Planning and Organizing the Essay

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Planning and Organizing the Essay

• Dr. Alan Haffa
• Please Silence Cell Phones

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Evaluating Controlling Ideas and Theses

• Does it
• Predict the content of your essay as specifically
  as possible without wasting words
• Clear and Coherent
• Stated in one complete sentence
• Free from figures of speech
• A statement, not a question
• Moves toward a single point and does not diverge
  into two or more ideas.

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Outlining

• An outline does not need to be a formal plan
• It should present a list of sub-topics, designed
  to support the controlling idea.
• Each of the paper sections should have a unifying
  topic and a couple of supporting details.
• Ideally, before you complete the paper each
  paragraph will have a controlling idea of its own
  that organizes the paragraph, but you dont need
  to worry about that at this point.

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Example of an outline.Controlling idea Student
diversity is valuable because it enriches the
learning opportunities for all students.

• Students learn from each other as much as from
  the professor.
• Students with diverse cultural experiences often
  have different values and perspectives.
• A diverse student body contributes to a campus
  climate that is open and accepting of difference.

• 1) Describe student centered learning 2) Student
  testimonials 3) Testimonials from professors
• 1) Cite studies on ethnicity and values 2)
  Discussions of race and gender are different when
  women and minorities are present
• 1) Studies on racism and lack of diversity

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Formal Outline (pp. 102-104)

• The formal outline organizes the paper by
  subdividing the controlling idea into smaller
  ideas, which are then developed in separate
  paragraphs.
• Roman numerals are used to indicate the main idea
  of each paragraph
• Capital letters are used to indicate the seconary
  subideas
• Arabic numerals are used to indicate tertiary
  subideas.

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Modified Formal Outline

• For each paragraph, indicate the paragraph topic
  sentence, that is the main idea of the paragraph,
  with a Roman numeral.
• Below each roman numeral indicate at least three
  supporting details or subideas with capital
  letters. These ideas should all be upholding or
  developing the main idea.

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Example of an outline

• Controlling IdeaImmigration is a national
  security issue so we need to make enforcement of
  border protection a top priority.

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First Body paragraph

• Border security is inadequate and poses a
  terrorism threat.
• Explain how 9-11 has changed our attitude toward
  immigration
• Quote Rep. Duncan Hunter
• Cite statistic for number of illegal border
  crossings daily

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Second paragraph

• II. The only reliable way to secure the border is
  to build a border fence with Mexico.
• A. Where fences have been built illegal crossing
  has declined
• B. We know from experience that without a fence
  undocumented immigrants will avoid customs check
  points.

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Body Paragraph Three

• III. Building a fence is the humane policy
  because it will eliminate the deaths of thousands
  of immigrants who are lost in the desert each
  year.
• A. Cite the statistic for how many immigrants die
  trying to cross the border
• B. These immigrants will not die if the wall is
  built because they wont be able to enter the
  dangerous dry lands just over the border.
• C. Contrary to popular belief a wall is humane
  because it will save lives.

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Body Paragraph Four

• IV. The cost of the fence is significant but it
  will save Americans money in terms of social
  services.
• A. The fence will cost an estimate 2 Billion
  dollars.
• B. Cite statistic for how much is spent on
  educating children of immigrants
• C. Cite statistic for how much is spent providing
  health care for immigrants who lack health
  insurance
• D. Although expensive, the fence will be a cost
  effective policy that will save US taxpayers
  money.

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Conclusion

• V. The only sure way to secure our border and
  protect Americans from the threat of terrorists
  who might cross it is to build a border fence.
• Thousands of immigrants cross our border
  illegally every day and the problem is a real.
• Fences have proven to be effective at limiting
  illegal border crossing
• A Fence is humane because it will eliminate
  border crossings that lead to the death of
  immigrant.
• Although expensive, a fence will save money when
  you consider social services spent on
  undocumented immigrants.

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Exercise

• Analyze your essay and identify the topic and the
  main points of support discussed in each
  paragraph.
• Ask yourself the following questions about the
  second paragraph
• What is the paragraph topic sentence? That is,
  what is the thesis for the paragraph?
• Does every sentence relate to the paragraph
  topic?
• Are there adequate supporting details to support
  the paragraph topic statement?

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Evaluation

• Is the controlling idea a complete sentence? Is
  it clear? Is it neither too narrow nor too
  broad? Does it include padding?
• Do each of the supporting paragraphs contribute
  toward proving the controlling idea or toward
  establishing the dominant impression?
• Does each of the sub-ideas contribute toward
  establishing the main idea or controlling idea of
  the its paragraph?

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Assignment

• Write a Modified Formal Outline similar to the
  example here on immigration and the border wall.
• Include a Thesis at top
• Use Roman Numbers for main ideas Use sentences
  to describe topic sentences for each primary
  section
• Use Capital Letters for secondary support does
  not need to be a complete sentence