Personal Reflection Select one of the writing prompts and write for 10 minutes about the topic provided.

1.Broken Promises2.Work in Progress3.What’s a hero?4.Being judged unfairly.5.Conquering obstacles.6.To err is human…forgiveness.

What do we Value?

• What did this activity reveal about our class or our society?

• What does this activity reveal about me?

• What do I/we do to maintain my place in the ‘lifeboat’ of life?

• Does this image ring true?

Personal Essay

Transactive Writing

(Expository, Persuasive, Argumentative)

Communicates the significance of a central idea or insight that has deep personal meaning.

Conveys information to a reader who knows less in an attempt to persuade the reader to action or changed belief.

Purpose is reflective, though tone may persuade.

Purpose is persuasive, an attempt to convince others to agree.

Development of piece based on writer’s personal experience or anecdotes.

Development of piece based on research from credible sources.

Personal Essay

Transactive Writing

(Expository, Persuasive, Argumentative)

Appears in an essay or op-ed format

Appears in a real-world form such as a scholarly journal, editorial, feature article.

First person, conversational, entertaining.

3rd person, issue-driven, formal or academic style.

Rarely requires documentation.

Requires documentation.

Informal tone, language and subject matter.

Formal tone, language and topic selection.

Format Description

Personal Essay Focused on a belief or insight about life that is significant to the writer.

Personal Narrative

Focused on a significant event.

Personal Memoir Focused on a significant relationship between the writer and a person, place, or object.

This I Believe Essays on Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFkFncqovL0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JUhH-Pp43w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgEOBJwWZ90&feature=related

Sift through our writing of the past few days.Select a core belief or value that you really

believe currently guides your your life.

Develop a 1 sentence belief statement that you will try to show and share in your I Believe essay.

Your Belief Statement

The Lead (or Hook)

Listen to or read an essay and ask yourself…

What makes an effective (or ineffective) lead to a personal essay?

The Lead

Rhetorical Question“When is the last time you went

without a meal?”

Quotation“Be careful were the last words my father said to

me each time I left the house.”

Strong Statement“If you eat enough cabbage, you’ll never get

cancer.”

The Lead con’t’d

Metaphor“The starlings in my back garden are the small boys in the

playground, impressing each other with their new found swear words. The crows all belong to the same biker gang. You need to know their secret sign to join their club.”

Description“Michael once mowed the lawns around Municipal

Hall wearing a frilly apron, high heels, and nylons, with a pillow stuffed under his sweater so he looked pregnant. And it wasn’t even Halloween.”

DR. PEAPS

P PERSONAL EXPERIENCETell a story (experience) that really

happened to you.Be personal. Let your words, phrases and

tone be comfortable and reflective of you.

E EXAMPLEExplain a specific example or situation that gives a

picture of what you are saying.

A ANECDOTETell a brief story that illustrates the point you are

trying to make. Real or imagined.

DR. PEAPS cont’d

DR. PEAPS cont’d

P POSITIVEAvoid preaching or editorializing.Make it about what you do believe, not what you don’t believe.

S STATISTICUse stats to support what you are trying to show.

Adding Audience Appeal

1. Write about something you really care about.• Readers want to know: what you know, what

you feel and understand what you are coming from.

2. Frame your ideas big enough that your reader can find parallels between your experience and theirs.

• I can relate to that! I may not have been there, but I get what you are talking about!

3. Make your writing like a camera lens.

• If you start with a specific detail, widen to give context.

• If you start with a big picture, show a fine detail.

4. Make the emotions real and immediate by noting specifics and details.• Tears rolling down face, fat jiggling • with laughter, lips trembling in fear.

5. Show don’t tell your ideas.• Use all the senses to convey your ideas: sight,

sound, taste, touch and hearing.

6. Make sure your reader can easily summarize the MAIN IDEA that you BELIEVE.

• Aim to leave the readers clear and satisfied (even if they disagree).

• Don’t hit them over the head in the conclusion with:

“What I’m really trying to say” or “What I really mean is…”

What should “the teacher” mark?