Creating a Writing Plan Ms. Bishop Spring 2017

Advantages: Creates order with a collection of ideas and notes Aids in the process of writing Helps organize the ideas Shows whether ideas flow Provides a blueprint for the entire paper

Writing is a Process Strong essays cannot be written overnight! It’s a PROCESS that includes: Pre-writing – brainstorm words or phrases, free write for 5 minutes, create a thought cluster, etc. Planning – create a thesis, assemble evidence, create an outline Practice – draft, edit, & repeat!

PreWriting Determine the purpose. What is the guiding question that you are researching and answering? Develop (revise) the thesis. What is your thesis? Brainstorm. What information do you know about your topic? Do you need to do more research? Ethiopia: 1974, 1985 Live Aid BBC news sensationalized report Illiteracy war / border dispute with Eritrea Rain season changed Women home / men cities Old ways of farming and grazing Donor fatigue – how many times?

Writing Plan Strong academic writing has a clear structure. Start by drafting an outline to help you stay on track. No architect would construct a building without a detailed floor plan; why would anyone attempt to write an essay without an outline?

Outline Intro Paragraph Body Paragraphs (repeat as needed) Conclusion Hook Bridge Thesis Body Paragraphs (repeat as needed) Topic Sentence Concrete detail Analysis Transition Sentence Conclusion Summary Significance

Writing an Outline Follow the format on the previous slide Use phrases and key words Remember! This is a plan, not a draft. Plan as much of your essay as you can I usually start with BIG IDEAS – topic sentence of body paragraphs – then fill in details later Don’t forget to plan the conclusion What would you like your reader to think about after finishing your essay?

Outline Rubric Outline: Please note that your outline or plan does not need to be in complete sentences, phrases work well when planning. The goal is to create a solid plan to guide the writing.   A (30-27) B (26-24) C (23-21) D/F (20-18) Outline / Content Exemplary plan that shows deep thought; will probably only need minor changes in the drafting stage – it is that well thought out. Very good and thoughtful plan; may change in the drafting but those changes will make the paper better. Average plan, quickly put together, but does provide guidance for drafting the paper. Limited in scope; incomplete; poorly organized Thesis Exemplary statement that can be proved true and drives the outline and paper. Good statement. Somewhat clear statement that needs revising. Thesis absent from Outline. Introduction Introduction engages the reader and creates interest. Includes background information. Interest created with limited background information. Attempts to engage reader with minimal background information. Unclear, limited and muddled information. Main Points / Body Paragraphs Clear topic for each main point / body paragraph with specific support/examples that connect with thesis. A solid effort planning main points/body paragraphs with examples. Limited plan that’s missing main points and/or support. Rough plan, limited in content Format Clear format with Roman numerals, letters and numbers; typed or neatly hand-written. Clear format with a few minor errors. Average format with multiple confusing sections. No consistent format attempted.