1. Lit. Analysis & Comp. I Unit 6
THIS I BELIEVE
Lit. Analysis & Comp. I
Unit 6

2. About this I believe
This I Believe, Inc., was founded in 2004 as an independent, not-for-profit organization that engages youth and adults from all walks of life in writing, sharing, and discussing brief essays about the core values that guide their daily lives.

3. About this I believe
This I Believe is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. Each day, Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller, and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists, and secretaries— anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. These essayists’ words brought comfort and inspiration to a country worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism, and racial division.

4. Original invitation to This I believe

5. About this I believe
In reviving This I Believe, executive producer Dan Gediman said, “The goal is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, the hope is to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own.”

6. Write (2 min.) & discuss (2 min.)
Why is it important to develop respect for beliefs different from your own?

7. Discuss beliefs inventory
1. (5 minutes) Think of a story that either shows the belief(s) in action, or explain why you think this ended up being your strongest belief(s).
(15 minutes)
2. Form groups with your classmates who share the same results from the beliefs inventory. For example, A’s together, B’s together, etc. If you have multiple, pick the one you feel most strongly about.
3. Each member of the group should tell a story that either shows the belief in action or explain why they think this ended up being their strongest belief.
4. Each person in the group should share their story, and then you will have time to discuss similarities in stories or impressions of your beliefs.

8. This I believe examples - podcasts
Dancing to connect to a global tribe:
tribe
How to survive life’s tests:
Inviting the world to dinner:
The art of being a neighbor:

9. Respond to each of the following prompts – maybe one of these will help inspire your story

10. Question #1:
When were you disappointed because someone made you a promise that they failed to keep? Or when did you break a promise that you made to someone else?

11. Question #2:
Have you ever prejudged someone incorrectly based on their appearance or has someone ever prejudged you unfairly based on how you look?

12. Question #3:
All of us are works in progress with a long way to go before we reach our full potential. In what skill or area are you still working to make progress?

13. Question #4:
What obstacles are you proud to have faced and conquered?

14. Question #5:
How do you define hero, and who is a hero in your life?

15. Question #6:
There is a famous old adage: "To err is human; to forgive divine.“ When did you feel divine (better than human) because you were able to forgive someone for their mistake? When did someone act divine by forgiving you when you were wrong?

16. Listen to this ted talk and reflect:
Ted Talk - the importance of storytelling
1. If you were to sum up her belief into one statement, what would it be?
2. How does she tell the story of her belief? What examples does she provide?
3. Using her talk as an example, how can you present your belief statement through a story or series of connected events?