The Name Jar Book Companion

Create a welcoming and inclusive classroom community that celebrates diversity!

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi is a great back-to-school read-aloud but is applicable during any time of the year.

Unhei, a young girl from Korea, faces many challenges when she moves to a new culture – including what to do about her name. Unhei’s new American classmates have difficulty pronouncing and understanding her Korean name, making her think she should choose a new one. Ultimately, Unhei learns to embrace her own name and shares it, its meaning, and her Korean culture with her new friends.

The Name Jar Book Companion

*Please note: the book is not included

Our Book Companion includes

• discussion guides for before, during, and after reading
• an interactive Feelings Finder tool for students to identify and observe the main character’s feelings and how they change throughout the story.
• comparing our own feelings on the first day of school to the feelings of the main character
• exploring a variety of different feelings using emojis
• a comprehension crossword puzzle (with and without a word bank)
• reviewing of alphabetical order and counting syllables using the names from the name jar
• an introduction to Hangul, the official writing system of Korea
• a home connection assignment for students to learn about their own names and add to a class display
• a Read Your World Map and Key to track global reading adventures all year

Browse additional teaching resources for The Name Jar – including an author read-aloud and art activity!

Related Post: Back-to-School Multicultural Read-Alouds