1. How to Write an Outline in 4 Easy Steps… …And 1 Kinda Tricky One

2. Step #1: Thesis Sentence (The Kinda Tricky One) Your thesis is one sentence that answers the question, and then gives 3 reasons why your answer is true. Example: Question: Should Ms. Cher get a gorilla as a class pet? Why or why not? Thesis: Ms. Cher should get a gorilla as a class pet because it would help with cleaning the classroom, it would help with discipline, and it would entertain students.

3. So Far, Your Outline Should Look Like This: Ms. Cher should get a gorilla as a class pet because it would help with cleaning the classroom, it would help with discipline, and it would entertain students.

4. Step 2: Break it Down! (Topic Sentences) Number your paper going down the left side with 1, 2, and 3. Leave 9 blank spaces between each number! It should look like this: 1.First Reason + Main Idea 2. Second Reason + Main Idea 3. Third Reason + Main Idea

5. So Far, Your Outline Should Look Like This: Ms. Cher should get a gorilla as a class pet because it would help with cleaning the classroom, it would help with discipline, and it would entertain students. 1.A gorilla could help Ms. Cher to keep the classroom neat, so we should get a gorilla as a class pet. 2. A gorilla could also assist Ms. Cher with student discipline, so we should get one as a class pet. 3. Finally, having a gorilla in the classroom would be fun for the students, which is why we should have one as a class pet.

6. Step #3: Prove It! (Examples and Details) Give 2 examples and details to prove each of your topic sentences is true. BE SPECIFIC!!! Examples can be… True stories from your experience (YOU CANNOT MAKE THESE UP!) Something you saw in a documentary or read in a book (and in SOME cases, in a movie or fictional story, though usually these are not a source of facts.) REAL statistics (YOU CANNOT MAKE THESE UP!) Facts you learned from a reliable source (again, YOU CANNOT MAKE THESE UP!) Hypothetical situations (“If…then…” statements like “If we gave kids the right to vote, then more young adults would become active in politics.”) These examples must be reasonable!

7. Step #3: Prove It! (Continued) Details can be… Vivid descriptions of sensory details (how something looks/smells/tastes/feels/sounds, etc.) Brand names, people’s names (be careful not to give last names of school friends, just first names!) Specific date when something happened (you don’t have to get too specific, but you should explain that it happened “last year” or “when I was eight years old” or “a week ago.”) Instead of writing… “Some teachers are not fair to their students.” Write… “My 5 th grade teacher, Ms. Exampleburg, let her female students get away with bad behavior, but always punished the boys for any little mistake.”

8. So Far, Your Outline Should Look Like This: Ms. Cher should get a gorilla as a class pet because it would help with cleaning the classroom, it would help with discipline, and it would entertain students. 1.A gorilla could help Ms. Cher to keep the classroom neat, so we should get a gorilla as a class pet. A gorilla could be trained to pick up papers and broken pencils off the floor, and could eat any food that students left behind. Gorillas are always picking bugs off of each other and eating them, so a class gorilla could help manage any lice outbreaks that might happen in Ms. Cher’s room. 2. A gorilla could also assist Ms. Cher with student discipline, so we should get one as a class pet. Students who misbehave could be escorted to the office by the gorilla, who would make sure they did not go anywhere else. A gorilla is also very intimidating. They are very large and very strong. Most students wouldn’t dare to act out in class when there is a 300-lbs gorilla in the room! 3. Finally, having a gorilla in the classroom would be fun and educational for the students, which is why we should have one as a class pet. Gorillas are fascinating creatures, and they can be trained to communicate through sign language. Our class gorilla might even be able to help students with their writing, if trained properly. Since we sing in class every day, the gorilla could dance for us, and that would help the students enjoy singing more.

9. Step #4: Link Your Examples Back to the Main Idea To end each of your body paragraphs, you must explain how your examples prove that your topic sentence is true. Do not just repeat your topic sentence! Example: 1.