This I Believe Personal Essay

Mrs. Shantazio

What is a personal essay?

Personal Essay•Focused on an insight or

belief that is significant to the writer

Personal Narrative•Focused on a significant event

Personal Memoir•Focused on a significant

relationship between the writer and a person, place, or object.

Personal Essay vs. Transactive Writing

Personal Essay

Transactive Writing

More objective in toneOften requires documentation

More formal in tone

Conveys information to a reader who knows less

than the writer. Purpose is more

persuasive.Developed from researchWritten in third person.

Purpose is more reflective , although the tone may

sound persuasive.More subjective

More informal in tone.

Communicates the importance of a central

idea or insight that has a deep personal meaning to

the author.Written in first person

What do you really believe? On your own paper, write agree or disagree to each

of the following statements. Give me one reason as to why you agree or disagree with the statement.

Life is fair

Word can hurt

An eye for an eye

What do you really believe?

Love conquers all

Doing what’s right means obeying the

law

People learn from their mistakes

Now it’s time to FIGHT! Just kidding. It’s time to have a reasonable discussion.

One one side of the room, you will see a letter D.

One the other side of the classroom you will see a letter A.

D= Disagree A=Agree

When I read each belief statement aloud, go to the side that expresses your view. Take your paper with you and be ready to defend your opinion.

Be quiet, and be respectful of others. You may not agree with them, but you must still give them respect. Do not talk when someone else is speaking.

Partner Up! Seeing is Believing

Belief is more than just saying what you think. It’s acting in a way that supports the belief.

Partner up with someone in class who sits close to you. Use one of the belief statements from the previous slides that you agreed with.

With your partner, come up with as many stories, images, and words that communicate that belief as you can.

Create a large poster that will help other people understand what this belief means through your eyes.

For example:

Synonyms Ex: Life is Fair Even-stevenYou get what you deserve

Pictures Ex: Life is Fair

Rules that govern this belief

People learn from their mistakes.

1. To learn from your mistakes you must know when you’ve made a mistake.

2. You need to stifle defensive impulses.

More examples

Clear up misconceptions about the belief Love conquers All

“Love conquers all” does not mean that you shouldn’t give your daughter an allowance or a really nice gift for no

reason at all.

Stories that show what the belief means. Love conquers all The story of

Sleeping Beauty

A Top Five List Miracles Do Happen

1. I get up every day2. Algebra II is the 1st period, so by the

time I wake up it’s over. 3. There’s such a thing as Fruit Loops

What quotations guide your life?

Homework assignment: Tonight, I want you to interview your mom or dad or another important adult in your life. Ask your parent/mentor who in their lives has made a lasting influence upon their way of thinking or asking. Ask them why.

Then, ask them this question: “ As the time grows near for me to leave home, what is the most important message or belief that you hope I will take with me and remember throughout my entire life?”

Write down your parent’s responses to these questions and bring them to class tomorrow for a homework grade.

What quotations guide your life?

NOW! One the next slide, I will have a list of quotations. I would like you to choose three of the sayings that you have discovered to be true in your own life based on your experiences.

Write a 10 minute journal entry about one of these meaningful quotes and be prepared to share your response with a small group of students.

Divide into groups of four. Read all of your group members’ journal entries. Ask each writer one probing question about the quote he/she selected.

Life Quotes

“ I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true-hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.”- Ray Bradbury ( Science Fiction Author)

“ If you don’t quit, don’t cheat, and don’t run home when trouble arrives, you can only win.”- Shelley Long ( Actress/ Comedienne)

“Do not let what you CANNOT do interfere with what you CAN do.”- John Wooden ( former UCLA basketball coach)

“ I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don’t know how to show it.” ( John Doe – Age 42)

Life Quotes “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future,

concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha

“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”- Charles Darwin

“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.” – Mark Twain

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.” – Harvey Fierstein

“Every man dies. Not every man really lives.” – William Wallace

“Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.”- Sholom Aleichem

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”- Joseph Campbell

Project

Create a poster with your favorite life quote on it.

Include the quote, and explain why it is important to you.

Draw a symbol or picture that represents this quote to you. This picture can be literal or metaphorical.

I will be hanging these posters over my ceiling tiles.

They will be due on Monday.

BE CREATIVE!

Planning your essay

Let’s work on the HOOK!

Question: “When was the last time you went without a meal?”

Quotation: ( from someone famous, or from someone significant in your life.) “ Be careful were the last words my father said to me each time I left the house.”

Strong Statement: “ If you eat enough cabbage, you’ll never get cancer.” ( Your essay will have to either support or dispute this statement.)

Metaphor: “ The starlings in my back garden are the small boys on the playground, impressing each other with their new-found swear words. The crows all belong to the same biker gang. You need to know their secret sign to join their club.”

Description: “ Michael once mowed the lawns around Municipal Hall wearing a pink apron, high heels, and pantyhose. And it wasn’t even Halloween.

How do I support my personal philosophy?

D Dialogue:

R Rhetorical Question:

A Anecdote:

P Personal Experience:

E Example:

S Statistic:

Let’s Listen to some actual essays.

http://thisibelieve.org/essays/listen/classic/