Name:____________________________
Period:______Due Date:_______
This I Believe Assignment Sheet and Criteria
Assignment-Write a personal essay that expresses a personal belief or philosophy that is
supported with evidence.
What to turn in:
1. All drafts with evidence of revision
2. Final copy that meets all criteria
/30 points
/90 points
Suggestions and Tips (Adapted from This I Believe curriculum www.thisibelieve.org)
1. While the examples you've been given can serve as a model, it is essential that each of
you write about a personal belief or philosophy that you feel strongly about.
2. Tell a story. Personal experiences are the corner stone of a good essay. Your story
doesn't have to be a heart breaker or even a major event, but it must be something that has
affected how you think, feel, and act.
List your personal experiences that you intend to use as evidence below:
3. Be brief. This essay should be between 350-500 words. When read aloud, it should take
roughly three minutes.
4. Name your belief. It is essential that you can name your belief in a sentence or two.
Focus on one belief only.
This is your thesis. Write it here:
5. Be positive. Avoid preaching or persuading. You aren't trying to change the way others
think or act. Write about what you believe, not what you don't believe.
6. Use the first person. Speak for yourself. Avoid using we or you.
7. Let your voice shine. Use language that sounds like you. Read it aloud as your revise.
Keep making changes until your essay sounds like you and captures the essence of your
belief.
1. Thesis Statement—a strong thesis provides a roadmap by stating what the essay will
prove.
Thesis statements can be directly stated or implied, but they typically are found in the first
paragraph. Write your thesis statement in the space below and highlight it on your essay.
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2. Introduction: What kind of introduction did you use?
Mini-story
Quotation
Question
Strong Statement
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3. Evidence: Back up your thesis with specific evidence.
Personal Experiences
Experiences of Others
Quotations
Disproving the Opposite
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4. Conclusion: What kind of conclusion did you use?
Circle back
Look to the Future
Figurative Language
Final Example
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5. Transitions: Refer back to your thesis. Keep your essay moving.
These can be simple: First, In addition, Finally
They can also be more complex, finding a thread in your introduction that you can weave
throughout the essay.
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6. Tight Writing:
Strong Verbs
Concrete images/specific details
Figurative language—simile, metaphor, personification
Sound devices—alliteration, assonance, rhyme
Use the “Exemplary Essay Elements” as mentor lines
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7. SPRUCE
Spelling
Punctuation
Read aloud
Use the write word
Capitalization
Each paragraph is indented (new idea=new paragraph)
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