Project Overview: When applying to college, to jobs, to scholarships, to programs we hope to be admitted to, we are often asked to share a little bit about ourselves. We are given the chance to provide a glimpse of ourselves beyond the grades, the test scores, and the list of activities and accolades. We are asked to share who we are. It’s a simple, yet daunting question. For this project, we will help one another to reflect upon our life story (up to this point) in order to craft a clear narrative that invites strangers to understand who we are, what we believe, and what matters to us.
Deliverables:
1. One narrative essay (500-650 words) that is submitted to either a college, a scholarship contest, or This I Believe at NPR
2. Completed autobiography of student’s choosing (optional)
3. An updated resume
Essential questions:
How can knowing myself better help me in achieving my goals?
How might I communicate an essential story about myself to a stranger?
What is a good story? How do we identify and create one?
Learning objectives: 1. Narrative Essay writing 2. Develop editing and critiquing skills 3. Develop competency in basic grammar skills 4. Identify goals, interests, strengths as students move toward life after high school
Relevant Resources/Materials
optional student-selected autobiography/memoir
selected readings about the craft of writing
professional and student examples of short autobiographical narratives, LinkedIn profiles, and online portfolios
UC and Common Application, scholarship websites and This I Believe website