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Description:

We recommend carrying a copy of your outline with you wherever you go. You never know when someone will ask you to organize your thoughts.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:00

Outlining, a la Shmoop. Oh, if only outlining an essay were as easy

00:12

as drawing a thick black border around the edges of the paper with your favorite Sharpie. [hands draws big black box with sharpie]

00:17

As pretty as that is, Intro to Art is next period.

00:20

We’re talking about an entirely different kind of outlining.

00:24

The purpose of this whole process is to have some idea of where you’re going. [boy walks across screen blindfolded]

00:28

Not having an outline would be like taking a cross country trip without a map or GPS…[man throws map and GPS out of the car]

00:32

…or cooking something in the kitchen without turning on the light. [hand reaches for pot and gets burnt on the fire]

00:38

It makes clear and helps us solidify in our own mind what our purpose is…

00:42

…how we plan to go about communicating that purpose…[hand opens up head and shows brain]

00:45

…and how we’ll argue our point.

00:47

It also allows us to make use of the bullet tool in Word, which doesn’t get nearly enough

00:51

play. You may be thinking, “I know I’m supposed

00:55

to do it, but it just seems like extra work. I have to write the essay anyway, so why write

00:59

this other thing beforehand?”

01:01

You know what? In the time it took you to complain, you could be halfway through your

01:04

outline already.

01:05

Food for thought. An outline includes every major point you’re

01:10

going to make in your essay…

01:11

…arranged in the same order you intend to present them.

01:14

This is where that wild and crazy mess of brainstorming notes gets organized into a

01:18

clear, structured plan of action. [tornado passes through colored paperclips and organizes them into a color wheel]

01:20

If there’s a method to your madness, now is a good time to let it show.

01:24

You will want to clearly divide up your argument into an introduction, where you’ll wrap

01:28

your readers around your little finger, and make them ravenous for more…

01:32

…a thesis, where you will state what position you’re taking… make it a strong one…

01:37

…at least 3 body paragraphs, where you lay down the facts, Jack, and show how they support

01:42

your position…

01:43

…and finally a stirring conclusion, where you’re going to leave your readers with [ladle dumps kid into a pot]

01:47

no choice but to agree with you. It’s totally fine if you end up tweaking

01:52

things later…

01:53

…but having an outline will ensure that you actually have enough to say when you start

01:57

writing.

01:58

That way, you won’t be halfway through and then suddenly realize that… you don’t

02:02

really have a point to make, per se. Taking the time to assemble a comprehensive

02:07

outline is going to save you tons of time and heartache.

02:10

You’ll be able to block Writer’s Block…[kid blocks an attack from a lego]

02:13

…and you’ll never get lost in the… literary woods.

02:17

It may seem like a hassle, but trust us… the outline is going to be your new best friend.

02:24

Sorry, Tommy Turtle.

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