Getting Organized

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Getting Organized

• Putting Your Ideas
• Down on Paper

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Youve gathered all your information...
Youve made a grid for the notes from all the
different sources you found on your topic.
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How can you organize all the information you have
collected for your research project?

• Make an outline!

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So what is an outline?

• An outline organizes information.
• An outline helps you decide the order in which
  you will write the information you want to
  include in your research paper.
• An outline provides you a pattern to follow when
  you write.

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So how do you make an outline?

• Decide how you want to organize your information.
  
• Explanation?
• Description?
• Chronological order or sequence?
• Compare and Contrast?
• Youll have to decide an organizational strategy
  based on your topic and the information you found
  on your topic.

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So how do you make an outline?

• Look at your organizing grid.
• Think about how you want to arrange the
  information you gathered.
• What is my organizational strategy? Decide.
• In what order will I use the information I
  gathered? Number the rows in your grid.

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1 3 6 5 4 2
Christmas and Santa Claus are related.
Hanukkah and gelt are related.

• Did you find information on the same ideas in
  more than one source? Put similar information
  together.
• Number your main ideas.

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Now you are ready to make an outline.
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Gift Giving Traditions I. Christmas A. Wise
Men B. Santa Claus C. Elaborate gifts started in
1800s II. Hanukkah A. Gelt the traditional
gift B. Influence of Christmas III. Kwanzaa A.
Exchange on last day - Imani B. Emphasize kuumba
(creativity) C. Books and heritage symbols
This is an example of an outline.
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Gift Giving Traditions I. Christmas A. Wise
Men B. Santa Claus C. Elaborate gifts started in
1800s II. Hanukkah A. Gelt the traditional
gift B. Influence of Christmas III. Kwanzaa A.
Exchange on last day - Imani B. Emphasize kuumba
(creativity) C. Books and heritage symbols
Start by writing your topic on the top of a piece
of paper.
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Then use Roman numerals for each main idea.
Gift Giving Traditions I. Christmas (main
idea) A. Wise Men B. Santa Claus C. Elaborate
gifts started in 1800s II. Hanukkah (main
idea) A. Gelt the traditional gift B. Influence
of Christmas III. Kwanzaa (main idea) A. Exchange
on last day - Imani B. Emphasize kuumba
(creativity) C. Books and heritage symbols
I 1 II2 III3 IV4 V5 VI6
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Then...

• Think about how you will want to arrange the
  information that is related to each main idea.
• These are the details.
• Use one or two words to note the subject of the
  detailsor underline these words on your
  organizing grid.
• Keep it short!
• Lets take a look...

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Use capital letters for details that have to do
with the main ideas.
Gift Giving Traditions I. Christmas A. Wise
Men B. Santa Claus C. Elaborate gifts started in
1800s II. Hanukkah A. Gelt the traditional
gift B. Influence of Christmas III. Kwanzaa A.
Exchange on last day - Imani B. Emphasize kuumba
(creativity) C. Books and heritage symbols
A...B...C... D...
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Now you are ready to write...

• Follow your outline.
• Use your organizing grid to flesh out your
  composition. The notes you made have all the
  important information! The outline is just a
  skeleton to keep you organized and on track!
• Write complete, interesting sentences dont be
  afraid to add related details and examples that
  arent in your outline.