TURNING OUTLINES INTO
ROUGH DRAFTS
Before you turn in a rough draft, make sure you review the
RUBRIC and the SOPHOMORE RESEARCH PAPER SHEET.
Introduction
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The outline is the “skeleton” of your paper
Rough drafts are putting “meat” on the “bones.”
Rough Drafts
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Composing is a fluid process – we are always
interested in perfecting our craft, in working hard to
make it the best we can.
As Shakespeare said, “Take Pains, Be Perfect.”
Hypothetical Thesis

Mark Twain criticizes 19th century America’s racism
by characterizing Huckleberry Finn’s rejection of
conventional, narrow-minded, and discriminatory
values in favor of finding a personal connection with
Jim.
Hypothetical Outline
VII. Huck’s Realization
A. By the end of the novel, Huck has progressed so much that he
recognizes Jim as an equal worthy of his companionship.
B. Tom is shot; Jim comes to his aid; Jim comes out of hiding to help,
Huck is impressed
C. “I know’d he was white inside” (Twain 230).
D. Huck recognizes that although Jim’s skin color is different, Jim has
the same morals. Huck identifies his values with Jim’s when he calls Jim
“white inside.” Huck’s use of the word “white” suggests Huck thinks of
Jim as he thinks of himself—upstanding, straightforward, and pure of
heart. Huck’s use of the word “inside” suggests it is what is beneath
the surface, in one’s conscience, that defines a man.
This is awesome!
Step 1: The Topic Sentence
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Make it specific and debatable.
Make it clear what the entire paragraph is about.
Use appropriate transitions.
Step 1: The Topic Sentence
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Outline: By the end of the novel, Huck has progressed so much
that he recognizes Jim as an equal worthy of his
companionship.
Rough Draft: By the end of the novel, Huck has progressed so
much that he recognizes Jim as an equal worthy of his
companionship; he is able to see how little race matters when
defining a man’s integrity.
Step 2: Adding Context
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The context follows the topic sentence and sets up
the quote.
You cannot simply drop your quote after the topic
sentence.
You must introduce it by briefly by summarizing a
few relevant plot details.
Step 2: Adding Context


Tom is shot; Jim comes to his aide; Jim comes out of hiding to
help; Huck is impressed.
Tom Sawyer, delirious after being shot in a foolish and
ultimately unnecessary attempt to rescue Jim, is about to die.
Jim, seeing the danger inherent in the situation, comes out of
hiding and risks his own liberty to help Tom find a doctor.
Paragraph So Far
By the end of the novel, Huck has progressed so much that he
recognizes Jim as an equal worthy of his companionship; he is able to see
how little race matters when defining a man’s integrity. Tom Sawyer,
delirious after being shot in a foolish and ultimately unnecessary attempt to
rescue Jim, is about to die. Jim, seeing the danger inherent in the situation,
comes out of hiding and risks his own liberty to help Tom find a doctor.
I love term
papers!!!!
Step 3: Add The Quote
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The primary source quote follows the context.
Don’t orphan the quote, tag it: be sure to introduce
it in some way, usually using its speaker.
Primary source quote must be followed by an
appropriate parenthetical citation, including the
author’s name and page number(s) in parentheses.
Step 3: Add the Quote
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“I know’d he was white inside” (Twain 230).
Huck, when presented with such a striking example of Jim’s
compassion, remarks, “I knowed he was white inside” (Twain
230).
OR
“I knowed he was white inside,” Huck remarks upon seeing such
a striking example of Jim’s compassion (Twain 230).
Paragraph So Far
By the end of the novel, Huck has progressed so much that he
recognizes Jim as an equal worthy of his companionship; he is able to see
how little race matters when defining a man’s integrity. Tom Sawyer,
delirious after being shot in a foolish and ultimately unnecessary attempt to
rescue Jim, is about to die. Jim, seeing the danger inherent in the situation,
comes out of hiding and risks his own liberty to help Tom find a doctor. “I
knowed he was white inside,” Huck remarks upon seeing such a striking
example of Jim’s compassion (Twain 230).
I can’t believe how
much fun this is!
Step 4: Add an Explanation
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After the quote, it is necessary to provide an
inference explaining its relevance to your paper’s
point and overall thesis.
Expand, if necessary, the inference from your
outline.
If you cannot tie the quote to the thesis, then the
quote is no good. Start over.
Step 4: Adding an Explanation
Huck recognizes that although Jim’s skin color is different, Jim has
the same morals. Huck identifies his values with Jim’s when he calls
Jim “white inside.” Huck’s use of the word “white” suggests Huck
thinks of Jim as he thinks of himself—upstanding, straightforward,
and pure of heart. Huck’s use of the word “inside” suggests it is
what is beneath the surface, in one’s conscience, that defines a man.
Huck’s statement affirms his progression as a dynamic character.
Huck recognizes that although Jim’s skin color is different, Jim has the
same morals. Huck identifies his values with Jim’s when he calls Jim
“white inside.” Huck’s use of the word “white” suggests Huck thinks of
Jim as he thinks of himself—upstanding, straightforward, and pure
of heart. Huck’s use of the word “inside” suggests it is what is
beneath the surface, in one’s conscience, that defines a man.
Paragraph So Far
By the end of the novel, Huck has progressed so much that he
recognizes Jim as an equal worthy of his companionship; he is able to see
how little race matters when defining a man’s integrity. Tom Sawyer,
delirious after being shot in a foolish and ultimately unnecessary attempt to
rescue Jim, is about to die. Jim, seeing the danger, comes out of hiding
and risks his own liberty to help Tom find a doctor. “I knowed he was white
inside,” Huck remarks upon seeing such a striking example of Jim’s
compassion (Twain 230). Huck’s statement affirms his progression as a
dynamic character. Huck recognizes that although Jim’s skin color is
different, Jim has the same morals. Huck identifies his values with Jim’s
when he calls Jim “white inside.” Huck’s use of the word “white” suggests
Huck thinks of Jim as he thinks of himself—upstanding, straightforward,
and pure of heart. Huck’s use of the word “inside” suggests it is what is
beneath the surface, deep in one’s conscience, that defines a man.
Ultimately, Huck thinks of Jim as an equal, and therefore as a man with
whom he can make an authentic personal connection.
I wonder what could
be next?!
Step 5: Adding a Secondary Source
Quote
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
Secondary source quotes are scholarly affirmations
of your original thoughts.
If you do not have a secondary source to support
what you claim, then you are probably following an
unworkable line of thought, or you did not search
hard enough or long enough.
You cannot simply drop a secondary source quote.
It, like a primary source quote, must be introduced
using context and a tag and must be followed by a
parenthetical citation.
Step 5: Adding a Secondary Source
Quote
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“Twain's antiracism was and remains effective in the
uncontroversial showing that blacks are human, that black
ties of love and family are as strong and genuine as white
ones” (Kaye 15).
Huck’s breakthrough serves to support the overarching
theme of the book described by Kaye in her article
“Huck’s Moral Vision” that “Twain's antiracism was and
remains effective in the uncontroversial showing that
blacks are human, that black ties of love and family are
as strong and genuine as white ones” (Kaye 15).
So Far….
By the end of the novel, Huck has progressed so much that he
recognizes Jim as an equal worthy of his companionship; he is able to see
how little race matters when defining a man’s integrity. Tom Sawyer,
delirious after being shot in a foolish and ultimately unnecessary attempt to
rescue Jim, is about to die. Jim, seeing the danger, comes out of hiding and
risks his own liberty to help Tom find a doctor. “I knowed he was white
inside,” Huck remarks upon seeing such a striking example of Jim’s
compassion (Twain 230). Huck’s statement affirms his progression as a
dynamic character. Huck recognizes that although Jim’s skin color is
different, Jim has the same morals. Huck identifies his values with Jim’s
when he calls Jim “white inside.” Huck’s use of the word “white” suggests
Huck thinks of Jim as he thinks of himself—upstanding, straightforward,
and pure of heart. Huck’s use of the word “inside” suggests it is what is
beneath the surface, deep in one’s conscience, that defines a man. Huck’s
breakthrough serves to support the overarching theme of the book described by
Kaye in her article “Huck’s Moral Vision,” that “Twain's antiracism was and
remains effective in the uncontroversial showing that blacks are human, that
black ties of love and family are as strong and genuine as white ones” (Kaye
15).
Step 6: Wrapping It All Up
Now, it is time to add a Conclusion Sentence.
 The Conclusion Sentence should do two things:
1. one, summarize the significance of the quotation,
and
2. two, reconnect to the thesis.

Finally:
By the end of the novel, Huck has progressed so much that he recognizes
Jim as an equal worthy of his companionship; he is able to see how little race
matters when defining a man’s integrity. Tom Sawyer, delirious after being shot in
a foolish and ultimately unnecessary attempt to rescue Jim, is about to die. Jim,
seeing the danger, comes out of hiding and risks his own liberty to help Tom find a
doctor. “I knowed he was white inside,” Huck remarks upon seeing such a striking
example of Jim’s compassion (Twain 230). Huck’s statement affirms his
progression as a dynamic character. Huck recognizes that although Jim’s skin
color is different, Jim has the same morals. Huck identifies his values with Jim’s
when he calls Jim “white inside.” Huck’s use of the word “white” suggests Huck
thinks of Jim as he thinks of himself—upstanding, straightforward, and pure of
heart. Huck’s use of the word “inside” suggests it is what is beneath the surface,
deep in one’s conscience, that defines a man. Huck’s breakthrough serves to
support the overarching theme of the book described by Kaye in her article
“Huck’s Moral Vision,” that “Twain's antiracism was and remains effective in the
uncontroversial showing that blacks are human, that black ties of love and family
are as strong and genuine as white ones” (Kaye 15). Ultimately, Huck thinks of Jim
as an equal, and therefore as a man with whom he can make an authentic
personal connection.
Your Body Paragraph Structure
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PC(1)Q(1)E(1)C(2)Q(2)C=
Point
Context for Primary Source Quote
Primary Source Quote
Explanation for Primary Source Quote
Context for Secondary Source Quote or Paraphrase
Secondary Source Quote or Paraphrase
Special Conclusion (TWO functions)
Introductory and Concluding
Paragraphs
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
The introductory and concluding paragraphs should
be the last ones you write.
Develop all of your supporting details first; you will
use the introduction to lead into them and the
conclusion to recapitulate them.
Intro
Imagine a paper is like this:
The intro is like a funnel, starting broad
and then getting specific. The last
sentence is the thesis.
Body
Paragraphs
#s 1-6
With a primary source
Quote AND a
secondary source
Quote or Paraphrase in
each
C o n c l u s i o n
The conclusion functions the opposite way. It
starts specific with a restatement of the
thesis, then gets broad, ending with a
generalization.
Sample Intro Paragraph
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
Here is the original thesis:
Mark Twain criticizes 19th century America’s
narrow-minded racism by characterizing
Huckleberry Finn’s rejection of conventional
values in favor of a personal connection with
Jim, and his moral growth from a blind follower
to an open-eyed leader.
The following slide depicts its placement in an
introductory paragraph.
Sample Intro Paragraph:
Nineteenth-century America was a time of tumultuous change. Within
one hundred years, the nation was ripped apart and reunited by a bloody civil
war, the outcome of which was that a large percentage of the population once
considered property became recognized as citizens. Mark Twain was attune to
the feelings of national discord leading up to the war. As a southerner who
frequently traveled north to revel in the success of his first masterpiece, The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Twain saw first-hand the marked contrast in values
between southerners and northerners, and he reacted with disgust against his
southern peers. In the process of creating The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
what Twain set out to create—simply an amusing sequel to his previous
success—quickly transformed into a serious and bitter criticism of the world
around him. His hero transformed too; he transformed from a careless
renegade into a thoughtful symbol of moral progress. Thesis: Mark Twain
criticizes 19th century America’s racism by characterizing Huckleberry Finn’s
rejection of conventional, narrow-minded, and discriminatory values in favor of
finding a personal connection with Jim.
Conclusion Paragraph
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
Conclusion does the opposite of the Introduction.
Rephrase the thesis at its opening, gradually
broaden, and grow towards an insightful connection
to the modern world.
Keep it short.
Sample Conclusion Paragraph
Through the moral development of his young protagonist, Mark Twain
succeeds in criticizing the racism of 19th century America. Twain intended
for Huck’s growth to be the model for those who read his work, and he
hoped Huck’s “sound heart” would succeed in fracturing the “deformed
conscience” of the society Twain maligned. In some ways, Twain’s vision has
yet to come to fruition, because over 150 years after the emancipation
proclamation, African-Americans still face injustices. Even so, Twain’s
optimism still inspires and his example guides, and Twain’s work remains a
mainstay of American secondary education.
Awesome to the max!
WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING CONFERENCE?
1)
As noted before, please re-read the Rubric and the Sophomore
Research Paper Sheet before you hand in anything…
2)
You will get a ZERO if you do not show up during your time slot
with your rough draft 100% COMPLETED in a GOOD FAITH
EFFORT at following this presentation.
1)
I will do at least one random “page number” check, either from a
secondary source or the primary source. I will look to see that your
sources match what you have written on your paper. You must pass
the check to pass the assignment.
2)
We will read parts of the essay together aloud. I am not correcting
grammar errors unless they impede understanding, though you are
still responsible for fixing them. I am focusing on clarity of ideas,
organization, and rigor.