Outline Your Writing Outline Your Writing HabitHabit
Final Project PresentationFinal Project Presentation
Haidy HuiHaidy Hui
What is an Outline?What is an Outline?
a way of idea listing made befora way of idea listing made before students write their essayse students write their essays
a way of organizing information a way of organizing information provide a summary showing the provide a summary showing the
logical flow of a paperlogical flow of a paper a guidelinea guideline
How beneficial an Outline is?How beneficial an Outline is?
Categorize Categorize different ideas into different ideas into different body different body paragraphs paragraphs
Avoid overlapping, Avoid overlapping, repeating and repeating and inappropriate ideasinappropriate ideas
Being able to Being able to discover discover combinable ideascombinable ideas
Check whether Check whether their points directly their points directly reflect the thesis reflect the thesis statementstatement
Good structure Good structure enhancedenhanced
Avoid making Avoid making unchangeable unchangeable mistakesmistakes
Avoid going off Avoid going off tracktrack
Ensure appropriate Ensure appropriate answers are givenanswers are given
Mind MapsMind Maps
A diagram used to represent and link ideas and A diagram used to represent and link ideas and wordswords
Usually used at the stage of brainstormingUsually used at the stage of brainstorming Symbols, pictures and single words (key words) are Symbols, pictures and single words (key words) are
usedused Different colors are used Different colors are used By organizing their ideas into a mind map, student By organizing their ideas into a mind map, student
are allowed to figure out through a diagram what are allowed to figure out through a diagram what points are unsuitable and overlapping.points are unsuitable and overlapping.
The paper is equally distributed into different parts? The paper is equally distributed into different parts? Balanced?Balanced?
Sufficient evidences are provided?Sufficient evidences are provided?
Point Form OutlinePoint Form Outline
A more formal and detailed outlineA more formal and detailed outline A proposal and a planA proposal and a plan Not only linking different ideas, but Not only linking different ideas, but
organizing them into body paragraphsorganizing them into body paragraphs Thesis statement formulatedThesis statement formulated Topic sentences decidedTopic sentences decided A hook?A hook? Ensure good structureEnsure good structure A detailed outline = 1/3 of a paper!! (my A detailed outline = 1/3 of a paper!! (my
experience)experience)
An Effective OutlineAn Effective Outline
DivisionDivision ParallelismParallelism CoordinationCoordination SubordinationSubordination
DivisionDivision
Every heading should be divided Every heading should be divided into several subheadings or into several subheadings or points points
make sure sufficient examples make sure sufficient examples are taken in account to support are taken in account to support the main idea the main idea
ParallelismParallelism
Headings and subheadings Headings and subheadings should have a parallel structureshould have a parallel structure
E.g. I. Wash ingredientsE.g. I. Wash ingredients
II. Set oven’s temperatureII. Set oven’s temperature
(Both headings start with a “verb”)(Both headings start with a “verb”)
CoordinationCoordination
headings should have the same headings should have the same value of significance, so as the value of significance, so as the subheadings subheadings
To enhance every point has a To enhance every point has a balanced worth balanced worth
SubordinationSubordination
headings should be more headings should be more general general
subheadings should be more subheadings should be more specific specific
E.g. I. Immoral acts of PaulinaE.g. I. Immoral acts of Paulina
a. killing her husbanda. killing her husband
b. torturing her motherb. torturing her mother
Check List – The 3CsCheck List – The 3Cs
Clear? Clear?
- appropriate reflection to the thesis- appropriate reflection to the thesis
- good structure- good structure Concise?Concise?
- sufficient evidence to support- sufficient evidence to support Comprehensive?Comprehensive?
- do address all the questions assigned to - do address all the questions assigned to you by your instructor you by your instructor
Tutoring StrategiesTutoring Strategies
1. 1. Personal experiencePersonal experience
2.2. Examples with demonstration Examples with demonstration
3.3. Practice Practice
4.4. Encouragements Encouragements
Practice ExercisePractice Exercise
Besides theories, also give them chance to Besides theories, also give them chance to practicepractice
Find an essay that they never readFind an essay that they never read Ask them to draw the mind map / outlineAsk them to draw the mind map / outline Deconstruct an essay an see how it worksDeconstruct an essay an see how it works Ask them to outline an essay they wroteAsk them to outline an essay they wrote Leading questions: why do you think it is not Leading questions: why do you think it is not
well balanced? Where are the overlapping well balanced? Where are the overlapping ideas?ideas?
Help them figure their weakness for Help them figure their weakness for improvementsimprovements
EncouragementsEncouragements
Tutors should understand Tutors should understand different students have different different students have different writing habitswriting habits
Encourage them to use different Encourage them to use different outlining methodoutlining method
Which one suits them best?Which one suits them best?
SourcesSources
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Scihttp://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/ScienceInternet/MakingOutline.htmlenceInternet/MakingOutline.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/5http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/01/44/01/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_maphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map http://www.flickr.com/photos/debbieohi/1765http://www.flickr.com/photos/debbieohi/1765
82261/82261/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/7232141@N07/http://www.flickr.com/photos/7232141@N07/
465168315/465168315/