Modified MS Word Template

I chose "Short Essay Outline" as my template. I believe that giving students a physical copy of an outline increases the chances that they will use an outline when writing a short essay. It provides them with a way to gather their thoughts and allows them to brainstorm ideas.

I modified it to show explanations in the introduction and conclusion, such as how long their thesis statement should be or what is meant by "restate the topic". To college students, the initial outline would suffice, but students at the junior high and high school level will most likely need a reminder of these facts. It leaves no room for doubt.

Since I plan on teaching English at the junior high/high school level, I find this template incredibly helpful. I believe that an outline is essential when writing an essay. To implement it effectively in my classroom, I would print copies of the outline for each student and use it as an assignment prior to turning in a short essay. After grading each outline, I would hand them back to the students so they could see where they might need corrections.

Essay Title

Introduction

A.      Capture reader’s interest - Make us want to read your essay!

B.      Build case through logic – Explain why you chose your topic.

C.       Topic sentence/thesis statement – What is your essay about? One to two sentences.

First main point (strongest)

A.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

B.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

C.       Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

Second main point (second strongest)

A.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

B.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

C.       Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

Third main point (weakest)

A.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

B.      Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

C.       Support

     1.       Example

     2.       Example

Conclusion

A.      Restate topic – What did we just read about?

B.      Summarize three main points – But don’t just list them!

C.       Revisit introduction or tie all ideas together – Give us your final thoughts on the matter.