A great source for essays on values.

Submitted 10 years ago

Community Review for This I Believe

Larry J.
Larry J.
El Diamante High School
Visalia CA, US
My Rating
Pedagogy
Supports

My Take

This is always one of my favorite essays of the year. I learn so much about my students right off the bat, and the sheer variety of essays available here helps them to see that the five-paragraph essay is only one of many, many possible forms. The essays on this website serve as a bridge to greater freedom of expression. They also help students understand how crucial values are as we are confronted with important decisions in life.
As a teaching tool, I find this website easy to navigate, and the wide array of topics ensure that my students will find something that speaks to them. In particular, I like that I can download individual audio files, as I've had a few lessons hindered by internet problems.
One final note: I've had a number of students submit their essays to the site, and all have been accepted for their archives. I don't know if that's because my students wrote great essays, or they are just very accommodating. However, the resulting ego boost for my students was quite motivating.

How I Use It

For my AP Comp class, I usually start the year by having students write a 'This I Believe' essay. It serves to expose them to the idea of a values-driven life, and it also helps me to get to know them better. I usually start by having them follow along while the audio plays for five or six of the essays. From there, I send them off to find more essays that seem close to their own ideas. I have them analyze each essay for form to help guide them through the creation of their own essays.

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Tara W.
Tara W. Media Specialist Golden Valley High School Merced, CA
August 23, 2014

Excellent large collection of personal essays on a variety of themes; wonderful for teachers who have time to sift through many essays to find one that is just right for the learning task.

Firstly, I must begin with my personal philosophy that drives this field note and any future field note: Any product is only as good as the teacher who uses it. A good text in the hands of a good teacher can teach volumes. A poor text in the hands of a good teacher can teach volumes. This website offers examples of both. The short length of the pieces allows them to be used frequently as models without overwhelming the precious few minutes of instruction that we are allotted. Another benefit is that This I Believe features teen authors. I know that my students really respond to teen writing. They like seeing what kids their age can do. The huge collection also practically guarantees that you can find authors and themes that will speak to many audiences. Because these are personal essays, they tend to work well with teaching narrative and argumentative writing. Some of the essays feature narrative techniques to set up the moment or moments that shaped belief. Since each essay is a statement of belief, the writing features elements of argument. Considering the key shifts called for by the Common Core, these essays are often (but not always) examples of arguments with limited evidence. Personal essay tend to figure first-hand evidence rather than stronger second-hand evidence. So I think they definitely have a place in the classroom. Consider the discussion you can have with kids about what kinds of evidence would strengthen the overall claim. Sorting by theme is wonderful (and there are SO many!), but I wish that essays could be tagged with writing concepts and skills that are demonstrated in the essay (e.g., figurative language, description, dialogue). That would make this website an utter dreamboat!
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