Essay One: Memoir
Assignment Description: Memoir is a type of narrative and autobiographical writing. For this essay, you will choose a specific
event or circumstance which has helped make you into the person that you are. Think about a moment, event, situation, or
circumstance that changed you. It does not have to be a major catastrophe or earth-shattering event—it could be moving from
one city to another, being betrayed by a friend, meeting a certain person—even the simplest stories can be interesting and
significant if you write your essay well. I would like each of you to address the following two aspects of the event you choose to
write about:
1. Describe an event during your lifetime in which you learned an important lesson. As part of the description,
include more than just the simple “who, what, where, when, why, and how” of the surrounding circumstances. Use
descriptive elements to help your reader visualize the scene. Also, try to describe the change in your perspective or
mindset both before and after you came to realize the more significant meaning behind the situation.
2. Describe how the lesson you learned from this instance has shaped your life philosophy. This portion of the
essay should address how the lesson you learned from the previous instance has affected your subsequent perspective
on and approach to life. Use specific examples of when you acted differently than you would have before you learned
the lesson.
Purpose: The purpose of writing a narrative/memoir essay like this is to become more comfortable and proficient in reflective
writing.
Audience: Like the diagnostic essay, your audience is your instructor and your peers. If it is easier to envision your audience as
your English 1010 classmates, that is perfectly acceptable. Please remember that you will be sharing your writing with others
during in-class writing workshops; therefore, avoid writing about events that you are not comfortable sharing or discussing with
your classmates, as well as receiving a grade on.
Tips for this assignment:
 Narratives are usually organized by time or logic.
 Add vivid description to settings, characterization, etc.! Details make a narrative come alive for your audience, and
sometimes the best essays are focused on the smaller details.
 Don’t try to write a memoir about your whole life—focus your essay on one event that you consider a turning point.
 Use active verbs and avoid clichés.
 Reflect on personal, spiritual, and/or ideological turning points for inspiration.
 Focus on something “true.” Though you have a certain creative license to fill in gaps for such things as creating
dialogue for conversations, the essay should not be a work of fiction.
 Whatever event you choose, the essay should have a point (or thesis)—in other words, a reason the essay is important
to both writer and audience.
Requirements:
 4-5 pages (Note: 4 FULL pages is a minimum requirement)
 Times New Roman, 12 point font, double-spaced
 1 inch margins (some versions of MS Word require that you adjust this under “page setup”)
 Title (not in quotes, something other than Essay 1 or Memoir!)
 Your name, the class and section number, my name, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page
This essay is worth 15% of your final grade. The due dates for this essay are as follows:
September 13th:
Prewriting due
September 22nd:
Deadline to turn in working draft to get feedback from instructor
September 27th:
Working Draft of Essay 1 due for peer revision (2 copies of at least 3 FULL
pages!)
October 4th:
Essay 1 final packet due (final draft, rough draft with my comments/peer review
comments, and pre-writing/invention work)
Evaluation: My main focus of evaluation for this essay will be on content, details, organization, and the introduction of your
essay. Please remember to revisit this assignment sheet on a regular basis as you draft because one of my main points for
evaluation is whether your essay meets the assignment. Regardless of how imaginative, detailed, original, and well-organized
your essay is, if it doesn’t meet the assignment it will not be graded as successful. Attached is a the rubric I will use to grade
this essay.
Student__________________________________________________________ Final Grade_______________
Grade Scale:
Range: 10-5
Excellent
Average
Needs Improvement
10-----------------------------------------------------7.5------------------------------------------------------------5
_________X 40% Content:
 The essay considers a specific and relevant event/circumstance.
 The writer effectively conveys the importance of this event to his or her life perspective or
philosophy.
 The essay shows depth of critical thinking and reflection.
 The author uses specific, relevant examples and stories, as well as vivid, descriptive, and
compelling details, to illustrate her or his narrative.
 The author’s introduction is interesting and gains the reader’s attention.
 The essay displays consciousness of audience.
 The essay meets the assignment, as outlined on the assignment sheet and in class discussion.
________X 30% Organization:
 The introduction clues the reader in to the purpose of the essay.
 The essay has a clear direction and a thesis statement.
 The conclusion effectively and meaningfully wraps up the essay.
 Body paragraphs are arranged in a logical and effective order.
 Each body paragraph is a unified, meaningful, and coherent unit.
_______X 10% Word Choice:
 The essay displays accurate, precise, and varied word choice.
 The author avoids wordiness and clichés.
_______X 10% Style/Grammar:
 The author has taken time to critically edit and proofread, eliminating errors such as misspelled
words, missing words, (unintentional) sentence fragments, run-on sentences, homophone
mistakes, grammatical or mechanical errors, and basic punctuation errors.
_______X 10% Format/Follows assignment instructions:
 The author follows instructions as laid out in assignment sheet.
 Meets length requirement of 4 full pages (if essay falls significantly short of this requirement, I
reserve the right to deduct more than 10% from the final grade.)
 The essay is formatted as detailed on the assignment sheet (1 inch margins, 12 point, Times New
Roman font, proper heading, header with last name and page number on each page, double
spaced.)
+_____________ extra points for response paper detailing a trip to the UWC (3 total possible)
______________ Total Points for Essay 1
Essay 2: “This I Believe” Personal Statement Essay
Overview: From 1951-1955, Edward R. Murrow hosted This I Believe, a daily radio program that reached 39
million listeners. On this broadcast, Americans—both well known and unknown—read five-minute essays about
their personal philosophy of life. They shared insights about individual values that shaped their daily actions. The
first volume of This I Believe essays, published in 1952, sold 300,000 copies—more than any other book in the U.S.
during that year except for the Bible. In fact, these Murrow broadcasts were so popular that curriculum was even
developed to encourage American high school students to compose essays about their most significant personal
beliefs. In introducing the original series, Murrow said, “Never has the need for personal philosophies of this kind
been so urgent.” It might be argued that the need is as great now as it was 50 years ago. NPR and This I Believe, Inc.
are again inviting Americans of all ages and perspectives to examine their belief systems and then write their own
personal essay.
Details: For this essay, you must reflect on a core belief (preferably not a religious or spiritual belief), whether
previously held or newly discovered, that you consider vital to who you are and the way in which you live your life.
Compare who you were before acquiring this insight with the person you are today. Then, authenticate this belief
to your audience. Write frankly and openly about your belief. Include what your belief is, when you came to hold
this belief, why you believe as you do, and the impact this belief has on your daily existence. Remember, this is a
personal narrative and must be factual; it must be your story and should not include any outside source material.
Benefits: Your ability to successfully develop, describe, and detail your beliefs will benefit you throughout your
college career and beyond. This particular assignment requires both critical thinking as well as a variety of writing
techniques: description, analysis, and narration; additionally, you will be practicing manipulating your tone,
purpose, and audience.
Audience: Referring to the sample essays we will read/listen to in and for class, write with an NPR audience in
mind. Write as if you are submitting your essay to the network’s This I Believe series, something I strongly
encourage you to actually consider.
Things to consider while planning and drafting:
 Tell a story- Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider
moments when your belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and
family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gutwrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure that your story ties to the essence of
your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.
 Name your belief- Try to name your belief in a sentence or two. Make it tangible for yourself so that you
can make sure it is something you can write an essay about.
 Be positive- Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Make your essay
about you and your belief; speak in the first person.
Evaluation criteria: For this essay, I will continue to be looking for effective use of details and examples
in your writing, originality of content, an engaging introduction and effective conclusion, and successful
organization. I will also be focusing on how deeply you are analyzing and reflecting on the belief that you
are sharing with your audience.
To view more examples of This I Believe essays, visit the website: www.thisibelieve.org
Grade Scale:
Range: 10-5
Excellent
Average
Needs Improvement
10--------------------------------------------------------7.5-------------------------------------------------------------5
_________X 40% Content:
 The essay considers an original, concrete belief.
 The writer conveys when this belief was formed, why s/he believes as s/he does, and the
impact this belief has on his/her daily life.
 The essay shows depth of critical, original thinking and reflection.
 The author uses specific, relevant examples and stories, as well as vivid, descriptive, and
compelling details, to illustrate her/his belief.
 The author’s introduction is interesting and gains the reader’s attention.
 The essay displays consciousness of NPR audience.
 The essay meets the assignment, as outlined on the assignment sheet and in class
discussion.
________X 30% Organization:
 The introduction clues the reader in to the purpose of the essay.
 The essay has a clear direction.
 Body paragraphs are arranged in a logical and effective order.
 Each body paragraph is a unified, meaningful, and coherent unit.
 The conclusion effectively and thoughtfully wraps up the content of the essay.
 The writer has a belief statement in the essay, placed in an effective and logical location.
_______X 10% Word Choice:
 The essay displays accurate, precise, and varied word choice.
 The author avoids wordiness, clichés, and stiff language (“Engfish”).
_______X 10% Style/Grammar:
 The author has taken time to critically edit and proofread, eliminating errors such as
misspelled words, missing words, (unintentional) sentence fragments, run-on sentences,
homophone mistakes, grammatical or mechanical errors, and basic punctuation errors.
_______X 10% Format/Follows assignment instructions:
 The author follows instructions as laid out in assignment sheet (and includes a cover letter
with the final draft packet).
 Meets minimum length requirement of 4 full pages (if essay falls significantly short of this
requirement, I reserve the right to deduct more than 10% from the final grade).
 The essay is formatted as detailed on the assignment sheet (1 inch margins, 12 point Times
New Roman font, proper heading, header with last name and page number on each page,
double spaced).
+_____________ extra points for response paper detailing a trip to the UWC to work on Essay 2 (3 total
possible)
______________ Total Points for Essay 2
Essay 2: Profile
The Writing Assignment: Write an essay about an intriguing person, group of people, place, or activity in
your community. Observe your subject closely, and then present what you have learned in a way that
both informs and engages readers.
Specific Instructions: Obtaining information through observation and/or interview, your essay should
include detailed information about the subject, a clear organizational plan, a role for the writer, and a
perspective on the subject.
Format and Requirements:
 First page set up with name, teacher’s name, class, and date in the left-hand corner doublespaced (MLA)
 Pages set up with student’s last name and page number in the right-hand corner (MLA)
 Titled without capitalizing all letters, underlining, boldfacing, enlarging, italicizing, or placing in
quotations
 Typed with 1” margins, double spacing throughout, right margin not justified, and use of a
standard font
 1000 words (3 – 4 pages)
Due dates:
 Draft 1 due October 7 (Peer Review)
 Essay due October 14
Grading Criteria (unique for each essay assignment):
 Purpose: The writer should use information gained from observation and/or an interview to
profile a person, group of people, place, or activity by creating a dominant impression and
providing a perspective.
 Audience: The writer should designate an audience for the subject profiled, sufficiently
narrowing the audience and adapting content and language appropriately.
 Thesis: The writer should express a clear, specific, and appropriate thesis that gives a dominant
impression or interpretation of the subject being profiled.
 Development: The writer should provide plenty of concrete information (including details,
examples, definitions, classifications, and comparisons) to present an interesting, complete, and
accurate account of the subject. The writer should also choose a role (detached or participant)
that best presents the subject.
 Organization: The writer should choose an organizational pattern (topical or narrative) that
logically follows from the thesis and cues the reader by providing adequate transitions between
paragraphs.
 Language usage: The writer should choose language that expresses an appropriate tone toward
the subject and avoid grammatical and mechanical errors that detract from the essay’s message.
Essay 4: Justifying an Evaluation
The Writing Assignment: Write an essay evaluating a specific subject. Examine your subject closely and
make a judgment about it. Give reasons for your judgment that are based on widely recognized criteria
or standards for evaluating a subject like yours. Support your reasons with examples and other details
primarily from your subject.
Specific Instructions: When writing this essay, present your subject, support your judgment, provide an
effective counterargument, and use a readable plan.
Format and Requirements:
 First page set up with name, teacher’s name, class, and date in the left-hand corner doublespaced (MLA)
 Pages set up with student’s last name and page number in the right-hand corner (MLA)
 Titled without capitalizing all letters, underlining, boldfacing, enlarging, italicizing, or placing in
quotations
 Typed with 1” margins, double spacing throughout, right margin not justified, and use of a
standard font
 1000 words (3 – 4 pages)
Due dates:
 Draft 1 due November 22 (Peer Review)
 Essay due November 29
Grading Criteria (unique for each essay assignment):
 Purpose: The writer should evaluate a particular subject as required by the essay assignment
and include acceptable standards of value.
 Audience: The writer should designate an audience, sufficiently narrowing the audience and
adapting content and language appropriately.
 Thesis: The writer should express a focused thesis that indicates the writer’s judgment about the
subject.
 Development: The writer should give clear and appropriate reasons that support his/her
judgment of the subject. The standards of value should be clearly expressed or understood, and
there should be sufficient evidence to support all claims.
 Organization: The writer should choose an organizational pattern that presents the essential
parts of the evaluation: background information, judgment, and reasons and support for the
judgment, using adequate transitions.
 Language usage: The writer should choose language that expresses an appropriate tone toward
the subject and avoid grammatical and mechanical errors that detract from the essay’s message.