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Humanities LibreTexts

11.3: Creating a Rough Outline

  • Page ID
    247576
    • Rachel Bell, Jim Bowsher, Eric Brenner, Serena Chu-Mraz, Liza Erpelo, Kathleen Feinblum, Nina Floro, Gwen Fuller, Chris Gibson, Katharine Harer, Cheryl Hertig, Lucia Lachmayr, Eve Lerman, Nancy Kaplan-Beigel, Nathan Jones, Garry Nicol, Janice Sapigao, Leigh Anne Shaw, Paula Silva, Jessica Silver-Sharp, Mine Suer, Mike Urquidez, Rob Williams, Karen Wong, Susan Zoughbie, Leigh Anne Shaw, Paula Silva, Jessica Silver-Sharp, Mine Suer, Mike Urquidez, Rob Williams, Karen Wong, and Susan Zoughbie
    • Skyline College

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    Creating a rough outline

    Outlining is the road map for the essay. And we all know that when you are rushing to get somewhere quickly, it is easier to get lost. Outlines make sure that you end up where you intended. For timed writing, you’ll make the most informal kind of outline in which you jot down your main points and possible supporting evidence. This kind of outline is for you only, and you don’t need to worry about making it more comprehensive if it does the job for you.

    Practice: Rough Outline

    Use the Douglass prompt you just broke down and create a rough outline for it.

    Practice: Rough Outline

    Possible thesis:

    Main supporting point:

    Supporting evidence:

    Main supporting point:

    Supporting evidence:
    Main supporting point:

    Supporting evidence:

    Main supporting point:

    Supporting evidence:

    Answer

    Possible answers for MAKING A ROUGH OUTLINE:

    Possible answers for making a rough outline
    Possible thesis: Frederick Douglass’s life proves that lack of education can lead to marginalization and this is still happening today with our urban poor and can be seen here in San Francisco
    Main supporting point: 1) discuss how Douglass’ freedom was connected to him becoming educated.

    Supporting evidence: He read The Columbian Orator and learned of a slave who argued so well his master set him free. He also learned from Sheridan a “bold denunciation of slavery and a vindication of human rights.”

    Main supporting point: (2) examine how Douglass is a testament to the idea of freedom through education.

    Supporting evidence: Through his determination of getting the white neighborhood boys to bring him books, he taught himself to read and eventually gained his own freedom and then fought for the freedom of others throughout his life as a human rights activist.
    Main supporting point: (3) explain how poorly funded inner-city schools deny freedom to the students who have high rates of drop out, drug use, and incarceration.

    Supporting evidence: Use personal knowledge of a news report on students who attended school in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunter’s Point.

    Main supporting point: (4) what can we learn? Explain how we have a form of modern-day slavery as the main victims of the underfunded inner-city schools are blacks and Latinos.

    Supporting evidence: Use evidence I remember from reading Jonathan Kozol’s book Savage Inequalities to prove harmful outcomes of educational inequality and the cycles of poverty it produces.
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