| ABC Name Book (Web Exclusive) |
From "Scrapbooking"
episode SCB-255 |
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By Holly Christian
A is for Annie, B is for Brian, C is for Catherine ... Here's an ABC book your kids (or your class or your family) will really enjoy making. Have each person research the etymology and history of his or her own name to make into a scrapbook page. I tried out the idea on two of my neighborhood kids, Jonah, age 10, and Liana, 12, and not one grumble did I hear. This is a way to make history -- linguistic history, family history and even cultural history, if used in a multicultural classroom -- lots of fun. Have each person research his or her own name and find its meaning, etymology and historical context, and then include personal history. Some names are more interesting than others. The linguistic history and meaning of my name is fairly ho-hum, but when I add symbology and family history it starts to be fun. The name Holly comes from Old English and simply means holly tree. In times past holly was a symbol of good will and cheer, and was considered apotropaic (meaning it wards off evil)! I was named after my great Aunt Holly, whose four older sisters were named for flowers as well: Ivy, Hazel, Violet and Myrtle. After five daughters and a boy thrown in for good measure, as my mother always told the story, Grandma got tired and just named the last girl Toots. For name history and etymology, check out a great website called Behind the Name (www.behindthename.com). With more than 10,000 names listed from several different cultures you're almost sure to find your name listed. For the symbology of flower and plant names like Rosemary, Myrtle and Ivy, and precious stone names such as Amber and Jade, take a look at An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols (Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1987) by J.C. Cooper. It's a wonderful resource for researching symbols of all types. "J" is for Jonah By Jonah, age 10 My name comes from the English, meaning dove (I'm not sure what type). It originates from the Hebrew name Yonah. Jonah was a messenger of God. In a bad country, there were some bad men. Jonah was sent to tell them that God was watching over them. But Jonah chickened out and took the wrong boat, on purpose. Caught in a storm, the boat is sinking and Jonah is thrown overboard. He is swallowed by a giant whale for reasons unknown. But Jonah survives by eating what the whale eats, and three days later the whale sneezes and Jonah comes flying out, alive. He fulfills his quest and is granted mercy from God. And please, I don't have any whale gunk on me. Anymore. "L" is for Liana Liana, age 12 The name Liana comes from Australia. It is actually very common there. It originated in France, probably from the word "lier", which means to bind. The definition of the name Liana is "all varieties of high-climbing, woody vines, common in the tropics." I was named after a movie my parents saw called "Liana". They were actually going to name me Molly, but I like Liana a lot better. Holly Christian was a frequent contributor to HGTV Ideas magazine and has written for other national publications.
RESOURCES :
Scrapbooking for Kids
Author: Karen Price
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Pace Products Inc.
Scrapbooks for Kids: Ages 1 to 100
Author: Jill Haglund
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Tweety Jill Publications
Website: www.tweetyjills.com
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