I have curly hair. I have red glasses. And I love my name.
It is Zahara. You say it like this: za-HA-ra.
Isn’t that cool?
PAUSE AND THINK: Does Zahara want to be called Z?
Art by Tim Budgen
My Name is Zahara
No one can say her name right, so the kids call her Z. Will she be brave and tell them that she wants to be called Zahara?
By Gabriella DeGennaro
From the September 2022 Issue
Then I went to a new school.
No one could say my name.
“My name is Zahara,” I said.
“Hi, Sara,” said one kid.
“My name is Zahara,” I said.
“What?” said another kid.
“My name is Zahara,” I said.
“I’ll call you Z,” said another kid.
They all started to call me Z.
I did not want to be Z. But I was scared to say so.
In class, we got new notebooks.
We had to write our names.
I didn’t write anything.
“What’s wrong, Zahara?” the teacher asked.
“No one can say my name,” I said.
“Well,” he said, “let’s play a name game.”
Then he wrote his full name: Abebe Kassa.
“My first name is Abebe,” he told the class.
“You say it like this: ah-BEE-bee.”
“Sometimes people have trouble saying it.
So I tell them again.” He smiled at me.
“We should call people what they want.
That shows we care.”
I looked at my notebook.
I wrote my name: Zahara.
I liked how it looked.
“Now let’s each say our name,” said Mr. Kassa.
I raised my hand just a little. I felt nervous. But I said it anyway.
“I want to be called Zahara.”
“Let’s all say Zahara’s name,” said Mr. Kassa.
And they did. Za-HA-ra. Zahara!
My name is Zahara. That is what all my new friends call me.
Isn’t that cool?
Activities
(3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key
(1)
About the Story
Social and Emotional Learning Focus
Self-identity
Communicating effectively
Bravery
English Language Arts Focus
Elements of a story
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
The essential question of this issue is How Can We Be Brave?
- Big Read-Aloud: “Dogs to the Rescue,” p. 10
- Word Play: “Three Ways to Say Brave,” p. 16
- Mini Graphic: “Sticky Situation: Who Will I Play With?,” p. 17
- Fiction: “My Name is Zahara,” p. 24
- Poetry: “Brave Night,” p. 32
Through the above genres, students will discuss:
- What do the people (and animals!) in these stories do that is brave?
- When have you been brave?
- What happens when we are brave?
1. IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS
Read-Aloud
- Storyworks 1 provides a variety of text levels and types. As a read-aloud, the fiction story will develop children’s listening and comprehension skills. Check comprehension as you read by using the “Pause and Think” prompts.
Technology Time
Online Read-Aloud
- Click the Read-Aloud button at the top of the digital issue to hear the story read aloud by a professional voice actor. This online resource promotes fluency and increases comprehension.
1. BEFORE READING
Show a Video (10 minutes)
- Tell your students they are going to watch a video about bravery (this video also goes with other stories in this issue of Storyworks 1). As they watch, ask, “What are brave things the people are doing in this video?”
- After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.
Preview the First Pages and Set a Purpose for Reading (5-10 minutes)
- Now tell students they are going to read a story. Tell them it is about a student like them, being brave in a classroom like theirs. Ask students for times they were nervous about doing something but did it anyway. Those were all times that they were brave!
- Open your magazines to “My Name Is Zahara.” Let children look at the illustrations. Point out the “Read and Think” prompt, and remind them to think about what Zahara is feeling as they read.
2. READ THE STORY (10-20 MINUTES)
- Read the story aloud as a whole class.
- Check comprehension as you read together with the “Pause and Think” questions. You may want to have children turn and talk to a partner to discuss.
3. AFTER READING: FOCUS ON SKILLS
SEL Focus: Self-awareness (20 minutes)
- The Names and Feelings printable invites children to make connections to feelings and practice their fine-motor skills by writing their own names in different ways.
ELA Focus: Story Elements (10 minutes)
- Using the Story Chalkboards skills page, children can demonstrate their comprehension of the story by identifying events, conflicts, and characters.
SEL Focus: Bravery (20 minutes)
- With the My Bravery Story skills page, children share a time they were brave (this page also goes with other stories in the issue). Since it is a new school year, they might want to write about being in a brand-new class.
ELA Focus: Retelling (10 minutes)
- The skills page Put the Story in Order provides an opportunity to assess students’ understanding of key events from the story.
Text-to-Speech