OUTLINING
Do Now
• What is the purpose of
an outline? Why is
outlining a necessary
part of the writing
process?
• 2-3 sentences in your
notebook.
3/24/15
Objective
• Students will organize
their arguments with
direct evidence in order to
present a logical and
supportive literary
analysis.
Agenda
• Do Now
• Share Out
• What is outlining?
• Examples
• Independent work: create
your outline
• Exit
OUTLINING – WHY DO WE
DO IT?
Why do we outline?
The German philosopher and writer Arnold
Schopenhaur once advised: "Write the way an
architect builds, who first drafts his plan and designs
every detail."
• If you ever develop writer's block, you may find that having
an outline to refer to can help keep you on track, or get your
writing jump-started.
• Writing one can help you make some decisions about the
ROADMAP to direct your essay.
OUTLINING
Types of outlines – written vs. graphic (your preference,
same concept!)
COMPONENTS OF AN
OUTLINE
Writing an outline
• When you write an
outline, you’re getting a
general idea of what
your paper will look like.
• You should figure out
what each paragraph will
focus on based on what
your thesis statement
has laid out for you.
Introduction
• Introduction
• Hook
• Explain Hook
• Introduce texts/authors
• Connect main characters to hook (backstory
connection)
• Thesis
Example
Thesis: These protagonists all demonstrate the idea that without
courage, there is no fear. In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger
Games, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and John Green’s
The Fault In Our Stars, the authors use major plot events, vivid
figurative language and several types of conflict to convey the
idea that fear often motivates us to do things we never thought
were possible.
• Body Paragraph 1 – Plot events (The Hunger Games)
• Body Paragraph 2 – Plot events (To Kill a Mockingbird)
• Body Paragraph 3 – Plot events (The Fault in Our Stars)
Body Paragraph 1
• First Body Paragraph- Text/Literary Element
• Transition sentence (what this paragraph will discuss, how it will
prove your thesis)
• Context for the quote
• Who says it?
• What’s happening in the text when they say it?
• Quote from the text (introduced and cited appropriately)
• Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
• Connecting sentence to thesis (wrap up the paragraph to effectively
transition to the next paragraph)
III. First body paragraph
• A. Transition sentence: In texts, the events that make up the action often serve
as a means through which the characters learn a great deal about themselves.
• B. Context: Katniss Everdeen is a character who lives in a world very different
from our own. From the very beginning of The Hunger Games, we learn that
children between the ages of twelve and eighteen must fight to the death in
order to win money and food for their district. At the reaping, Katniss’ sister
Prim’s name is called.
• Quote from the text: When our young heroine hears this, she notes, “I reach
[Prim] just as she is about to mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I
push her behind me. ‘I volunteer!’ I gasp. ‘I volunteer as tribute!’” (Collins 22)
The decision to have Katniss “volunteer” for her sister not only shows what a
caring, conscientious individual she is, it is also the catalyst for every event that
will teach our heroine, time and time again, that she is capable of doing much
more than she thought.
• Connecting sentence to thesis: Although Katniss can’t “remember how to
breathe, [is] unable to speak, [and is] totally stunned” by what just happened,
she does the courageous thing and is set off on a journey that will show her
that her fear will motivate her to do things she never thought possible.
Body Paragraph 2
• Second Body Paragraph- Text/Literary Element
• Topic sentence (what this paragraph will discuss, how it
will prove your thesis)
• Context for the quote
• Who says it?
• What’s happening in the text when they say it?
• Quote from the text (introduced and cited appropriately)
• Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
• Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively
transition to the next paragraph
Remember…
• This is NOT specifically a 5 paragraph essay…
• The amount of body paragraph depends on your
thesis statement.
• However, for EACH lens, you should talk and analyze
each of the three texts.
LENS OF CONFLICT
GREAT
EXPECTATIO
NS EXAMPLE
SHORT
STORY
EXAMPLE
POETRY
EXAMPLE
Remember…
• Avoid plot summary.
• Assume the reader knows the plot of a novel or understands the
selected passage.
• Select specific evidence from the plot to use in supporting your
claim.
• Integrate quotes into sentences.
• Avoid using two or three lines of quotes but instead just choose the
words necessary and build them into the text.
• Make sure the essay shows a progression of ideas as
opposed to repeating one idea over and over.
• Using transition words is essential in showing how thoughts build
upon each other.
Think of the essay as a
telescope giving the
reader the ability to zoom
in and look closely.
A good essay provides
specific evidence and
analysis at the sentence
and word level always tying
back to the overall meaning
of a work.
Independent Work
• Reference the outline template.
• COMPLETE SENTENCES.
• Go to my website to the “Great Expectations”
folder.
• Click the “Outline” link.
Outline due at the end of class,
Friday 3/27.
50 Points