This I Believe

What is This I Believe?

This I Believe is a worldwide series of creative essays that started in the 1950's. The premise is simple: write a short essay that states your beliefs about the world and can be read out loud in 3 to 5 minutes. Thousands upon thousands have chimed in, including people like Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Tony Hawk, and Jackie Robinson. It's time to add your voice to the mix!

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Your Assignment

Write an engaging and effective This I Believe essay. Then, record your essay on VoiceThread and publish it for the class to see.

Guidelines / Requirements

from ThisIBelieve.org

Tell your story: Be specific. Ground your belief in the events that have shaped your core values. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real.
Be brief: Your statement should be between 400 and 600 words. That’s about three minutes when read aloud at a natural pace.
Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list of beliefs, consider focusing on one core belief.
Be positive: Write about what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Avoid statements of religious dogma, preaching, or editorializing. This is the golden rule of This I Believe.
Be personal: Make your essay about you; speak in the first person. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Tell a story from your own life; this is not an opinion piece about social ideals. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

NOTE: For this project, we are also guided by the original This I Believe series and the producers’ invitation to those who wrote essays in the 1950s. Their advice holds up well and we are abiding by it. Please consider it carefully in writing your piece.

NOTE: In introducing the original series, host Edward R. Murrow said, “Never has the need for personal philosophies of this kind been so urgent.” We would argue that the need is as great now as it was 60 years ago.

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Peer Conferences

Peer Conference Guide

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As seen in class

The Story Behind This I Believe - Pics

Official This I Believe Website

Example of Planning

using "There Is No Such Thing as Too Much Barbecue"

Essays

"Free Minds & Hearts at Work"

by Jackie Robinson

"A Duty to Heal"

by Pius Kamau

VoiceThread

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High Quality Creative Commons Photos

you will likely get WAY better photos and results from these sites than from Google

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VoiceThread Planning Guide

VoiceThread - How To Video

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Final Steps

1. Title Your Essay - 3-10 minutes - add a title to your This I Believe document & VoiceThread (slide and audio).

2. Highlight Your Sentences - 4 -10 minutes - Choose your best one of each of the following sentences, and highlight them the correct color:

Compound - Light Green

Complex - Yellow

Verbing - Light Blue

Compound-Complex - Light Red (optional)

3. Move Your Essay - 30 seconds - Move the text of your essay to the VERY TOP of your Google Document. The title and the essay should be the first thing we see when we open your document.

4. Write a Writer's Memo - 4 -8 minutes - Just under your essay, create a small heading called "Writer's Memo." Under it, write a short memo to Mr. Sanders and Mr. Crandall that includes the following:

A. The greatest strength of your essay.

B. One specific area on which you would like a bit of feedback.

5. Self-Assessment - 4 -8 minutes - Under the Writer's Memo, copy and paste the text from the rubric that you see below. Then, choose two of the elements to self-assess. Highlight & comment on those two. In the comment, include your score (4, 3, 2, 1 - w/ .5 increments) and a short explanation of that score. Then, give yourself a final overall score.

This I Believe Rubric

1. Expresses a personal belief (rather than expressing "un-beliefs" or attacking other peoples' beliefs).
2. Develops the topic with relevant stories, experiences, details, quotes, or other info. and examples.
3. Provides an introduction that engages and orients the audience.
4. Provides an engaging conclusion that follows from and reflects on the stories and ideas presented.
5. Writes an essay that entices the audience to think about ideas and/or beliefs (it "packs a punch").
6. Writes in a style and tone appropriate to "This I Believe"
7. Includes an engaging and relevant title.