How do words shape WHO WE ARE?

This I Believe Checklist: ___ Reading: This I Believe Newspaper Article ___ Activity: Picking My Brain Worksheet ___ Reading/Listening: This I Believe Website ___ Journal: Reading/Listening Response ___ Essay: This I Believe ___ Audio Recording ___ Submission: Submit Your Essay to NPR (optional) and Turn In the Unit (required) INTRODUCTION: Use what language you will, you can never say anything but what you are.
- Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson

In this course, you have spent a considerable amount of time exploring how words shape the world. You are a part of the world, and now its time for you to use words in a very powerful and very personal way to express what you believe. Step 1: Reading Read the following article, which can be found in the Readings & Resources Binder: Buchholz, Brad. Public radio segment lets myriad folds speak out. Austin AmericanStatesman 30 July 2005: E1, E3. Step 2: Activity Complete the Picking My Brain worksheet from the Readings & Resources Binder. Step 3: Reading/Listening Using the internet, go to http://www.npr.org/thisibelieve/. Click on the Essays link on the left. Select and LISTEN TO at least three essays (each is 3-5 minutes long). Step 4: Journal Answer all of the following questions in a journal entry about the essays you have heard. Which essays did you listen to? Why did you choose these particular essays? What was your personal response to each of the three essays you heard? Did you agree with the writers? Did any of them open your eyes to a new perspective or way of looking at things? Which essay was your favorite? Why? What did the author do that grabbed your attention and made you want to keep reading/listening? How did it affect your experience to listen to the essays being read, rather than just reading them yourself?

Step 5: Essay Now its time to write your own personal essay following the example of the ones you have read/heard. Before you start writing, get a Personal Essay Writing packet from the Resource Binder. Read ALL of the sheets, and keep them handy for reference as you write. Remember that your essay should be between 350 and 500 words. Longer or shorter pieces will not be accepted. After you have written a draft, consult the Tips sheet again. Does your essay meet all of the criteria listed? Make revisions as needed. After you have revised it, read your essay out loud to a peer. Then ask your peer the following questions (you may want to show the questions to your peer first so that he/she knows what to listen for), and make a note of the feedback on your paper. Include your peers name. Did the first line of the essay catch your attention? Did the rest of the essay keep your attention? Could you follow what was being said, or was it confusing? What part(s) did you find particularly effective? What part(s) could use improvement? What do you suggest to improve the piece? Could you understand all of the words when you listened to me read the piece? Did I speak too fast or too slow? Too loud or too soft? Could you follow what was being said? What was the main idea that I believe? (If the listener isnt sure what the main idea was, or if his or her idea is completely off from what you intended, you need to take another look at the essay!) Make revisions based on feedback from your peer and turn in a copy for a teacher edit. After conferencing with your facilitator, make final revisions. Step 6: Audio Recording Use an audio tape recorder to record your reading of the essay. Step 7: SUBMISSION (OPTIONAL) You are encouraged, but not required, to submit your essay to NPR. If you wish, go to http://www.npr.org/thisibelieve/agree.html to submit your essay. If you are under 18, you will need to submit this from home so that your parent or guardian can agree to NPRs terms. Alternately, you can submit your essay by mail (see your facilitator for details) with a paper agreement form signed by your parent or guardian, but e-mail submission is preferred. After you have submitted your essay, you will see an on-screen message that your essay was received. PRINT THIS PAGE to turn in for extra credit. ********* TURN IN: Clean printed copy of your final essay All previous drafts of your essay

Completed Picking My Brain worksheet Journal Audio recording of your essay Optional - print of the confirmation page showing you have submitted your essay