Alpha Link: a name game that merges creativity, identity

Duration: 10 to 20 minutes

Dramatic Arts Concepts:  Building community, voice, sharing and presenting ideas 

Learning Goal:  Students will get to know each other’s names and personalities in the class by developing and sharing a creative sentence based on their name. 

Success Criteria: Students will be able to:

• introduce themselves to the class 

• learn about their classmates while getting to know each others’ names 

 Materials:

• brainstorming handout for printing or digital distribution (see sample below instructions) and writing utensils (if using paper)

Digital Extension: 

Although this activity was designed to be completed in a community circle, you could complete this on a Google Meet (or other video conferencing software used by your district) by inviting the students to put their answers in the chat or opening up their microphone and sharing their answers.  Students could also upload their answers on a Shared Google Doc, Jamboard, Padlet, or any other technological collaboration tool approved by your district. If the students speak their answers, consider posting a speaking order to help facilitate the activity.    

Minds On: 

• invite the students to join you in the circle 

• distribute the materials (e.g. handout) and explain to the students that we will be making a creative sentence using only the letters of their names

• give an example based on your own name. Note does not have to be in order of the letters in the name (but you could have that be an additional challenge). An example that doesn’t involve the letters being in order: Clarke -> An energetic, reliable adventurer who loves cats

• encourage the students to share something about their personality that they would feel comfortable sharing.  This could be their favourite animal, television show, what they are passionate about, etc.  

Action:

• give the students the appropriate amount of time to brainstorm their answer 

• invite the students to stand and present their sentence to the group in the community circle 

Optional Extensions:

• add a musical instrument and/or a clap to keep rhythm 

• add movement by adding gestures, levels and popular social media dance moves to highlight key words and ideas

Consolidation:

Invite the students to discuss what they learned about themselves and the class during the activity.  Students can popcorn out answers, write the response in their portfolio, or complete a think/pair/share with the teacher capturing thoughts for the class.  

Sample Handout:

Purchase your own digital word editable document by clicking here.

Or, you can copy and paste and make your own handout from the prompts below.

Alpha Link: Creative Name Game

Students are invited to brainstorm a creative “sentence” based on the letters found in their names. Note, you will be sharing this sentence about yourself. Students are encouraged to be creative with the construction of the sentence and their words.  When creating the sentence, remember to:

• Only use the letters found in your name to start the word (So, if there isn’t an “e” in my name, I don’t use a word that starts with a letter “e” in the sentence)

• Share aspects about yourself that you are comfortable with sharing with your classmates 

• Creative Challenge:  Can you keep your letters that start your words in the same order as your name in your sentence?  

Note: You may add the following to complete your sentence:

A

The

An

And

Who

Which

Of

For

Your Name:

Letters To Use:

Sentence:

Example:

My Name:  Clarke 

My Sentence: An energetic, reliable adventurer who loves cats 

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