To Outline or not to Outline that is the question!

The German philosopher and writer Arnold Schopenhaur once advised: "Write the way an architect builds, who first drafts his plan and designs every detail."

Today we will

1. Class discusion over chapter six and focused free write in class.

2. Research tid-bits

The Art of Keyword Searches

Evaluating Sources

Evaluating Web Sources

These handouts and many more can be found within the link Helpful Handouts for the Course (see the side bar menu).

3. OUTLINE GOODIES!!

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Outlining in Four Easy Steps

Outlining is really a process that begins from the moment you come up with an idea for an essay. As you begin to think through your plan, the outlining process begins.

1. Gather information

To plan how your information will be organized and used in your article, you must first gather that information. The first step, then, in planning the structure of your article is to determine what type of information you will need to gather.

To decide what type of information you need, think through your article in as much detail as possible. Imagine you are a reader of the magazine and ask yourself what primary questions you would want the article to answer for you. What secondary questions would intrigue you? Write all of these questions down, then determine what type of information would provide answers to them. Do you need statistics? quotes from experts? quotes from real-life sources? interesting anecdotes?

Once you have gathered information, take a close look at all of your materials and evaluate their importance. Separate all of your information into items of primary and secondary importance. Set aside any items you have determined you will not use in your article. Then, put the items into some sort of manageable system. I like to transcribe my notes onto a computer file, dividing the notes into subtopics. This will make your notes neat and easy to read, as well as easily accessible.

2. Determine your article's thematic statement.

Once you have gathered and organized your information, ask yourself a question: "What is all of this information saying to me?"

In order for your article to have unity, it must have an overarching theme that pervades its every part. Sometimes, though, it's hard to find this theme.

To make it easier, start by asking that question of yourself. See if, after reading through your notes, anything jumps out at you. Is there a message in all the madness?

Once you have determined your theme, write it down as a single sentence. Write this thematic statement where you can see it well. Go back to the statement as often as you need to as you prepare to form an outline and write the article.

3. Determine your article's structure.

In its most basic sense, an outline is a blueprint of your article; it's your plan for how the article will be structured. This, then, is perhaps the most important step in organizing your outline.

To determine your article's structure, first look back at your thematic statement. Keep this statement in your mind -- and written somewhere tangibly in front of you -- as you make your plan.

Then: Come up with a way to introduce your topic and your theme in an interesting way. How can you write your lead so that it captures your reader's attention, and also tells accurately what the article will be about?

Next: Ask yourself how you will organize the information you've gathered into the body of the article. Are you going to write the article in a narrative fashion, explaining the facts as if you're telling a story? Or are you going to write the article using a topical approach, developing the story according to secondary topics or themes (often using subheads, bullets, or numbers to organize the topics)?

Finally: Devise a way to conclude the article in an interesting, effective way. You want to leave your reader with a good feeling after finishing the article. You want him to feel that he has been educated (or inspired or motivated).

4. Write the outline.

Select what approach feels comfortable to you and devise an outline for your article in that style. After you have written an outline, go back and make sure you have left nothing out. Is it organized in a way that seems logical to you? Is your thematic statement clear in all parts of the outline?

Remember, also, that as you write the article you can certainly veer from your path. An outline is simply a plan -- feel free to add or subtract from that plan if another idea works better.

Outlining can be a time-consuming experience; the process, however, is well worth any effort you put into it. Once you get comfortable with your own outlining process, you see that it is one of the best -- if not the best -- way to guarantee organized writing sessions and result in a well-structured, effective magazine article.

(outline information taken from Cheryl Sloan Wray's article Why Do I Need an Outline ?)

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4. Create a link within portfolio One and title it Research Log 1

This is where you will keep all your information you research,

You can copy the address or download the article.

Put the title of the article, the author's name  and two or three sentences about the article.

HW: Continue to research and complete Outline by Tues. If you have questions or concerns you can tweet, fb or email me.