Thefirstsectionoftheoutlineistheintroduction,whichidentifiesthesubjectandgivesanoverviewofyourreactiontoit.Theintroductionparagraphendswithyourthesisstatement,whichidentifieswhetheryourexpectationsweremetandwhatyoulearned.Thethesisstatementservesasthefocalpointofyourpaper.Italsoprovidesatransitiontothebodyofthepaperandwillberevisitedinyourconclusion.

Thebodyofyourpaperidentifiesthethree(ormore,dependingonthelengthofyourpaper)majorpointsthatsupportyourthesisstatement.Eachparagraphinthebodyshouldstartwithatopicsentence.Therestofeachparagraphsupportsyourtopicsentence.Keepinmindthatatransitionsentenceattheendofeachparagraphcreatesapaperthatflowslogicallyandiseasytoread.Whencreatingtheoutline,identifythetopicsentenceforeachparagraph,andaddthesupportingstatements,evidence,andyourownexperiencesorreactionstothesubjectunderneath.

Theconclusionwrapsupyouressay,servingastheotherbookendinstatingandprovingyourthesisstatement.Inoutliningtheconclusion,identifythethesisstatementandaddthemainpointsfromthebodyparagraphsasarecap.Don'taddnewinformationtotheconclusion,andbesuretoidentifytheclosingstatementofyourreflectionpaper.

Asampleoutlineformatshouldreflectthemainpointsofyourpaper,fromstarttofinish:

I. IntroductionA. IdentifyandexplainsubjectB. Stateyourreactiontothesubject

1. Agree/disagree?2. Didyouchangeyourmind?3. Didthesubjectmeetyourexpectations?4. Whatdidyoulearn?

C. ThesisStatementII. BodyParagraph1

A. TopicSentence1. Supportingevidence12. Supportingevidence23. Supportingevidence3

III. BodyParagraph2A. TopicSentence

1. Supportingevidence12. Supportingevidence23. Supportingevidence3

IV. BodyParagraph3A. TopicSentence

1. Supportingevidence12. Supportingevidence2

3. Supportingevidence3V. Conclusion

A. RecapthesisstatementB. RecapParagraph1C. RecapParagraph2D. RecapParagraph3E. Conclusionstatement

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