1. Cultural Energizer:

• Have students choose one of the following prompts to share with a peer:
  • How did you get your name?
  • Do you have a nickname(s)? When and how did you receive those nicknames? 

2. First interaction with text: “Name Changing” 

• Make the handout available to each student via a paper copy or digital document (https://ucdavis.box.com/s/out9af6e1lc5ayw5zfv5xclejxycgaof).
• Teacher will read aloud the excerpt on “Name Changing” and students will follow along.
• Discuss unfamiliar or new vocabularies and the content, such as kiddy name, mature name (npe laus), hu plig (soul calling), string tying, etc.
  • Kiddy name: Name given to a child in Hmong culture.
  • Npe laus: When a boy grows up and becomes a man, it is the name given to replace the kiddy name. This name will become the man’s permanent name.
  • Hu Plig (The Soul Calling Ritual): A soul calling ceremony is performed by shamans when the soul has been frightened away. This process helps call the soul to return home. For example, when a child is born, there is a ritual known as the calling of the spirit that takes place on the third day after the child is born.
  • Khi Tes (Blessings in Strings): This is a blessing string hand tying ceremony where family, friends, and relatives tie a white string around the honored person’s hand while chanting a blessing from wishing one prosperity, wealth, or good luck. 
  • Naming process: Traditionally, three days after the child is born, the family will hold a soul calling and naming ceremony. The given name will address the child until she or he is old enough to socialize. Many Hmong children in America today are given two names: one Hmong and one American.

3. Second interaction with text: Have students review the below questions. Then, ask students to reread the text and answer the questions as they read. Next, students discuss their answers to the Compelling Question and the Lesson (Supporting) Questions with a partner or group and then with the class.

• How do we understand the varied worldviews of peoples in Hmong communities?
• How do Hmong people acquire their names?
• What is a kiddy name?
• Why do Hmong people change their names?
• How are kiddy names and adult names (mature names or npe laus) different?
• What is the significance of getting a mature name?
  • How does a couple acquire a mature name?
  • How are Hmong names different from other ethnic groups?

4. Closure and Reflection:

• Ask students to reflect on their experiences and make connections with how they approach other’s names and the perspectives of the Hmong people. Students can identify the similarities and differences between their traditional ways of assigning names to the way of Hmong parents name their children. This reflection can be done as a discussion or writing prompt.