1. I Believe… Model text analysis

2. Purpose Analyze personal essays for structure and support Analyze your own “I believe” essays for structure and support Incorporate “aha!”s from your support to determine areas for revision

3. A note about the essays These are short essays written for the purpose of NPR’s “I Believe” essay contest. The contest stipulates a 500-word limit, and so these essays are, by my standards, under-developed. These are meant as examples of the general approach to the piece. I expect deeper development of your examples and the anecdotes and narratives that you use to support your ideas.

4. For the 3 model essays Determine the primary topic (the big intangible idea) Determine the secondary topic (the experience or outside support)

5. For your own essay: Determine the primary topic Determine the secondary topic If you do not have a secondary topic, write on your to do list: “add secondary topic and rewrite/revise to incorporate secondary topic” If your secondary topic is underdeveloped compared to the models, write on your to do list: “develop secondary topic so it creates a common thread in essay”

6. For the 3 model essays Determine if each essay is deductive or inductive. (Deductive – general to specific/primary to secondary topic. Inductive – specific to general/secondary to primary topic.) How do the writers of each piece structure and organize their ideas in the essays? Compare and contrast the structures.

7. For your own essay Determine if your essay is deductive or inductive. (Deductive – general to specific/primary to secondary topic. Inductive – specific to general/secondary to primary topic.) If you lack deductive and inductive reasoning, it means you are lacking a logical progression of thoughts and support to show how you come to your conclusions. If this is the case, write on your to do list: “rewrite/revise to make a logical progression of ideas. Either specific to general OR general to specific.”

8. How could these authors more deeply support their ideas? – Where could the writers further develop their secondary topics? – What other opportunities for further support did the authors miss out on? What would you suggest that they expand upon, and what suggestions would you make for this expansion?