This I Believe
Essential Question: What do I believe, and why?
Project Description
For our first project of the year in humanities, we were challenged to think deeply about our individual beliefs and write a personal essay describing one belief and how it was formed. These were called our This I Believe essays. This I Believe originally comes from National Public Radio (NPR), when listeners, celebrities and citizens alike, were asked to write a short essay about something very important to them; something that they believe. I think that this form of personal essay is meant to showcase human individuality, and help restore respect for one another. We adapted this idea into a project, and wrote our own essays. We began this project by learning about the difference between personal essays and personal narratives, and other essential elements that would make our work the highest possible quality. We then went through several exercises to brainstorm our beliefs. We wrote about values that are true in our lives, drew sketches of things that were important to us, and thought about personal life lessons. We also listened to many other This I Believe essays from NPR and the internet. Students chose a topic that was very meaningful to them, and then we each created an essay discussing our belief. After we had written these essays, we recorded ourselves reading them. Exemplary essays that have been recorded within the time constraints will be played on the local college radio station, KDUR.
Challenges
At the beginning of this project, I struggled with finding my belief. I believe so many things, it was hard to choose one meaningful topic that I could craft an essay around. Additionally, I missed a few days of school in the first two weeks of the project, and it was challenging to catch up to my peers. Once I had decided on my topic, mountains, it was very difficult for me to start writing. Before most writing assignments, I have an expectation for my writing in my head. I struggle to put the first words on paper, because I am hung up on this perfection that I expect from myself. This project was the same way. It took me some time to figure out exactly what I wanted to say, and my writing went through many revisions before it reached it’s final state. With all the drafts I was writing, it was challenging to work within the time constraints laid out for the project. However, I was able to turn my work in on time.
Celebrations
Overall, I am very happy with the way my essay turned out. I spent a lot of time revising, and I think it shows in my final draft. I ended up with two essays: one long version that included all the details I liked, and one shorter version that will be submitted to the radio station. In this project, I think my writing style was slightly different than normal. I focused on using descriptive language and techniques displayed in other This I Believe essays, so I think my final product had a different “voice” than my other writing pieces. However, I am satisfied with this new voice and I believe it had a positive effect on my writing. Below are some of my favorite lines from my essay:
Personal Growth
This project has given me more empathy. Through listening to other essays on the This I Believe website and critiquing my peer’s essays, I have been given a broader view of the diversity and values in our country. Reading these essays has shown me that, no matter what I think of a person, they have their own values, opinions, and stories that are a part of who they are. I think that I have grown through this realization, and I am now more accepting and understanding of people around me. I have been taught that everyone has a story, whether you know it or not, and this is my biggest takeaway from the project.
For our first project of the year in humanities, we were challenged to think deeply about our individual beliefs and write a personal essay describing one belief and how it was formed. These were called our This I Believe essays. This I Believe originally comes from National Public Radio (NPR), when listeners, celebrities and citizens alike, were asked to write a short essay about something very important to them; something that they believe. I think that this form of personal essay is meant to showcase human individuality, and help restore respect for one another. We adapted this idea into a project, and wrote our own essays. We began this project by learning about the difference between personal essays and personal narratives, and other essential elements that would make our work the highest possible quality. We then went through several exercises to brainstorm our beliefs. We wrote about values that are true in our lives, drew sketches of things that were important to us, and thought about personal life lessons. We also listened to many other This I Believe essays from NPR and the internet. Students chose a topic that was very meaningful to them, and then we each created an essay discussing our belief. After we had written these essays, we recorded ourselves reading them. Exemplary essays that have been recorded within the time constraints will be played on the local college radio station, KDUR.
Challenges
At the beginning of this project, I struggled with finding my belief. I believe so many things, it was hard to choose one meaningful topic that I could craft an essay around. Additionally, I missed a few days of school in the first two weeks of the project, and it was challenging to catch up to my peers. Once I had decided on my topic, mountains, it was very difficult for me to start writing. Before most writing assignments, I have an expectation for my writing in my head. I struggle to put the first words on paper, because I am hung up on this perfection that I expect from myself. This project was the same way. It took me some time to figure out exactly what I wanted to say, and my writing went through many revisions before it reached it’s final state. With all the drafts I was writing, it was challenging to work within the time constraints laid out for the project. However, I was able to turn my work in on time.
Celebrations
Overall, I am very happy with the way my essay turned out. I spent a lot of time revising, and I think it shows in my final draft. I ended up with two essays: one long version that included all the details I liked, and one shorter version that will be submitted to the radio station. In this project, I think my writing style was slightly different than normal. I focused on using descriptive language and techniques displayed in other This I Believe essays, so I think my final product had a different “voice” than my other writing pieces. However, I am satisfied with this new voice and I believe it had a positive effect on my writing. Below are some of my favorite lines from my essay:
- The absence of trees gave the lofty landscape a strong feel of isolation, and the crisp mountain air made it feel like anything was possible.
- I believe in mountains. I have grown up in the mountains, always amazed by their grandeur. National Geographic photos of mountains from around the world frequented my computer’s desktop background. But it was not until I summited my first mountain that I began to understand their importance in my life.
- I believe in mountains because they serve as a constant reminder of humility, friendship, beauty, grace, and strength.
Personal Growth
This project has given me more empathy. Through listening to other essays on the This I Believe website and critiquing my peer’s essays, I have been given a broader view of the diversity and values in our country. Reading these essays has shown me that, no matter what I think of a person, they have their own values, opinions, and stories that are a part of who they are. I think that I have grown through this realization, and I am now more accepting and understanding of people around me. I have been taught that everyone has a story, whether you know it or not, and this is my biggest takeaway from the project.