Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research

2011-2012 Common Book

Common Book Supporting Materials

Curriculum/lesson plan support
1. This I Believe College Curriculum (NPR)
In order to coordinate activities in colleges and secondary schools with the new series on NPR, pilot curricula have been designed to help teachers seize this exciting opportunity to motivate students to write for an authentic purpose to real-world audiences. By using assignments from this new college-level curriculum, instructors can guide students to produce a This I Believe essay appropriate both for inclusion in on-campus publications or local newspapers and for possible broadcast on public radio or as podcasts on the Internet.
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2. Sample Lesson Plan
Includes a variety of activities to help students dissect and define "belief," and then create and critique their own essays.
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3. Sample Lesson Plan
Includes a variety of activities to help students dissect and define "belief," and then create and critique their own essays.
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Includes a variety of activities to help students dissect and define "belief," and then create and critique their own essays.
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Includes a variety of activities to help students dissect and define "belief," and then create and critique their own essays.
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6. "This I Believe" Essays and Science Content
Students compose "This I Believe" essays that apply the knowledge and concepts of a current issue in science.
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7. "This I Believe" Audio Essays
Activities include listening and analyzing a selection of NPR "This I Believe" essays, then composing an audio essay.
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8. "This I Believe" and History Content
Asks students to assume the voice of a well-known historical figure and create "This I Believe" essays and podcasts from this figure's perspective.
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Essay advice
1. Essay Guidelines
Essay advice from NPR's thisibelieve.org.
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Non-NPR "This I Believe" Essays
1. Penn State University Radio Station's "This I Believe" Site
The Penn State University's radio station, WPSU, sponsores a web page for people to post their "This I Believe" essays.
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2. this i believe with Paul Pendergraft, Houston' Public Radio station
Houston' Public Radio station, KUHF 88.7, sponsores a web page for people to post their "This I Believe" essays.
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3. TALONS English Class Wiki
Students in an English course created individual "This I Believe" essays, as well as a collective "We Believe" essay.
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4. Henderson Community College "This I Believe" Essays
Students created "This I Believe" Essays and voted to choose the top essays.
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5. WHYY Radio's "This I Believe - Philadelphia"
"This I Believe" essays composed by regional residents and broadcast in this 2009 segment.
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What does it mean to "believe"?
1. What informs your belief?
A blog article from Psychology Today written by Mel Schwartz, a psychotherapist whose work is focused on evolving consciousness and the transformative process.
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2. What is Belief? What are Types and Contents of Beliefs?
The "Belief" entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and addresses: What is Belief; Types of Beliefs; and, Contents of Beliefs.
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3. Belief as Defeasible Knowledge
Discusses belief as knowledge that is capable of being revised, updated, or rendered void.
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