Name: ____________________
Core Writing
Due: ______________________
“To Say the Name”
The Swampy Cree Indians always begin their stories by telling the name of it. “To say the name is to begin the story.” We are going to begin our story together as a class by saying our names and the story of them.
Your assignment will be to write a short work, either as a story or as a poem, no longer than a page in length about your name. You may write about how you got your name, what you like about your name, other people with your name, what your name means to you, etc.
Your options are limited only by your own imagination. The only “rule” is that the piece must be about YOUR NAME. Please note: you are not writing an acrostic poem, you are writing a narrative/descriptive piece.
STEP ONE:
Write down some initial ideas and thoughts about your name and what you would like to include in your piece.
STEP TWO:
We are going to read and discuss some example of authors writing about their names. While listening to these pieces, write notes in your Writer’s
Journal about what works for you. What are some ideas and stylistic choices you might want to borrow for your own piece?
STEP THREE:
Share your thoughts and ideas with your neighbors. Get comments and feedback from them.
STEP FOUR:
Write an initial draft in your writer’s journal.
STEP FIVE:
Go home tonight and talk to your family about the history behind your name. Why was your name chosen? Were there other names

considered? What does your name mean to them? Write down what you learn in your WJ.
STEP SIX:
Back in class we’ll work on a first revision and then share our own work in a read-around.
STEP SEVEN:
Take what you’ve heard and learned in the read-around and create another revision.
STEP EIGHT:
We’ll head to the computer lab for Writer’s Workshop. There you’ll get to type a new version of your poem for submission.
SCORING RUBRIC
Ideas Voice Conventions
50 Student work exceeds expectations listed below
45
Content demonstrates an ADVANCED LEVEL of thought and creativity
Piece has an EXTREMELY unique style and tone that is clearly its own
VERY INFREQUENT errors in grammar and spelling.
40
35
Content demonstrates a
HIGH AMOUNT of thought and creativity
Content demonstrates a
GOOD AMOUNT of thought and creativity
Piece has a MOSTLY unique style and tone that is clearly its own
Piece has a GENERALLY unique style and tone that is mostly its own
OCCASIONAL errors in grammar and spelling
RARELY hinder communication
SOME errors in grammar and spelling SOMETIMES hinder communication
30
25
0
Content demonstrates
SOME thought and creativity
Piece has a unique style and tone that is mostly its own
REGULAR errors in grammar and spelling hinder communication
Content demonstrates
LITTLE thought and creativity
Piece lacks a unique style or tone of its own
VERY FREQUENT errors in grammar and spelling
REPEATEDLY hinder communication
Student work does not reach a standard described above