A name is just a word. However, it is more than a word. Names have feelings, memories, meanings and histories associated with them. We can find meanings for our names in dictionaries, but our names are more than their dictionary meanings. Our names contain our families, our pasts, our feelings, our memories, our dreams. When we explore our names, we explore ourselves. In a personal essay, explore your name. Include facts, personal experiences, fanciful explorations of your name, and an analysis of how your name has affected you. Here are a few suggestions for you to think about as you explore your name. Look at your name as other things. How does this perspective add depth to your name? What extended metaphors are interesting to you? Begin your paper with an interesting title and a hook. Let your ideas flow by carefully structuring your sentences and your paragraphs. Explain the significance of your statements instead of just listing facts. Use the student example and the excerpt, “My Name” to guide you. Make your paper come full circle; end it so it feels finished. The best papers will move beyond a factual and/or personal exploration of names to a imaginative analysis of the relationship between the author’s name and identity. They will engage the reader with lively writing that uses figurative language. Have fun!! If your name were a time of day, what time would it be? Why? If it were a color, what color would it be? Why? If it were a musical instrument, what instrument would it be? Why? If it were a plant, what would it be? Why? Name _____________________________________________________________________________________ date ____________ per. ______ seat# _____ Ideas for a hook: ________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________

Name of author _______________________________________________ seat# _______ date ______ Name of response partner _________________________________________ seat# _______ per _______ Dear _______________________________, (author’s name) The thing I like best about your paper is __________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ If I were to use one word to describe your paper, it would be _________________________ because ___________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ For me, the most successful words in you paper are “__________________________ _________________________________________________________________” because __________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________. I think you should write more about _____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Something I learned about you is _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ If the paper you are reading, does the statement, write yes. If not, write no. YesNo 1You remembered not to punctuate your title either by underlining or using quotations. 2You indented your paragraphs. 3You kept the same verb tense throughout your essay unless the content needed a change. 4When you used pronouns, it was clear to me that they referred to a particular noun. I am not confused. 5You have checked the spelling of every word in your paper. I have found NO spelling errors. 6Your paper is neatly written and easy to read. 7Your paper follows the conventions of written English. 8You have an organized paper with a clear ending. 9.You have used active verbs; there are very few linking verbs. 10You use specific nouns; there are few general nouns like girl or book. The two most important aspects of your paper that need to be improved are ______________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________