You will learn
- Say and write my name.
- Say who gave me my name.
- Explain that names matter.
- Say others’ names with respect.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- My name belongs to me.
- Names are given by families.
- Names can have a meaning or a story.
- I say other people’s names carefully.
Words to know
the word people call you
the name shared by a family
a short or loving name
to treat someone kindly and fairly
1. Discover: The name game
Ibrahim sits in a circle with his class. Each child says their name and claps for every part. “I-bra-him.” Next, Mei says her name and the class tries to say it correctly. “Thank you for saying my name well,” says Mei with a big smile.
Think: How do you feel when someone says your name correctly?
2. Understand: Names
Idea 1: Names matter
A name is the word that people use for you. Your family chose it for you. It is part of your identity.
Idea 2: Parts of a name
Many people have a first name and a family name. Some people also have a nickname. In some places names come in a different order, so we always ask, “How do you say your name?”
Idea 3: Respect for names
We show respect when we say a name carefully and try again if we get it wrong. We do not laugh at names.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Clap the name
Clap the parts of a name.
- Say the name slowly.
- Clap each part.
- Count the claps.
Answer: Ibrahim has three claps.
Example 2 (We do it together): Ask a friend
Find out a friend’s name.
- Say “What is your name?”
- Listen.
- Repeat it.
Answer: The friend says the name and you repeat it.
Example 3 (You try): Ask about my name
Ask who chose your name.
Show the steps and answer
- Ask a grown-up.
- Listen to the story.
- Tell the class.
Answer: My grandmother chose my name.
Did you know?
In some places, such as Ghana, children are given a name linked to the day of the week they were born.
Why this matters
Saying names kindly makes everyone feel they belong.
4. Explore: Name card
Write your name in big letters on a card. Decorate it with colours and small pictures that show you.
- Write your name.
- Check each letter.
- Decorate the card.
- Show it to a friend.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Every name card looked different.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- My first name is ___.
- My family name is ___.
- My name was chosen by ___.
- I say names ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is your first name?
Child’s own name.
Question 2. Write your first letter.
First letter of name.
Question 3. Who chose your name?
Own answer.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is your first name?
- Write your first letter.
- Who chose your name?
- What is a nickname?
- Say your friend’s name.
Level 2: Grow
- Why do we say names carefully?
- What do we do if we say a name wrong?
- Can two people have the same name?
Level 3: Stretch
- Make a name card.
- Tell the class what your name means or how it was chosen.
- Teach a friend how to say your name.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
A new child joins your class. Say how you will learn and say their name.
Show a sample answer
Ask politely and repeat the name.
Another one. Ask a family member how your name was chosen.
Show a sample answer
Tell the class.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: No. We try again and show respect.
Fix: Names are different around the world.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say and write my name.
- I can say who gave me my name.
- I can explain that names matter.
- I can say others’ names with respect.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- My name belongs to me.
- Names are given by families.
- Names can have a meaning or a story.
- I say other people’s names carefully.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: My likes and interests. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Write your first name. [2 marks]
- Say who chose your name and one fact about it. [3 marks]
- Why do we say names with respect? [3 marks]
- What do we do if we get a name wrong? [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Name [1]; neat [1]
- Who [1]; fact [1]; clear [1]
- Matters [1]; belonging [1]; clear [1]
- Say sorry [1]; try again [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is your first name?
- Write your first letter.
- Who chose your name?
- What is a nickname?
- Say your friend’s name.
- Why do we say names carefully?
- What do we do if we say a name wrong?
- Can two people have the same name?
- Make a name card.
- Tell the class what your name means or how it was chosen.
Homework
Ask a grown-up how your name was chosen. Tell the class tomorrow.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is your first name? | Child’s own name. | 1 |
| 2. Write your first letter. | First letter of name. | 1 |
| 3. Who chose your name? | Own answer. | 1 |
| 4. What is a nickname? | A short or loving name. | 1 |
| 5. Say your friend’s name. | Friend’s name. | 1 |
| 6. Why do we say names carefully? | It shows respect. | 1 |
| 7. What do we do if we say a name wrong? | Say sorry and try again. | 1 |
| 8. Can two people have the same name? | Yes. | 1 |
| 9. Make a name card. | Name card. | 1 |
| 10. Tell the class what your name means or how it was chosen. | Own story. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Child’s own name.; 2 First letter of name.; 3 Own answer.; 4 A short or loving name.; 5 Friend’s name.. Level 2: 1 It shows respect.; 2 Say sorry and try again.; 3 Yes.. Level 3: 1 Name card.; 2 Own story.; 3 Friend says it..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say and write my name | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Say who gave me my name | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Explain that names matter | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say others’ names with respect | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “It is funny when a name is hard to say.” No. We try again and show respect.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use a name card. Trace the name with a finger and say it slowly.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns that names matter and should be said with respect. If your child has a story about their name, please share it. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Tell your child how they got their name.
- Ask “How do you say your friend’s name?”
- Practise writing the name together.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say and write my name; say who gave me my name; explain that names matter; say others’ names with respect.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about themselves.
Materials. Card, crayons, pencils. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare blank cards.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Play the name clap game.
Explanation (10 min). Teach parts of a name and respect.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners make name cards.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners share.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How do we say names well? What do names tell us?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “It is funny when a name is hard to say.” No. We try again and show respect.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use a name card. Trace the name with a finger and say it slowly. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 1, topic 2; NCSS C3 Framework, individuals and groups; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are. These sources informed the lesson.