 Come up with a thesis statement
 Write topic sentences
 Organize your cards
 Create an outline
Example:
Your controlling question was:
Should cell phones be allowed in schools?
You did a bunch of research, and here’s what the most convincing of the experts had to say:
Cell phones should be allowed in schools.
That’s your thesis statement:
Cell phones should be allowed in schools.
TAKE OUT A PIECE OF PAPER, AND WRITE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT AT THE
TOP. NOW, YOU WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTING YOUR OUTLINE. ROMAN NUMERAL
I IS YOUR INTRODUCTION. WE’RE GOING TO SAVE THAT FOR LATER.
Thesis statement: Cell
phones should be allowed in
schools.
I. Introduction
ROMAN NUMERAL II IS THE STRONGEST REASON WHY YOUR READER SHOULD
AGREE WITH YOUR THESIS STATEMENT. IT’S THE TOPIC SENTENCE OF ITS
PARAGRAPH. HERE’S HOW TO CONSTRUCT IT:
Step 1: On a separate sheet of paper, write your thesis statement again:
Cell phones should be allowed in schools
Step 2: Insert the phrase “YOU SHOULD AGREE THAT” before the thesis statement and the word “BECAUSE”
after the thesis statement. Our example would now look like this:
YOU SHOULD AGREE THAT cell phones should be allowed in schools BECAUSE
Step 3: Now, based on what your research uncovered, complete the sentence with what you believe is the
strongest reason you found for agreeing with your thesis statement.
“YOU SHOULD AGREE THAT cell phones should be allowed in schools BECAUSE
they help teens socialize while at school, and this keeps students in a
positive frame of mind and open to learning.
Step 4: Now, delete the phrase you added before the thesis statement, delete the thesis statement itself, and
delete the word “BECAUSE.”
YOU SHOULD AGREE THAT cell phones should be allowed in schools BECAUSE
they help teens socialize while at school, and this helps keep students in a positive
frame of mind and open to learning.
Here’s what’s left:
they help teens socialize while at school, and this helps keep students in a positive
frame of mind and open to learning
Step 5: Rewrite if you need to for readability.
they Using cell phones help is a way teens can socialize while at school, and this
helps keep students in a positive frame of mind and open to learning.”
Thesis statement: Cell phones
should be allowed in schools.
What you have now is a topic sentence. Eventually, you will develop a paragraph
around it … but for now, let’s just stay with the topic sentence.
I. Introduction
II. Using cell phones is a way
teens can socialize while at
school, and this helps keep
students in a positive frame of
mind and open to learning.”
Step 6: Transfer it to your outline:
Now, do it again!!
This time, list the next strongest reason you found that supports your thesis statement.
Thesis statement: Cell phones should be allowed in school.
Add the phrases: YOU SHOULD AGREE THAT Cell phones should be allowed in school BECAUSE
Add your reason: YOU SHOULD AGREE THAT Cell phones should be allowed in school BECAUSE they
can be used for instructional purposes, making learning fun and keeping
students engaged and focused on classroom activities.
Delete the phrases: YOU SHOULD AGREE THAT Cell phones should be allowed in school BECAUSE they
can be used for instructional purposes, making learning fun and keeping
students engaged and focused on classroom activities.
Thesis statement: Cell phones
should be allowed in schools.
Revise for readabilty: Cell phones can be used for instructional purposes, making
learning fun and, therefore, keeping students engaged and focused on
classroom activities.
I. Introduction
II. Using cell phones is a way teens
can socialize while at school, and
this helps keep students in a
positive frame of mind and open to
learning.”
Done: Transfer this topic sentence to your outline.
III. Cell phones can be used for
instructional purposes, making
learning fun and, therefore,
keeping students engaged and
focused on classroom activities
Step 7: You need a rebuttal. Try to construct yours using the one below as a pattern. Use the
underlined phrases in your own sentences!
Those who disagree say that cell phones should not be allowed in school because their
constant ringing and buzzing causes distraction and interrupts the learning
process. This argument, however, is not valid. Actually, cell phone ringing and buzzing
does not occur any more often in schools where cell phones are allowed than in
schools that do not allow them.
This is more than a topic sentence, but it is not your entire paragraph. You’ll
eventually have to add to it, explaining, offering examples, elaborating, and
supporting with cited evidence. But for now …
Thesis statement: Cell phones should be allowed in
schools.
I. Introduction
II. Using cell phones is a way teens can socialize
while at school, and this helps keep students in a
positive frame of mind and open to learning.”
III. Cell phones can be used for instructional
purposes, making learning fun and, therefore,
keeping students engaged and focused on classroom
activities
Step 8: Transfer it to your outline.
IV. Those who disagree say that cell phones should
not be allowed in school because their constant
ringing and buzzing causes distraction and
interrupts the learning process. This argument,
however, is not valid. Actually, cell phone ringing
and buzzing does not occur any more often in
schools where cell phones are allowed than in
schools that do not allow them.
Step 9: Now, go through your cards.
Read your slugs. Find all the cards that
have to do with the topic sentence you
wrote for Roman numeral II. Transfer
these slugs to the outline, word for word,
and in the order you think the information
on the cards should be presented. Label
each slug with a capital letter.
Do the same for the topic sentence you
wrote for Roman numeral III.
Do the same for the start of the rebuttal
paragraph you wrote for Roman numeral
IV.
Thesis statement: Cell phones should be allowed in schools.
I. Introduction
II. Using cell phones is a way teens can socialize while at school, and
this helps keep students in a positive frame of mind and open to
learning.”
A. Blah diddy blah blah.
B. Blah diddy blah blah blah.
C. Blah diddy blah blah.
D. Blah diddy blah diddy blah blah.
E. Blah blah blah diddy blah blah.
F. Blah diddy blah blah.
III. Cell phones can be used for instructional purposes, making learning
fun and, therefore, keeping students engaged and focused on classroom
activities
A. Blah diddy blah blah.
B. Blah diddy blah blah blah.
C. Blah diddy blah blah.
D. Blah diddy blah diddy blah blah.
E. Blah blah blah diddy blah blah.
F. Blah diddy blah blah.
IV. Those who disagree say that cell phones should not be allowed in
school because their constant ringing and buzzing causes distraction
and interrupts the learning process. This argument, however, is not
valid. Actually, cell phone ringing and buzzing does not occur any more
often in schools where cell phones are allowed than in schools that do
not allow them.
A. Blah diddy blah blah.
B. Blah diddy blah blah blah.
C. Blah diddy blah blah.
D. Blah diddy blah diddy blah blah.
E. Blah blah blah diddy blah blah.
F. Blah diddy blah blah.
III. A.
Step 10: Look at the Roman
numerals and letters you assigned to
each slug on the outline. Copy these
Roman numerals and letters to the
upper left corner of each file card.
Use a pencil because as you do
more research, you may need to
make some changes. Now the slugs
on your cards should match the
slugs on your outlines – exactly,
including the Roman numerals and
letters.
Blah diddy blah blah
6
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