MORA

History of This I Believe
Examples of essays

First, give yourself a context for this assignment by reading a brief history of This I Believe. (click on link above) Record a few notes in your Think/Composition Journal about the focus and intent of the essays and the original project.
Second, please listen to at least 3 different essays. One of those essays should be by a prominent/significant figure from the 1950s click here for the list . While you listen to the essays take notes in your Journal about the use of language and how the story is being told. Is there imagery or symbolism? Good details? Does the story come full circle? What makes this essay work? What do you notice? What kind of ideas does it give you about what you might try when writing your own essay?

10 Things I Know to be True Examples

Cultural Commentary
I forgot my phone:Our Cultural Addiction to Phones
22 Maps that Show How Americans Speak Totally Differently From Each Other
America’s Mood Map: an interactive Guide to the United States of Attitude
Distribution of wealth in today’s society – it’s not what most think it is
How California is Turning the Rest of the West Blue
Putting Good Deeds in Headlines May Not Be So Good

History
Jump Back in Time
Historical Eras
US History Timeline
American Cultural History Timeline

MAPS
40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense Of The World
Most accurate map of the US ever made
Thematic Maps of the United States
America’s Racial Segregation
Historical Maps of the USA
Physical Map of the US
USA Geography – Map Games

CIA World Factbook
Every Culture.com
Country Reports (username: mora@4j.lane.edu password: finalproject)
National Geographic Mapmaker

The Story of Bottled Water
The Story of STUFF
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Plastic Planet
BBC – albatross plastic diet
Ban single use plastic?
Following Garbage’s Long Journey Around the Earth
“After Dump, What Happens To Waste?”
How We’re Endangering Animals
Chris Jordan, Midway: Message from the Gyre
Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction
Overpopulation, overconsumption in pictures

Why Afghan Women Risk Death to Write Poetry
In A North Vietnamese Prison, Sharing Poems with ‘Taps on The Walls’
Poem in Your Pocket Day, 4/18
A Poem Store Open For Business
POETRY 180
Poetry Outloud
spoken-word poem by Shane Koyczan – “To This Day”
Sara Kay’s spoken-word poem, “B”
Anis Mojgani’s spoken-word poem, “Shake The Dust”
Joshua Bennett’s spoken-word poem, “Tamara’s Opus”
Jamaica Osorio’s spoken-word poem, “Kumulipo”
Daniel Beaty’s spoken-word poem, “Knock, Knock”
Alicia Key’s spoken-word poem, “P.O.W.”
“Scratch and Dent Dreams” spoken-word poem by Eric Darby
“Hands” spoken-word poem by Sarah Kay
Project: FLIGHT
spoken-word poem: Changing The World One Word At A Time

“Learn from the masses and then teach them.” – Chairman Mao

DRIVING QUESTIONS: What is the difference between reform and revolution?
When, if ever, should a government use culture to reinforce ideology or reforms?
What is lost materially and psychologically when a government destroys parts of a country’s cultural heritage?

Great Leap Forward
The Legacy of Mao
What were the main causes of the Cultural Revolution? What role did Mao Zedong play in beginning the Revolution? Was he “responsible” for it?

Propaganda Posters
What do propaganda posters reveal about Chinese society during the Cultural Revolution? How are people dressed? What kind of facial expressions do they have? What message do you think these posters are meant to send? What purpose do you think propaganda posters served during the Cultural Revolution? Why do you think propaganda posters were an effective tool of communication in China during the Cultural Revolution?

Li Zhensheng’s collection of photographs during the Cultural Revolution
The Little Red Book – “To read too many books is harmful” – Mao

Civil Rights Rap
African-American History Timeline
Segregated America
Black History Timeline

How does history impact today’s culture?
Empty Chair ‘Lynchings’:Anti-Obama Protests Gone Too Far?