Hi Dawn, it's great to hear from you! I don't think any of the fourth or fifth grade classes have tried this unit as written, although I know the fifth grade classes do an art project about their names. I imagine that it would work with older students, because they're still going to be curious about the origins of their names. I would probably use the fourth chapter from The House on Mango Street instead of Gooney Bird Greene, as I mentioned in an earlier comment, and obviously the research would go faster with an older bunch. By sixth grade, I imagine you could go much deeper into the etymology of names, and the students can create linguistic maps or diagrams to accompany the etymology. I'd love to hear if you end up using this unit with your students, and how you modify it to fit your class.
Hi Dawn, it's great to hear from you! I don't think any of the fourth or fifth grade classes have tried this unit as written, although I know the fifth grade classes do an art project about their names. I imagine that it would work with older students, because they're still going to be curious about the origins of their names. I would probably use the fourth chapter from The House on Mango Street instead of Gooney Bird Greene, as I mentioned in an earlier comment, and obviously the research would go faster with an older bunch. By sixth grade, I imagine you could go much deeper into the etymology of names, and the students can create linguistic maps or diagrams to accompany the etymology. I'd love to hear if you end up using this unit with your students, and how you modify it to fit your class.
Warm regards,
Alycia