What’s In a Name?

Home
Areas of Study
Implementation
Conceptual Approaches
About
Search
Overview

Download Lesson

🖨️ Lesson
🖨️ Handout(s)

What's In a Name?

A map of Southeast Asia

Author: Christine Su
Grades: 6-7

Suggested Amount of Time: 120 minutes
Area of Study: Introduction to Cambodian History

Compelling Question
  • How does learning about Cambodian history promote a greater understanding of Cambodian American experiences?
Lesson Question

  • What are the origins of the names: Cambodia, Kampuchea, and Khmer?

Lesson Objective

Students will understand the various names for Cambodia, the country, its people, and its language, and examine how these reflect historical circumstances.

Lesson Background

This lesson introduces students to how places are named, how these names reflect a Western (and often colonial) nomenclature, and how they differ from how residents of these areas refer to themselves. Further discussion will focus on Cambodia, its nomenclature and how it has changed, with reflection on in-country terms and references. Also, time will be given to explore the indigenous tribes of Cambodia and their identities. In addition, students can be guided to understand how the process of colonialism involves taking the land and renaming it.

As a crossroads of major trade routes, Southeast Asia has been influenced by India and China and other countries and peoples who traveled there to partake of its resources. But this very diverse region consists of 11 nation-states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam) and hundreds if not thousands of different cultural groups. The history of the region ranges from ancient kingdoms to military juntas, from sparsely populated islands to capital cities of millions, from swidden farmers to corporate magnates. How did this region come to be known as Southeast Asia, and who decided that is how it would be known?

Image Citation: United States Central Intelligence Agency. Southeast Asia. [Washington, D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency, 2003] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003682647/.

Historical Thinking Skills

Historical Significance. This lesson will facilitate student proficiency in historical significance, one of Seixas’ historical thinking skills (Seixas & Morton, 2013). Students make personal decisions about what is historically significant, and then consider the criteria they use to make those decisions. Educators improve student familiarity with the criteria for historical significance.

Students consider the historical significance of how people and geography shaped the creation of Cambodia.

Readings
  • How did Cambodia Get Its Name?
  • The Origin of the Word Khmer and Cambodia
Handouts
  1. Cultural Energizer: What’s in a name?
  • Have students discuss the following with a partner. They can choose to answer the question(s) they are comfortable with. 
    • Do you know why you were given your specific name(s)? Do you have a nickname? Have you had a name/nickname imposed on you, even though you did not want it? Have you ever changed your name(s)? 
  • Once students are done sharing with a partner, have a whole class discussion: How does one’s name reflect one’s identity?
  1. Pre-Assessment: Provide students with the outline map of Southeast Asia. https://ucdavis.box.com/s/6uf1cxiuzr06ju9yi827e1sxa255859i
  • Have students fill in as much as they can of the outline map, without accessing the internet, globes, books, or other materials.
  • Display a map of Southeast Asia with the countries labeled. Then have students share what they were able to identify with a peer. 
  • Students begin thinking about: How did this region come to be called Southeast Asia? Why is the origin of this term important?
  1. Interaction with sources:  Note to teachers: you may want to use the free resource Diffit https://beta.diffit.me/#text to adjust the reading level of readings to support your students.
  • Students will pair up with a peer.
  • Student A will be assigned to read and analyze: “How Did Cambodia Get Its Name” https://theculturetrip.com/asia/cambodia/articles/how-did-cambodia-get-its-name 
  • Student B will be assigned to read and analyze: The Origin of the Word Khmer and Cambodia (Located in the handouts) 
  • As each partner reads, they will take notes on the following:
    • How has Southeast Asia evolved?
    • How did the names “Cambodia” and “Kampuchea” come about?
    • What is the meaning behind “Khmer?” 
  • Once each partner is done, they will take turns sharing about their source, as well as the responses to the questions. 
    • Students will confirm details that are overlapping and answer the three questions together utilizing information from both of the sources.
  • Have a class discussion of the three questions.
  1. Cultural Production
  • Students will create an infographic to highlight their understanding of the origins of the names: Cambodia, Kampuchea, or Khmer. This can be done with the same partner or independently.
    • Students are welcome to complete an equivalent project in the form of a poster, illustration, written explanation, audio response, or video response.
  • Requirements for the infographic
    • The name/title of Cambodia, Kampuchea, or Khmer
    • Important dates
    • Provide at least three to four facts that address: 
      • How Southeast Asia has evolved
      • How the names Kampuchea and Cambodia were developed
      • The meaning behind Khmer
    • Visual Elements: identify an image, symbol, icon, or chart that best reflects each fact. Your selection should connect to the information being provided. If time permits, set up a gallery walk to allow students to present their infographics, as well as view their classmates' products.

Students will highlight the origins of the names of Cambodia/Kampuchea/Khmer by creating an infographic.

  • Engagement: Consider the following method to support with lesson engagement:
    • Provide feedback that is frequent, timely, and specific
    • Elevate the frequency of self-reflection and self-reinforcements
  • Representation: Consider the following method to support with multiple means of representation:
    • Highlight how complex terms, expressions, or equations are composed of simpler words or symbols
    • Make connections to previously learned structures
  • Action and Expression: Consider the following method to support in presenting their learning in multiple ways:
    • Provide scaffolds that can be gradually released with increasing independence and skills (e.g., embedded into digital reading and writing software)
    • Provide guides and checklists for scaffolding goal-setting

For additional ideas to support your students, check out the UDL Guidelines at CAST (2018)  http://udlguidelines.cast.org.

  • Emerging: Consider the following method to support with emerging students:
    • Pair students to read one text together
      • Students read with a partner and concisely summarize text together using critical content vocabulary, but limiting summary to essential words. Begin in pairs of two, move to partnerships of four for more practice.
  • Expanding: Consider the following method to support with expanding students:
    • Writing: Provide writing frames
      • When posing a question for discussion and writing, the teacher offers a coordinated response frame to support the use of particular grammatical structures and vocabulary.
  • Bridging: Consider the following method to support with bridging students:
    • Reading: Use focused questions to guide reading
      • Students use inquiry posing their own questions and wonderings to guide shared research experiences. 

For additional guidance around scaffolding for multilingual learners, please consult the following resources:

  1. Research ASEAN - what it is (what the acronym stands for) and what it proposes to do. Discuss the nomenclature – e.g., is it more appropriate than Southeast Asia? Less appropriate? Why do you feel this way? Who created the acronym? Who uses the acronym?
  2. Names and Identity - Use the following source https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/names-and-identity-reading from Holocaust and Human Behavior, revised edition. Have students work in one of three groups, and have each group answer the questions that appear at the end of the handout:    
  • What words or phrases does Jennifer Wang use to describe her identity? What words or phrases does she use to describe her attitude toward her identity?
  • What does Wang mean when she says “the ‘Jennifer’ clashing with the ‘Wang,” the “Wang” fighting with the ‘Jennifer?” What examples does she provide to support this description of her name?
  • What might your name tell others about your identity? What stories about you or your family might your name reflect? What about your identity is simplified, hidden, or confused by your name?
  1. Have students research local area names that have been changed recently due to their ties to colonialism or rethinking of historical figures.
  2. Have students read “Finding One’s Voice” https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/finding-ones-voice from Holocaust and Human Behavior, revised edition. Have students work in one of three groups, and have each group answer the questions that appear at the end of the handout: 
  • What barriers did society place in the way of Julius Lester’s becoming the kind of person he wanted to be? How did he overcome these barriers? 
  • When Lester found a book of haiku in the bookstore, why did he almost put it back?
  • Lester writes that when he found the book of haiku, “I knew: This is my voice.” Have you ever found your voice in a work of art, music, literature, or film? 

Booth, A.E. 2007. Colonial Legacies: Economic and Social Development in East and Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt6wr2vx 

Britt, K. 2020c, May 11. English learner toolkit of strategies. California County Superintendents. https://cacountysupts.org/english-learner-toolkit-of-strategies/ 

California Department of Education & English Learner Support Division. 2012. California English Language Development standards (Electronic Edition) kindergarten through grade 12 (F. Ong & J. McLean, Eds.). California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/eldstndspublication14.pdf 

California Educators Together. (n.d.). ELA / ELD framework. https://www.caeducatorstogether.org/resources/6537/ela-eld-framework 

CAST. 2018 The UDL guidelines. http://udlguidelines.cast.org 

Emmerson, D. 1984. Southeast Asia: What’s in a Name? Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 15(1), 1–21.

Epps, D. 2020. Between Home and Homeland: Redefining Cambodian American Identity Through Transnational Youth Activism. BIMI Policy Brief Series. Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative.

Facing History and Ourselves. (n.d.). Reading 3: Names and Identity. In Holocaust and Human Behavior. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-4GlUWdDwqwhTRe99fpxqSSa9eSPLhd0/view?usp=sharing 

Facing History and Ourselves. (n.d.). Names and Identity. In Holocaust and Human Behavior. https://www.facinghistory.org/holocaust-and-human-behavior/chapter-1/names-and-identity 

Filippi, J.M. 2011, April 8. Tracing the combined influences that created the Khmer identity. Phnom Penh Post. https://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-plus/tracing-combined-influences-created-khmer-identity 

Heidhues, M.S. 2000. Southeast Asia: A Concise History. Thames & Hudson.

Ivanescu, C. 2020. Khmer identity: A religious perspective. IIAS Newsletter, #35. https://www.iias.asia/sites/default/files/2020-11/IIAS_NL40_27.pdf   

Keth, J. 2018, September 1. The Khmer, A Personal Journey: On being Cambodian American. Aislin Magazine. https://www.aislinmagazine.com/post/the-khmer  

Kwan, Y. 2020. Navigating Refugee Subjecthood: Cambodian American Education, Identity, and Resilience. Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, 15(2). https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/jsaaea/vol15/iss2/4/ 

Lynn Community Television. 2022, April 22. LCTV News | “The Khmer Identity” Exhibit opening (April 16, 2022). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZc1SUEdN9Y 

Marissa. 2018, October 8. How Did Cambodia Get its Name? Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/asia/cambodia/articles/how-did-cambodia-get-its-name 

Mortland, C.A. 1994. Cambodian Refugees and Identity in the United States. In Reconstructing Lives, Recapturing Meaning (L.L. Camino, Ed.). Routledge.

Noor, F. 2016. The Discursive Construction of Southeast Asia in 19th Century Colonial-Capitalist Discourse  https://doi.org/10.1515/9789048527489   

Outline Map of Southeast Asia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2024. https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/foundation_gr7/blms/7-3-1f.pdf 

San Diego County Office of Education. (n.d.). Providing appropriate scaffolding. https://www.sdcoe.net/educators/multilingual-education-and-global-achievement/oracy-toolkit/providing-appropriate-scaffolding#scaffolding 

Sexias, P. & Morton, T. 2013. The big six: Historical thinking concepts. Nelson Education.

Su, C.M. 2010. Narratives of “Khmerness” and Cambodian American Identity. In J. Lee (Ed.),Cambodian American experiences: Histories, communities, cultures and identities (354–372). Kendall Hunt Publishing.

Tulare County Office of Education. (n.d.). Strategies for ELD. https://commoncore.tcoe.org/Content/Public/doc/Alpha-CollectionofELDStrategies.pdf 

Yin, Cheryl. (n.d.) Khmer Honorifics: Re-emergence and Change After the Khmer Rouge. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.cherylyin.com/research  

Model Curriculum

Cambodian American Studies

Standard(s)

RL.7.1 W.7.7 HSS 6.1.2

Grade(s)

Grade 6 Grade 7