Writing an outline for the final exam You can bring an outline to your final exam next week.

Making an outline You should bring an outline to class so that you can refer to it when you are writing your essay. Your outline can be a list of topic sentences that you will then make into paragraphs.

An example Remember the article, “RFID Tags: Big brother in small packages”? On the next page is a sample of an outline of that reading made with topic sentences.

Problem Statement: Could we be constantly tracked through our clothes, shoes, or even our cash in the future? Problem of privacy. Definition: The generic name of this technology is RFID tags. Background: You should become familiar with RFID technology because you’ll be hearing much more about it soon. Problems: It becomes unnervingly easy to imagine a world where everything you buy that’s more expensive than a snickers will sport RFID tags. Problems: In all of these scenarios, the ability to remain anonymous is eroded. Counter-argument: on’t get me wrong, RFID tags are, on the whole, a useful development and a compelling technology. Response to the counter-argument: The privacy threat comes when RFID tags remain active after you leave the store. Counter-argument: Cantwell asserts that there’s no reason to fret. Counter-argument: If the tags stay active after the leave the store, the biggest privacy worries depend on the range of the RFID readers. Response to counter-argument: But what about more powerful RFID readers, created by criminals or police who don’t mind violating FCC regulations? Response to counter-argument: Privacy worries also depend on the size of the tags. Conclusion: Call to action and recommendation –If you care about privacy, now is your chance to let the industry know how you feel.

Basic elements you must include in your outline

Introduction In the introduction you will explain the topic of the essay and why it is important to consider.

Body In the body of the essay, these are paragraphs where you will provide a paragraph that summarizes one of your articles and then gives your response to the article which explains how it relates to your main idea.

Body Then, you will include another paragraph that summarizes your second source which is followed by your commentary on the article and how you see it relating to your main idea.

Alternative perspectives Make sure you include an alternative perspective to your main idea. Maybe one of your articles includes alternative perspectives that you can discuss. You must consider the alternatives and then explain why you prefer one alternative over another.

Conclusion In the conclusion, you present the alternatives to your reader, and then you explain why you believe one perspective is the most useful. You can include a call to action, some advice on what the reader can do, or you can offer a specific solution to the problem you have presented.

Another sample outline Introduction: Obesity in pets is closely related to obesity in humans Body: article 1: “Pet obesity on the rise” poor diet lack of exercise article 2: “American obesity epidemic” poor diet lack of exercise Alternative perspective: Pets cannot control their environments but humans can, so the solutions for human obesity is much more complicated and difficult than it is for pets. Response: It is true human obesity is a more complex problem than pet obesity, but the solutions to both are simple and related to each other. portion control exercise Conclusion: A pet owner who is obese can use helping a pet lose weight and become more fit to help him or herself in the same way.

The outline you bring to class You must bring an outline to class that is either single words or just single topic sentences. You may not bring the whole essay written out. Part of the final exam is for you to compose the essay in class by yourself. You may also bring a dictionary.

Time Limits Remember that you only have about 2 and a half hours to write this exam. Before you write, you will need to complete a short grammar test that may take about ½ hour. Be very familiar with your articles, and be familiar with your topic and what you want to write about.

Portfolios At the exam, you will need to hand in your portfolio. Bring the last three essays we wrote and be ready to add your fresh essay #4 to the portfolio.

Questions? If you have any questions about the exam, please send me an . I’m happy to look at your outline, if you want to it to me before the exam.