Tip: This outline is most useful AFTER you’ve done your brainstorming, free-writing or clustering, and have gathered together your main ideas and supporting examples.

Intro

I plan on using _______________ to hook the reader and get her/his attention.

1. a quotation
2. a narrative example
3. a powerful factual example
4. an interesting generalization that leads to a more specific context and discussion
5. an important definition of a key term or concept

Working Thesis Statement:
_______________________________________________________________

Working Topic Sentence Body #1:

_______________________________________________________________

Proof/Evidence/Example #1: ____________________________________ 
__________________________________________________________

Explanation (Why? How?):

__________________________________________________________

Proof/Evidence/Example #2: ____________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Explanation (Why? How?):

__________________________________________________________

Working Topic Sentence Body 2:

_______________________________________________________________

Proof/Evidence/Example #1: ____________________________________ 
__________________________________________________________

Explanation (Why? How?):

__________________________________________________________

Proof/Evidence/Example #2: ____________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Explanation (Why? How?):

__________________________________________________________

Working Topic Sentence Body #3:
_______________________________________________________________

Proof/Evidence/Example #1:

__________________________________________________________

Explanation (Why? How?):

__________________________________________________________


Proof/Evidence/Example #2: ____________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Explanation (Why? How?):

__________________________________________________________

Working Topic Sentence Body #4:
_______________________________________________________________

Proof/Evidence/Example #1:

__________________________________________________________

Explanation (Why? How?):

__________________________________________________________

Proof/Evidence/Example #2:

__________________________________________________________

Explanation (Why? How?):

__________________________________________________________

Handout courtesy of City College of San Francisco