1. Your Guide to Creating an Outline to Guide Your Rough Draft
Writing an Outline
Your Guide to Creating an Outline to Guide Your Rough Draft

2. Collect All Souls books

3. Creating your Thesis
Claim of Fact: Describes a condition that existed in the past, exists now, or will exist in the future
Example: Students who listen to rap music are more likely to commit violent acts.
Claim of Policy: Describes how an organization or society should work
Example: High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.
Claim of Value: Makes a judgment about something
Example: Cheating in sports is wrong because it provides unfair advantage to athletes who cheat.

4. Thesis: Helpful questions to Ask
Do I want to argue a fact about my topic?
If yes: Claim of fact
Do I want to describe how my topic should be treated?
If yes: Claim of policy
Do I want to make a judgment call about my topic?
If yes: Claim of value

5. Outline Pre Write Step One: What is my issue?
Your issue is the topic of the individual bullet point that you chose
Step Two: Assessing both sides
Why would someone take my side?
Why would someone take an opposing side?
Step Three: Writing my thesis:
Claim of fact
Claim of value
Claim of policy

6. Outline Pre Write
Based on my research, what proof can I use to form an argument?
Did I find evidence for all five of my proposal reasons?
Which reasons have enough evidence to discuss in more than two paragraphs?
Write a topic sentence for each main point

7. Step One: Gather Your Resources
Credible Sources
Newspaper/Journal articles
Books
Reliable websites
Close Reading
Analysis
WWWDOT
Note Sheets

8. Step Two: Organize Your Information
Number each reason from your pre write 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
Look through your five source sheets and answer the following questions about each quote, paraphrase, or summary:
Which of my reasons does this research deal with?
Can I use this point to make a strong claim?
Write the number next to each piece of research that corresponds to the correct reason

9. Step Three: Fill In Your Final Outline
Topic
Catchy Opening: How can I capture my reader’s interest to keep reading?
Thesis
What claim am I making?
What are my major reasons behind this claim?
Topic Sentences to Support My Thesis
What reasons (research-based) show that my claim is true?

10. Step Three: Fill in Your Final Outline
Supporting evidence for topic sentences:
Which research did I highlight for this topic?
Conclusion
How can I summarize my findings to prove that my claim is true to my reader?