SOL - Outlining Lesson

Outlining Lesson

Using Outlines to Organize Your Paper

The main thing you want to remember when creating an outline is to be as specific and detailed as possible. Once you find the sources you want to use in your paper, you can start working on the writing process. The first step is to create an outline. If you create a detailed outline, it will be much easier to write the paper.

The main thing you want to remember when creating an outline is to be as specific and detailed as possible. Start with your thesis statement. What is the main idea of your entire paper? Then, you need to consider the main ideas of your body paragraphs. These main ideas will be the Roman numerals of your outline, your topic sentences. The points you list under each Roman numeral will include the specific research you have found to support the topic sentences and thesis statement.

Remember that your essay needs to address the following, so you will need to think about how you can incorporate each of these topics into your outline:

  • The writer's biography and the influence of his or her life on the writing
  • Features that make the text Southern (think about the setting, characters, plot, etc.)
  • How the work was initially received (that is, what did people think of this author and this text at the time when it was first published?)
  • How the work is similar to or different from the other Southern texts in the unit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will also need to add development and analysis sentences that explain the topic sentences and show how the information from the sources supports the paper's claims. Please view the video below as a reminder of the difference between analysis and summary.

 

Finally, writing the introduction and conclusion paragraphs of the essay is often the most difficult part for students. To manage this, write the introduction and conclusion last. Write your thesis first and then write your body paragraphs. Then, come back to write the introduction and conclusion paragraphs once you already know what you want to write in the body of the paper.

 

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