Brainstorming/Pre-WritingName: ______

What Do You Think?

In the space in front of each belief statement, write an “A” if you agree or a “D” if you disagree.

______Life is fair.

______Words can hurt.

______Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

______What goes around comes around.

______How you act in a crisis shows true character.

______Love conquers all.

______An eye for an eye…

______People learn from their mistakes.

______All things, good & bad, happen for a reason.

______You can’t depend on anyone else; you can only depend on yourself.

______If you smile long enough, you become happy.

______Miracles do happen.

______There is one special person for everyone.

______Money can’t buy happiness.

______Our elders possess wisdom worth cherishing.

______Doing what’s right means obeying the law.

______Sometimes it’s okay to not be okay.

Add some other beliefs here: ______

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Share a Story

Choose one of the above statements and jot down a story, memory, or experience in your life that illustrates your belief.

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Share the story above with your group members. Look for patterns and differences in your thinking.

Life Timeline

On the line below, trace events in your life. Start not at your birth, but at your earliest memory. Don’t list everything (duh!) – you choose what deserves mentioning. Label with date/age and event. HINT: You may want to work your way backwards from the present.

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Journal

Now see what connections you can make. Revisit your beliefs at the top of the page and look for connections between your values and your experiences. Remember: excellent personal essays pair the abstract (the value/belief) with the concrete (the story/anecdote).

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Seeing is Believing: View the sample chart below as a way of developing a belief, and then complete your own. The sample is completed for the belief: “Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.”

Sample Chart

Synonyms
Role model idol
champion star
inspiration / Pictures/Images / Stories that Illustrate it
  • Josh’s accident/recovery
  • Tim <3
  • Trakr (9/11 search and rescue dog)
  • Dave Sanders (teacher from Columbine High School)

Clearing Up Misconceptions
  • Heroes do not need to have super powers.
  • Heroes do not need to save someone’s life to be considered a hero.
  • Heroes do not need to be adults or even human.
/ Rules that Govern
  • Heroes contain some sense of selflessness.
  • Heroes face and overcome adversity.
  • Heroes live up to a rigid standard of morality to “do the right thing.”
  • Heroes step up in times of crisis: “Look for the helpers.”
/ Top Five
  1. Ice Cream  has gotten me through many breakups and hard times
  1. Ellen DeGeneres  lives to make others feel happy and accepted
  1. My momma  perseverance, grace, selflessness…I could go on and on.
  1. I am blessed with a job I love where I (hopefully) inspire kids and can be someone’s hero.
  1. Mrs. Williams7th grade science teacher

YOUR TURN: Review the previous page to choose your belief and then complete the blank chart below. Record your belief here:

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Your Chart

Synonyms / Pictures/Images / Stories that Illustrate it
Clearing Up Misconceptions / Rules that Govern / Top Five