Role models

What is a role model? Is she or he always a young, rich, and famous person? Who is your role model?

During the first six-seven weeks we will work with the topic Role models. What is typical of a good role model? Are there bad role models? Can anybody be a role model or do they have to be rich and famous? What describes a good and a bad role model? We will work with words together. Who are your role models, now, and who were your role models when you were children? We will discuss this in pairs and together in class. We will read about some famous role models and watch some short TV-clips with people who are regarded to be role models. Then you will write a text about one of your own role models.

Links to clips

Uppgifter

Instruction: how to write a text about your own role model

Role Models

Write about your role model

Your task is to write a text about a person whose behaviour is an example for you to follow. You have to write one page, in Times New Roman or Calibri, font size 12, line spacing 1,5. Your text will be part of a collection.

Your text should contain the following:

• Reasons why you chose the person

• Information about the person’s life

• For how long have you had this person as a role model?

• How has this person influenced you?

• What is it you think it is admirable about this person?

• What qualities should a good role model possess?

When&what?

Week 36: Pick your role model

Week 37: Start researching and learn how to write a well-structured text by studying some examples. Start writing.

Week 38: Continue to write your text. Hand in your first draft.

Week 39 Learn some relevant grammar and linking words.

Week 40: Get your text back with comments from your teacher. Make the required changes and hand in your final draft.

Week 41: Related content.

This is what I am going to assess:

Förmågan att formulera sig och kommunicera i skrift, begriplighet.

Eleven kan läsa och omarbeta sina texter till det bättre, utveckla och förklara.

Förmågan att anpassa språket efter olika syften, mottagare och sammanhang.

Hitta rätt källor beroende på uppgift, kunna ta ut viktig information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5NJQiY9AuY

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yphxh5L8YbQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhQVustYV24&t=357s

STEP 1:

Identify Your Role Model’s Impact on You

To jump-start your essay, answer at least three of the following questions to figure out how you can write about your role model’s influence on your own life.

1. Who has been an influential person or role model in your life?

2. What do you admire the most about this person? Why?

3. What specific things have you learned from this person?

4. How have you used teachings from your role model in your own life?

5. Which of your role model’s traits (e.g., special talents, skills, way of treating others) do you hope to one day have yourself?

6. Can you think of specific examples of what this person did or said that made a lasting impact?

7. How is your life different since meeting your role model?

8. Which of the above questions was the easiest to answer?

9. Which question gets you started on the best stories you can tell?

STEP 2:

Focus Your Essay

You want your essay to have a clear and focused main point. The reader should know exactly what you’re trying to say. Here are three examples of how to start:

“My grandfather is my role model. The things that I admire the most and have tried to apply to my own life are a strong work ethic, unwavering honesty and a love of family.”

“My English teacher has inspired me to pursue a career in education. She has also taught me how important it is to be patient with students and to always encourage them to live up to their potential.”

“My judo sensei is the most influential person in my life because he has shown me how making small gains each day will eventually lead to huge progress and that I need to believe in myself even when I don’t feel like it.”

What will be one or two main points of YOUR essay?

STEP 3:

Find Some Examples

To illustrate your main point and to make your essay memorable you need to provide examples. Just remember that your essay needs to be about you so fi nd examples from your role model and then try to connect them back to you.

Focus of essay:

My uncle is my role model. He has taught me a lot about life, especially how to take responsibility for my actions and to always think about my family and community.

Details:

For the past 20 years my uncle has held the same job – waking up each morning to go to work at 5 a.m. without complaint. I try to do the same thing with my part-time job at Zippys. Even though I don’t always feel like going to work I try to remember that it’s part of my responsibility and commitment to my boss.

Every third Sunday, my uncle invites the whole family to his house for dinner. I try to do the same with my friends. Even when I am busy with work and school, I always try to make time to get together. For the past two years during Labor Day weekend I have hosted a potluck barbeque at the beach for both my friends and family.

My uncle is always willing to help out a neighbor. I also believe it’s important to contribute to my community and have been involved with a lot of public service projects including an effort to help the homeless.

STEP 4:

End with a Bang!

There’s a reason Hollywood movies end with a big fi nale—it makes them memorable. Do the same thing by leaving your reader with one last thought in your essay. Here are three examples:

When my grandfather passed away, I was devastated, but I also realized his infl uence was something that I would carry with me for the rest of my life. He has taught me so much about working hard and enjoying life. In this way I know that his spirit will always be a part of me even as I head to the mainland for college.

I know I will face many new challenges in college, but I also know that if I apply the lessons from my coach, I will be able to overcome any obstacle. Whenever things get really tough, I’ll just repeat his words, “It’s not about failing but about rising back up every time we fall.” There is one last lesson that I have learned from my mother: time makes everything better.

Even when I have what seems like the worst experience and things are falling apart, I know if I take it one day at a time, things always get better.

How to write

• Title: use the name of your role model)

• Opening Paragraph: Remember to include your main point from STEP 2

• Main Body: Here is where you get to add details to support and illustrate your main point. Remember to go back to STEP 1 and STEP 3 to find good stories and details to include in your essay

• Conclusion: End strong by adding something for the reader to think about. See STEP 4 for ideas.

Texts about role models to read

Texts about role models.pdf