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

Types of OutlineTypes of Outline

Mind MapsMind MapsPoint-Form OutlinePoint-Form Outline

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?

Outlining AddictOutlining Addict

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/