The childhood ditty that “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me” may be a brave effort to protect ourselves from others’ unkindness, but the truth is that name calling can hurt — a lot. And liking our names can be connected to liking ourselves. In addition to two lesson plans to help students recognize the power of words, this video of Maya Angelou and Sesame Street friends proudly singing their names can be a great starter for younger student’sdiscussions and writings around why we were given our names, the importance of being proud of our names, who we are and where we come from.
The following lesson plans for grades 7-13+, one for groups and one for individuals, help students recognize the power of words and stereotypes and develop empathy for each other while sharing their own experiences: