Title: This I Believe: Writing a Creative Personal Essay

This is a high school Language Arts course which focuses on writing a creative personal essay based on the "This I Believe" radio series.

Students will be led through a variety of interactive activities that guide them to an understanding of what a personal essay is, as well as support them through the process of writing their own essays.

Students will use a variety of technologies in this class and will work supported by an instructor through both online and face-to-face feedback.

Role: Student — Students generally have fewer privileges within a course.

Section 1
  This is a two-week course presented as a...
  Attribution
Section 2
  What do you need to do? 1. Create a blog -- use t...
  Create a Blog: Video Instructions
  Create a Blog: Written Instructions
  Your Blog Link
  Sample Your Blog Assignment (Example, feel free to delete)
Section 3
  What do you need to do? 1. Watch the presentation...
  Personal Writing vs. Transactive Writing
  Identifying Purpose Quiz
Section 4
  Sample: Writing Prompt Assignment (feel free t...
  What do you need to do? 1. Use the link below to ...
  Click Here to Choose a Writing Prompt
Section 5
  Click below to take a survey about 10 belief stat...
  Now that you have had a chance to think about wha...
  What do you need to do? 1. Choose one of the stat...
  Digital Poster Link
Section 6
  What do you need to do? 1. Interview a significan...
  List of Quotations
Section 7
  What do you need to do? 1. Read the document &quo...
  What Others Have Learned
Section 8
  What do you need to do? 1. Listen to AT LEAST 3 o...
  Essay: "Do What You Love" by Tony Hawk
  Essay: "I Will Take my Voice Back" by Quique Aviles
  Essay: "A Duty To Family, Heritage And Country" by Ying Ying Yu
  Essay: "Remembering All the Boys" by Elvia Bautista
  Essay: "Creative Solutions to Life's Challenges" by Frank X. Walker
Section 9
  What do you need to do? 1. Read through the First...
  First Lines
  What do you need to do? 1. Click on the "Cre...
  Creating First Lines
Section 10
  What do you need to do? 1. Read the tips and guid...
  Tips and Guidelines for Essay
  What do you need to do?1. Download the grading ru...
  Grading Rubric for Essay
  What do you need to do? 1. Choose a belief that i...
  Essay: First Draft
  Essay: Second Draft
  Essay: Final Draft
Section 11
  What do you need to do? 1. If you don't have Auda...
  Audio File: Tutorial
  What do you need to do? 1. Using Audacity, record...
  Essay: MP3 File
Section 12
  MN State Standards: Language Arts (9-12)
  MEMO Information and Technology Literacy Standards (2009)