Create a clear and complete outline for the U3 Essay following the format below. Note the “may” and “must” language in the instructions here.
- You must outline all 5+ paragraphs (introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion).
- Your arguable thesis and opinionated topic sentences must be written in complete sentences.
- You may use words and phrases for sub-points and supporting ideas as long as those ideas are clearly understood by your classmates and instructor as written.
- You must provide a complete quotation from the story for each topic sentence.
- You may use what you’ve learned from your research to provide analytical content in support of each topic sentence. You are not quoting or summarizing the research because this is NOT a research essay. You should provide your own informed analysis of the issue you’ve chosen now that you have learned more about your topic.
Your outline should look like an organized set of ideas and support, not the paragraphs of an essay. You want your classmates and instructor to quickly scan your outline and see how you’re organizing your ideas and supporting your persuasive thesis about how you seek to improve your community by addressing an issue within it that you also saw within the short story.
I. Introduction Paragraph
A. (See “Concluding the Discussion” below)
B. Thesis: 1 sentence stating what you want to change within your local community
C. Essay Map in Argument Essay Order
II – V Body Paragraph (Repeat this format for each body paragraph in your outline.)
A. Transition
B. Opinionated Topic Sentence asking for change within your community
C. Supporting Details about that change in your community
D. Relevant Quotation from the Story
E. Connect Quote to Topic Sentence and Thesis about your community
VI. Conclusion Paragraph
A. Transition
B. Opinionated Topic Sentence
C. Summary of Arguments for change in your community
D. Brief connection back to literature
E. (See “Concluding the Discussion” below)
Thesis Check
You should write an argument for change in your community as your thesis. If your thesis is that people need to be more informed, to recognize importance, or to learn more about an issue, change it NOW. These types of theses lead to informational essays and you need to write a persuasive essay.
Below are examples of theses that do lead to essays that follow the assigned prompt. None of these theses are for a short story in Unit Three, so yours will be a bit different based on what you see are the main ideas in this unit’s short stories. They all do follow the U3 assignment of arguing for change within a specific community. That change should be something specific to your community (whatever you decide that is) and a change that requires action. The body paragraphs will explore your ideas for how and why they should make this change.
- The city hall of [town] should offer lessons to citizens for [quilting OR embroidery OR making corn husk dolls OR painting portraits] to continue the tradition in these significant skills into the future that have been preserved with artifacts in the city hall museum. (This thesis uses “Everyday Use” as a reference and would address the main idea of preserving history.)
- The DeKalb Farmer’s Market should host monthly cultural cooking workshops to teach locals about the varied types of dishes they could create with supplies from this store by following recipes from every culture represented by the flags that hang out front. (This thesis uses “Girl” as a reference and would address the main idea of teaching girls and boys different skills.)
- The library in [town] should add a poetry-writing activity before their next book club meeting. (This thesis uses “Catch” as a reference and is the most literary of the three theses as it would address the main idea of writer/reader collaboration.)
Concluding the Discussion
Finish your participation in this week’s discussion by adding one more bit of information based on the content in the chain(s) of discussion about your classmates’ outlines: As an interested reader, what do you think would be an effective way to lead-in to this thesis in the introduction or to conclude these ideas (other than a summary) in the conclusion?
