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This I Believe Essay:
Working the Process in Steps
Final Draft Due: Thursday, 9/ 8
Name
Date __________________________________
The Basics: After reading sample essays and
completing your life map, you will now contribute to the This I Believe project by writing your own statement of personal belief.
Length: 350- 500 words
Two typed, double spaced pages MLA format: 12 pt. Times New Roman with 1” margins with a MLA header
You will turn in the final draft for a major
writing grade.
You will work the writing process in steps;
many of these you will complete outside of class. These steps include the following:
Step 1: Life Map
Step 2: Brainstorming
Step 3: Form and Support
Step 4 : Outline
Step 5 : Rough Draft
Step 6 : Revision
Step 7 : Final Draft
While this essay will be written in first person as a personal narrative, the best essays will maintain a clear organization with a thesis that acts as a road map for your ideas. Working the writing process in steps will help you discover and define this thesis.
Guidelines: Writing a “This I Believe” essay
is challenging. It requires self-examination, and many find it difficult to begin. To be successful, we will work through a reflective writing process. Focus on the following guidelines to uncover your beliefs and express them in a compelling essay:
1. Tell a story 2. Be specific. Take your belief out of the sky and ground it in the events of your life. 3. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. 4. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. 5. Your story need not be heartwarming or gut- wrenching – it can even be funny – but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs. 6. Be positive Avoid preaching or editorializing. Explain what you do believe, not what you don't believe. 7. Avoid writing in the editorial “we.” Make your essay about you. Write in the first person. 8. Be personal. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. 9. 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. 10. Name your belief. If you can't name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. 11. Rather than writing a list, focus on one core belief because two pages is a small amount of space.
Re-Vision Checklist:
Has the writer clearly named his or her belief? Is this belief the obvious focus of the essay?
Is the essay specific, personal, positive, and real?
Does the essay include a title and an attention grabber that creates interest in the introduction? Does the conclusion summarize the main ideas and “punch home” the main point in a way that leaves the reader with a full and complete picture of your belief?
Does the writer tell a story using vivid details, creating a memorable scene, and/or engaging the senses with description?
Does the writer use artful transitional devices to move the reader from idea to support to conclusion?
Are all of the sentences complete, ending with a period, question mark or exclamation point? Do the sentences all express a complete thought, passing the “I realize” test?
Is the essay free from punctuation and grammar errors?
11 th^ Grade Writing Rubric
Writing Domains
Does Not Meet Standard Meets Standard (^) StandardExceeds Lacking, demonstrates very little or no mastery
Seriously limited, demonstrates little mastery
Inadequate , but demonstrates developing mastery
Competent , demonstrates adequate mastery
Effective , demonstrates consistent mastery
Outstanding , demonstrates clear consistent mastery
Weight Total
Writing Process: Student uses prewriting and revision strategies to complete writing process
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
Ideas: Student develops a controlling idea (thesis).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
Organization: Paper has a beginning, middle, and end. There is logical order with grouping of ideas.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
Student uses precise and relevant evidence to develop paragraphs of five sentences or more.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
Conventions: Student has controlled conventions with relatively few errors that do not distract from overall appeal.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
Select one of the belief statements from the brainstorm (or write your own) and expand that statement with the following brainstorming exercise:
Belief statement:
Synonyms: Expand the belief statement with a list of as many words and phrases that restate the belief:
An experience in your life that shows this belief in action:
Difficulties of upholding this belief and how you uphold it:
Imagine yourself in the experience you describe above. Now visualize this scene with imagery. How does it look, sound, smell, taste, feel? Be vivid, and bring this scene to life:
Now, review your brainstorming and life map – these will become the supporting details in your essay – for the ideas in relation to the belief statement above.
Do you need to refine, restate, or redefine the belief statement in order for it to become the thesis for your essay? Remember that a specific and personal belief statement will have more power than a broad generalization.
Your belief statement as the guiding thesis for your essay:
______
Step 5: Support Strategies; Nonfiction Forms
Define the DRAPES strategies as methods for supporting your thesis statement:
D is for :
R is for :
A is for :
P is for :
E is for :
S is for :
Using the DRAPES strategy, what forms would best support your thesis statement? Choose two forms and briefly sketch how you could use each strategy for your essay:
1.
Now that you have begun to outline how you will support your essay, you can decide which form of nonfiction essay you will write. There are three types:
Personal Narrative:
Personal Essay:
Personal Memoir:
Which form do you feel will best suit your belief statements and the way you will support it?
