My P.O.V: This I Believe Essay:
This fall, you completed a “This I Believe” Essay with the lens of “what it means to be American”. So many of you wanted to write an essay about a topic of your choice, what you TRULY believe in. Now is your chance...use the elements of narrative non-fiction that we have studied to help you write honestly and creatively! See Below for help getting started, and...Click this link for the assignment
Suggested Steps:
1. Read This I Believe Essays to remind yourself about this genre. Check out some of the models I posted below and browse the website.
2. Do some brainstorming about your own beliefs (prompts blow).
3. Draft- (Look below for advice!)
4. Revise and get peer feedback (Look below!)
5. Attend or view a "3R's" Sentence complexity revision lesson (In class, but also below!)
5. Edit and polish and submit to me: ckingham@Me.com on google docs
6. Submit to This I Believe contest (optional this time!)
2. Do some brainstorming about your own beliefs (prompts blow).
3. Draft- (Look below for advice!)
4. Revise and get peer feedback (Look below!)
5. Attend or view a "3R's" Sentence complexity revision lesson (In class, but also below!)
5. Edit and polish and submit to me: ckingham@Me.com on google docs
6. Submit to This I Believe contest (optional this time!)
Study The Genre
Check Out www.thisibelieve.org and the links below!
- Featured Essays: http://thisibelieve.org/essays/featured/
- Jackie Robinson
- Model Essay 1
- Model Essay 2
- Model Essay 3
- Model Essay 4
- Christy's Essay from 2009: http://thisibelieve.org/essay/64405/
Brainstorming
- Important moments: Click here for a brainstorm about important moments in your life
- Things I've Learned About Life: Click here for a brainstorm about life lessons you've learned
- My favorite way to brainstorm for this is to freewrite a list filling in the blank, "I believe......". This list could be silly or serious or both. We all have strong beliefs. Don't think about having to write an essay about one- just write a list of what you believe in. Click here for an example of a list I made a few years ago. I highlighted the ones I wanted to try writing about to narrow it down.
Drafting
- Click here to download suggestions for getting started!
- Having trouble thinking of a memory connected to what you believe? Try out this sheet to help! Click here...
Revision
- Click here for revision suggestions!
- Vary your sentence length- I do this by reading my work out loud and breaking up my sentences to be more concise.
- Revise using the "rule of 3"! Here' s and example a teacher-friend shared with me. When you are descirbitng, try to use three adjectives or examples... Describing a person
1. Becca, Sasha’s friend since first grade, was right behind her. Becca was her best friend. (OK)
2. Becca was Sasha’s best friend because she was loyal, funny, and strong. (Better)
3. Becca was Sasha’s best friend. She was loyal enough to stick by her in the toughest of times, funny enough to maker her laugh when she felt like crying, and strong enough not to get angry when Sasha was in one of her moods. (Now I SEE and FEEL it!)
Describing a place
1. The cafeteria was loud.
2. The cafeteria was loud, brightly-lit, and intimidating.
3. The cafeteria was loud because every middle school student seemed to be speaking at once, brightly-lit because the ceiling was lined with fluorescent bulbs, and intimidating because at any moment someone’s feelings could be hurt with an insult or a look.
Click here for another link that explains what I mean: http://goteenwriters.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-rule-of-three.html