Making Outlines Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: W.7.2.a

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

Outlines are the very first step in organizing yourself for any task. We can use outlines to help us prepare for a task or explain it to others. They are used in all walks of life and have a great degree of flexibility as to what they can be applied to help you with. In language arts, we often use them to us prepare for our writing assignments. Being able to craft a useful outline is the key to a successful approach, these worksheets will show you how to do that.

Making Outlines Worksheets:

Introduction to Outlines – Read each word in the list. Determine which words name general categories. Write them on the lines. Then sort the rest of the words into the correct category.

Anatomy of an Outline – In an outline, topics are put in a logical order, so that like things are grouped together, and supporting topics go under the main topics that they relate to.

Identifying Subtopics – Read each main topic. Select the word or phrase that is NOT a subtopic for the main topic.

Claim, Evidence, Interpretation – How are you interpreting or analyzing the evidence?

Thesis Statements – This shows us how to validate something.

Topic Sentence Outline – This helps you create solid topic sentences.

Outlining Your Essay – Hook: How will you interest the reader in your essay? How will you introduce your topic?

Body Paragraph #1 – What is this paragraph about?

Evidence or Supporting Idea – How do you back up claims of any kind?

The Capper – This should help you finish it off.

Concluding Paragraph – Will this sum up your essay, or tell the reader why the points you have made matter? Your conclusion should mirror your thesis statement.

Outline Your Essay – A nice organizer to help you sum it up for yourself.

Outline Your Speech – Tell your audience how your topic affects them.

The Preview – Preview your main points in the order you will present them.

Close Strongly – Give your audience a "call to action".

The 5-Paragraph Essay Outline – Introduce general or connecting (to your hook) information about your topic.

5 Paragraph Essay Structure – The most common writing assignment.

Getting Started with Outlines – Read each word in the list. Determine which words name general categories. Write them on the lines. Then sort the rest of the words into the correct category.

Outlining a Persuasive Essay – How will I hook my reader?

Persuasive Essay Conclusion – This attached itself to the last page.

Essay Road Map – A great way to get it done.

More of the Map – This attached itself to the last page.

What Do You Know About Outlines? – Label each outline level.

Subtopics – In an essay, the broadest or most general ideas are called main topics or major topics. The more narrowly focused ideas related to the main or major topics are called subtopics.


Essay Outline Worksheets:

Argumentative - We explore how to incorporate the use of the MEAT technique.

The Basics - A simple flowchart to help you with the process.

The 4-Paragraph - These are the exact steps you take and prompts to get you through it.

Thesis to Conclusion - Everything that you will need to touch on.

The Issue - Make sure you have enough evidence to support your claims.

The Hook - What will be your hook in your piece?

Sharpen Up - It is all about making sure that you have supporting points.

Firm, But Fair - Write a topic sentence that states your position on the topic.

My Claims - What is the central point of your work?

Assigned Topic - This is one of the best to help you construct an essay.

My Plan - Use the concept map below as a graphic organizer to plan your essay.

Opinion Essay - You will need to create a mountain of evidence.

Four Paragraphs - Another template to walk you through creating these.

Being Persuasive - Get people to see your point right away.

5 Paragraphs - For those longer thoughts that require more evidence.

How to Make an Outline


Here are the steps to making an outline:


Choose Your Topic


The most important step in creating an outline is to choose a topic. You cannot create them without the a solid topic or thesis. If you do not have a topic, then you must choose something that interests you. You can search on the internet to get a topic idea for your outline. You can also ask your teachers or any other professionals to help you out in choosing the topic. It is always best to be as specific as you can when you are choosing the topic. Do not choose a broader topic because it will require a lot of time and effort. The result will also not be as good as you might have expected. Make sure to go for a topic that only handles a narrow line of the subject in order to avoid any confusion in your text.


List Out The Main Points


The next step is to list out the main points. Once you are done with the topic, you can move towards researching for the information. You must collect as much information as possible. You can look on the internet or visit libraries to find relevant information. After you are done with the information, you can decide which information you will be using. This means that you will be listing out the main points that you do not want to miss at any cost.


Organize Your Points


Once you have your main point in front of you, it is time to arrange them. An outline is always organized and clear. It is important that you organize all your main points and assemble them in order so that you can create the perfect outline. At this stage, you can also get rid of the points that you think are not important to make it to the outline.


Review


When you have done all the steps, you can review your outline. Look for any mistakes. At this point, you can also add any missing information to the outline.



What is The Best Way to Outline An Essay?


An essay outline is a framework of the composition you will write. It is a roadmap that lets you organize and analyze your thoughts, key points, and arguments in a structural format. This format helps readers get an overview of the essay and makes it easier for the writer to follow the outline. A good thesis silhouette can turn an average piece of work into a persuasive piece of writing.


There are many different types of essays, such as argumentative, research, academic, and expository. The type of outline for each varies slightly.

 

Essay Outline Elements

 

Introduction - The most important element of any essay is the introduction. The introductory paragraph needs to hook the reader and entice them to read further. Here, you will overview your topic and all the points you will discuss. In the end, you need to add a thesis statement. A thesis statement is around one line long and clarifies your stance on the subject.


Body - The body section is where you give a detailed description of all points mentioned in the introduction. They typically have 2 to 4 body paragraphs. Generally, one paragraph is used to discuss one point, one argument, or one source, depending on the type of article.


Conclusion - In conclusion, you wrap up the essay and summarize the points in the body paragraphs. You can also share your parting opinions and suggestions, in conclusion, to convince the reader about your stance.


The Steps - Now that you know the basic elements of an essay, let's learn the best way to create an outline.


Determine Your Objective - The first step to writing an essay outline is to determine your objective. What is the assignment, and what form are you writing in? Are you trying to persuade the audience or help them understand a process? What’s your thesis statement, and how effectively can you support it? Having a clear idea of the essay’s objective can significantly help you.


List Out and Organize Your Key Points - Next, list all the key points you want to discuss over the course of the piece. Divide each point for a paragraph and summarize it in a line. Add statistics, graphs, and other supporting evidence to validate your point. The organization and order of importance will help you write better. The more details you add to the layout, the better the result.


Remove Fluff - Once your initial draft is ready, you need to filter out the fluff. See which points best support your stance and remove those that are questionable. In the end, you should have a solid plan of action to follow that will get your points across to the reader clearly and persuasively.


You can also download a basic template from the internet and organize your thoughts for proper structuring. The order of information and presentation of the composition is equally important when putting these together.


Create a checklist to see if your essay has all the main elements, such as:


- A thesis statement
- Supporting ideas
- Relevant evidence and statistics
- Order of importance