Table of Contents
Why I Chose This Focus
I chose retelling and sequencing for The Name Jar because the order of events matters to Unhei’s change across the story.
Students can track what happens when she first arrives, how the name jar affects her choices, and what finally helps her decide to use her own name.
The Name Jar Summary
Author & Illustrator: Yangsook Choi
Unhei, a young Korean girl who has just moved to America, worries her new classmates will make fun of her name. Instead of introducing herself, she thinks about choosing an American name from a jar of suggestions. When the jar disappears, Unhei decides to keep her Korean name and shares it with the class.
Author insight: Yangsook Choi has said the story is about seeing who a person really is and recognizing the importance of names and identity. After reading, students can connect this idea to Unhei’s choice: What changes when her classmates learn her name instead of choosing one for her?
Key Teaching Themes
- Identity: Unhei’s name is part of who she is, but she is unsure whether to share it with her new classmates. Students can track the moments when she hides, avoids, or protects her name, then discuss why her choice matters.
- Belonging: Unhei watches the class carefully before she decides how much of herself to share. This gives students a way to talk about what helps someone feel safe, noticed, and accepted in a new place.
- Words and actions: The way Unhei’s classmates respond affects her confidence. Students can look at the difference between curiosity, teasing, and respect, then use evidence to explain which actions help and which ones make things harder.
- Classroom community: The story shows that welcoming someone is not just about being friendly once. Students can discuss the small choices classmates make, such as listening, learning her name, and showing interest without putting pressure on her.
Why Use The Name Jar to Teach Inference?
When I used this as a read-aloud, I’d stop on a page and ask, “What’s going on here?” and “What makes you think that?” Students had to look closely at Unhei’s face, where she was looking, and what she avoided saying.
That’s why The Name Jar works so well for inference. The story does not always spell out what Unhei is thinking, so students have to use clues from the text and illustrations, along with what they already know, to work it out.
Inference Activities for The Name Jar
These quick activities help students practice inference without adding extra prep to your day. Each one can be done as a whole-class discussion, in partners, or as a written response.
1. What’s Unhei Thinking?
This works well as a quick turn-and-talk or reading response. Choose an important moment in the story and ask students to infer what Unhei might be thinking.
Good moments to stop and discuss:
- on the bus, when other children respond to her name
- when Unhei sees the name jar
- when she writes “Cindy”
- when she chooses to keep her name
Ask:
- “What is Unhei thinking right now?”
- “What in the story helps you know that?”
Helpful sentence starter: “I think Unhei feels ___ because I noticed ___.”
2. Use the Pictures for Evidence
This is useful for students who guess quickly. It makes them point to a facial expression, body position, or detail in the pictures before they explain their thinking.
Show the illustration first without reading the text. Ask:
- “What do you notice?”
- “How is Unhei feeling?”
- “What tells you that?”
Then read the text and see whether students want to change or add to their ideas.
This helps students notice facial expressions, body language, and other visual clues.
3. What's Not Said?
This activity helps students understand that authors do not always state feelings directly.
Choose one page and keep the discussion simple:
- What do you see?
- What do you already know?
- What can you infer?
Example:
- What the text or picture shows: Unhei looks down and does not answer right away.
- What I know: People sometimes go quiet when they feel unsure, nervous, or embarrassed.
- My inference: Unhei may feel worried about how the class will react.
A 3-column organizer works well here:
- What the text says
- What I know
- My inference
Note: Keep name activities optional and low-pressure. Some students may not know the story behind their name or may not want to share it. A safer option is to let students write about a name, nickname, word, or symbol that feels important to them.
Free Inference Download for The Name Jar
Start with the free The Name Jar inference worksheets if you want students to slow down and think about Unhei’s feelings before they retell the story.
Students look closely at Unhei’s expressions, think about what she may be feeling, and use clues from the text and illustrations to explain their thinking.
This works well after the read-aloud because it gives students a clear starting point: first notice what Unhei feels, then talk about what causes those feelings.
Grab the free inference worksheets from the VIP Free Resource Library.
Next Step: The Name Jar Sequencing and Retelling Activities
Once students have inferred how Unhei feels at key moments, the next step is to put those moments in order.
The Name Jar sequencing and retelling pack helps students track what happens to Unhei from the beginning to the end of the story, including how her feelings, choices, and confidence change.
It gives you ready-made pages for moving from “What is Unhei feeling?” to “How does Unhei’s experience change across the story?”
Use it when you want students to retell the story with more than just events. They can include the problem, important choices, character feelings, and the ending in a way that shows they understand Unhei’s journey.
The Name Jar Retelling & Sequencing Activities
$2.49
Differentiation Suggestions
- Younger students: Focus on basic feelings first: happy, worried, shy, scared, proud.
- Older students: Ask them to think about name meanings, identity, and why Unhei’s choice matters.
- Multilingual learners: Use a picture word bank with feelings such as worried, shy, proud, nervous, and unsure. Let students rehearse with a partner before writing.
- Students who need extra support: Use one illustration, one question, and a short sentence frame.
Inference-Based Discussion Prompts
Use these questions during the read-aloud, after reading, or as quick written responses when you want students to explain what they infer about Unhei using evidence from the text and illustrations.
Inferring Unhei’s feelings
- Why did Unhei hide her name on the first day?
- Why do you think Unhei wanted an American name?
- How do you think Unhei felt when she saw the name jar?
- How did Unhei feel when she decided to keep her Korean name?
Using evidence
- What clues in the illustrations show how Unhei is feeling?
- What does Unhei say or avoid saying?
- What makes you think that?
Identity and belonging
- What role does Joey play in Unhei’s decision?
- What does the class do that helps Unhei feel more comfortable?
- How do the students show respect for Unhei at the end?
The Name Jar FAQs
- What skills can students practice with The Name Jar? Students can practice inference, character analysis, using evidence, and retelling key events. The book works well because students can track how Unhei’s feelings and choices change from the beginning to the end of the story.
- How does inference help students retell The Name Jar? Inference helps students retell more than the events. Instead of only saying what happened first, next, and last, students can explain how Unhei feels at each point and how those feelings affect her choices.
- What are good discussion questions for The Name Jar? The best questions ask students to explain Unhei’s feelings, choices, and relationships using evidence. Try questions like, “Why does Unhei hide her name?” or “What changes when her classmates learn her name?
- What follow-up activities work well after reading The Name Jar? Good follow-up activities include an inference organizer, sequencing page, retelling map, identity reflection, or discussion about how classmates can help someone feel welcome.
Ideas of What to Read Next
- Picture Books About Identity: Use this list when you want more read-alouds focused on names, culture, belonging, and self-acceptance.
- Picture Books for Teaching Inference: Try these titles when you want students to practice noticing clues, reading expressions, and explaining their thinking.
Final Thoughts
I connect with part of Unhei’s experience because people often call me Kristen instead of Kirsten. It’s frustrating, and it can feel awkward to correct. Unhei’s situation is bigger than that, of course, but that small connection helps me understand why a name can feel so personal.
This book gives you clear moments for inference, real discussion about identity, and a character students can follow closely from start to finish.
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