Research Paper Outline Skeleton
I.
Introduction:
a. One Paragraph:
i. Creative, engaging hook that leads into American Issue
ii. Implied thesis statement setting up the claim you will make after
background
II.
Narratio/Background:
a. One Paragraph: Explain the amendment connected to your Issue
b. One paragraph: Historical Event/Fact that develops your Issue
c. One paragraph: Historical Event/Fact that develops your issue
d. One Paragraph: Explanation of both sides of Issue currently, ending with your
clearly stated claim that is a proposed solution to the Controversial American
Issue/Problem
III.
Confirmation/Argument:
a. One Paragraph: First Reason to Support Your Position
i. Current Event Evidence (source reference)
ii. Current Event Evidence (source reference)
b. One Paragraph: Second Reason to Support your Position
i. Current Event Evidence (source reference)
ii. Current Event Evidence (source reference)
c. One Paragraph: Third Reason to Support Your Position
i. Current Event Evidence (source reference)
ii. Current Event Evidence (source reference)
IV.
Concession/Refutation:
a. One Paragraph:
i. Concede to an Opposing Position
ii. Refutation of the Opposing Position
V.
Conclusion:
a. One Paragraph:
i. Re-iterate why this American issue is, in fact, an issue of relevance
ii. Leave the reader thinking about why the Issue must be solved (ie, what
may happen to our society if we don’t solve it?) and why your proposed
solution is the best.
Sample Body Paragraph (Illustrating HOW to Use Current Event Research)
Thesis: The American Dream is used today as a motivator for society, but often becomes a
reality for just a select few.
Topic Sentence:
The reason why we motivate children to perform well in school is because of the promise of a
brighter, better future; however, for very few, the desired and dreamt about future rarely
becomes a reality.
Evidence Point #1:
The recent national desire to establish common education standards for students is a push to
make education equitable across the nation, regardless of where a person’s home zip code is.
However, the recent push-back on the Common Core standards as noted by Jennifer Julep
from NewsCenter indicates that “education at its core isn’t equitable.” She goes on to note
poverty stricken neighborhoods, inconsistency in teacher qualifications, and overall variances
in funding from state to state to promote the idea that though the intent, the motivation
behind these standards, is to enable more children to achieve the American Dream, the
education system as it stands is currently setup for inequity.
Evidence Point #2:
A post from the online blog illustrates this inequity further when it describes the
inconsistencies in learning materials from school within the same city, much less the entire
state or nation. The post depicts “learning materials that over 15 years old, technology that is
5-7 years behind on updates, and dilapidated schools that fail to foster creativity and
innovation” in contrast to “newer schools with state of the art technology, brand new
‘innovative’ learning environments, and a slew of passionate teachers” in order to expose the
mass inequities from zip code to zip code within a major U.S. city (Education Speaks Out) .
Concluding Sentence:
Ultimately, the education system does an excellent job motivating students to achieve their
American Dream, but the reality is that many students begin this journey at such a
disadvantage that the dream of a good education and lucrative career are only available to a
select few lucky enough to be born into the right zip code.
*All research used in this sample is fake.