Honest.  Inspiring.  Real.  

What do you believe?

For our end-of-the-year project, all 7th Graders will be writing and presenting a reading of a This I Believe personal essay.  This project is an opportunity for students to stand for something, a personal believe, a truth, a core value that guides their daily lives.

The project will culminate with students performing a reading of their project to an audience of their peers, family members, and other school and community members.

It’s all about you

Tell a story about one of your life’s important moments.  Be specific.  This is a story about YOU and how YOUR belief was formed, tested, or changed.  It should teach us about a value that is important to you and tie into your identity.  Make sure your story focuses on just a small piece – a specific experience from your life.

Directive

Keep it brief.  Your finished product should be between 350 and 500 words, which is about 4 to 6 detailed paragraphs.  Read aloud, it should be between 2:30 – 3:00 long.  It doesn’t have to be gut-wrenching.  It doesn’t have to be heart-warming.  It doesn’t have to be funny.  Of course, if it happens to be all of these things, that’s just fine too.

Name your belief

Keep the focus on one core belief.  This should represent your personal philosophy of life.  Be sure to sprinkle statements of belief throughout your essay.

Read it aloud

Make sure you read your essay out loud to yourself several times.  Revise, edit, and simplify until you find just the right words, tone, and story that truly echo what you want to say.

Read other people’s essays

Read examples of TIB essays to get experience reading personal narratives.  Notice the different writing techniques being used and how they write the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Have fun!

You’re 100% free with your choice of topic and what you want to say about it.  This is your chance to take a stand for a personal belief and tell an interesting story.  Don’t be shy – let it out!

The Creed of This I Believe

believe daily
focusing personal story
writing life philosophy words
consider core times
list specific events
requires truly natural tone
sure shaping phrases
tested positive
simplify challenging moments
guide one essay
find intimacy
process experience
work sentence
write forward – think
speak comfortable
understand essence
echo belief aloud
make project real