Amparo: My name means protection or to protect. I don't know what is the best way to say it.

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Amparo: My name means protection or to protect. I don't know what is the best way to say it.

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My parents didn't decide my name, so they put two pieces of papers with number 1 or 2. My dad took the number 1 and put me his name Roberto, my mom took the second paper and named me Emilio... I'm Roberto Emilio...

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My parents didn't decide my name, so they put two pieces of papers with number 1 or 2. My dad took the number 1 and put me his name Roberto, my mom took the second paper and named me Emilio... I'm Roberto Emilio...

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Marcela: yes! I like it now, but I used to hate it when I was a child because people said that it was the name of an old woman 

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Marcela: yes! I like it now, but I used to hate it when I was a child because people said that it was the name of an old woman 

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Yes, I do. I love my name because it carries my heritage and I love it here in Chile because it's a unique name. (Gerda)   

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Yes, I do. I love my name because it carries my heritage and I love it here in Chile because it's a unique name. (Gerda)   

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I'm not really sure I think it was popular at that time haha . Diego V

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I'm not really sure I think it was popular at that time haha . Diego V

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My mother liked the actress Barbara Streisand in the 80s. I was born in 1989.

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My mother liked the actress Barbara Streisand in the 80s. I was born in 1989.

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When my mom was a little girl she read "Veraneando en Zapallar" and loved the names of the 3 sisters. When she got pregnant she shared the idea with my dad and he loved them too. I'm the youngest of three sisters and my name is Amparo. My older sisters are called Consuelo and Esperanza, the other 2 names from the book. 

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When my mom was a little girl she read "Veraneando en Zapallar" and loved the names of the 3 sisters. When she got pregnant she shared the idea with my dad and he loved them too. I'm the youngest of three sisters and my name is Amparo. My older sisters are called Consuelo and Esperanza, the other 2 names from the book. 

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My father had a cousin named Gerda. It seems that he loved her. :D

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My father had a cousin named Gerda. It seems that he loved her. :D

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I don't know why, but Marcela means young warrior

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I don't know why, but Marcela means young warrior

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1. What is the personal significance of your given name (first, middle and last)? 2. Does your name mean different things to you, your family, and your friends? 3. What are your nicknames? 4. What do your nicknames mean to you?

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1. What is the personal significance of your given name (first, middle and last)? 2. Does your name mean different things to you, your family, and your friends? 3. What are your nicknames? 4. What do your nicknames mean to you?

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Mary - Nacha - For me, those nicknames mean that people can feel comfortable around me.  (Maria Ignacia) 

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Mary - Nacha - For me, those nicknames mean that people can feel comfortable around me.  (Maria Ignacia) 

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Depends on the nickname. If I'm being called Caro - people feel comfortable around me. If I'm being called Carolita, my mom is calling me. And if I'm being called Carolina Paz, someone is mad. 

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Depends on the nickname. If I'm being called Caro - people feel comfortable around me. If I'm being called Carolita, my mom is calling me. And if I'm being called Carolina Paz, someone is mad. 

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3. What are your nicknames? Gerdi...just that. Most of the people call me Gerda or Gerdita. It's a difficult name maybe to create nicknames.

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3. What are your nicknames? Gerdi...just that. Most of the people call me Gerda or Gerdita. It's a difficult name maybe to create nicknames.

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Davi - Davito I love my nocknames, because they make me remember my childhood David

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Davi - Davito I love my nocknames, because they make me remember my childhood David

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My name, Valentina, was chosen for me because I was born in a rough time for our country, maybe thinking it would give me a strong personality and character. Not time for fluffy ones

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My name, Valentina, was chosen for me because I was born in a rough time for our country, maybe thinking it would give me a strong personality and character. Not time for fluffy ones

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I had a bunch of nicknames... rob, robert, robertor, Mr. Roboto, roberson, Mr. Toto... and the last one is made by my kindergarten students Mr. Ruberto (There is another teacher called Ruben... so they mix it, even some parents call me like that)

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I had a bunch of nicknames... rob, robert, robertor, Mr. Roboto, roberson, Mr. Toto... and the last one is made by my kindergarten students Mr. Ruberto (There is another teacher called Ruben... so they mix it, even some parents call me like that)

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Some of then nicknames that I've had are: Marce - Marcelita (when I was little), Chela (at school) and Ella (when I lived in the US). Today people call me Marce, except my grandma who always calls me Marcela Loreto, she loves to include my middle name all the time.

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Some of then nicknames that I've had are: Marce - Marcelita (when I was little), Chela (at school) and Ella (when I lived in the US). Today people call me Marce, except my grandma who always calls me Marcela Loreto, she loves to include my middle name all the time.

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In my family they call me 'chanchito' which is something very very childish and it's because I'm the youngest child and the age difference with my siblings is huge (15 years with my oldest brother) so I think it has to do with the fact that I was (am?) very spoiled. (Camila) Now I'm 34 years old and it's kind of weird but it has become a family thing 

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In my family they call me 'chanchito' which is something very very childish and it's because I'm the youngest child and the age difference with my siblings is huge (15 years with my oldest brother) so I think it has to do with the fact that I was (am?) very spoiled. (Camila) Now I'm 34 years old and it's kind of weird but it has become a family thing 

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4. I have one nickname that many people use, Amparito. My mom and other family members call me like that, also my school classmates and my school teachers ( I work with them now and they still call me like that). I don't mind when they call me like that. In the case of my mom because I'm her baby hahaha and the rest, because they met me as a little girl, they saw me grow up and I understand that for them I'm always going to be Amparito. But I don't like when new people in my life call me like that, people that don't know me that well. I feel like they are minimizing me because I relate being called Amparito by people who care about me, and that's why I allow it. 

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4. I have one nickname that many people use, Amparito. My mom and other family members call me like that, also my school classmates and my school teachers ( I work with them now and they still call me like that). I don't mind when they call me like that. In the case of my mom because I'm her baby hahaha and the rest, because they met me as a little girl, they saw me grow up and I understand that for them I'm always going to be Amparito. But I don't like when new people in my life call me like that, people that don't know me that well. I feel like they are minimizing me because I relate being called Amparito by people who care about me, and that's why I allow it. 

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My nicknames are "dieguito" and "yiyo". That's how my friends from university called me.

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My nicknames are "dieguito" and "yiyo". That's how my friends from university called me.

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What is the personal significance of your given name (first, middle and last)?

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What is the personal significance of your given name (first, middle and last)?

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My name means: "God is gracious"
I think I am very lucky or bless by God. I have important things to say thanks, I resume in I am alive and my family is near to me.

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People call  me Kathy, it is easy to remember or chica because Im not very tall and I look young.

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People call  me Kathy, it is easy to remember or chica because Im not very tall and I look young.

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My nickname at school was "barbikiu" like barbecue because I used to invite my classmates to eat choripanes at my house, I didn't have money to buy meat and my parents call me Barbie. I like my nicknames

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My nickname at school was "barbikiu" like barbecue because I used to invite my classmates to eat choripanes at my house, I didn't have money to buy meat and my parents call me Barbie. I like my nicknames