To clarify, this assignment is not the essay itself.  Rather, we are taking the writing process one step at a time each week.  We began with selecting our topics, then followed up by researching our topics, and this week we are organizing an outline for the essay.  The essay is not due this week, only the outline.

As you prepare your outline, keep the following points from the grading rubric in mind:

1. Organization: Are your points presented in a logical order?  Does each main point have a clear relation to your thesis or paper topic?  Do points flow easily from one to the next, or does the order of points appear random and confusing?

2. Introduction: Is your thesis statement clear?  Does your thesis statement serve to answer a specific question about your topic?

3. Body paragraphs: Are your topics clear for each body paragraph?  Does each body paragraph clearly relate to the thesis?  Does each body paragraph serve to support your thesis?

4. Conclusion: Do you wrap up the paper without restating the thesis?  It’s good to connect the conclusion to the thesis, but simply restating the thesis (even in different words) creates a circular logic.  Instead of restating the thesis, we want to identify a topic that serves to wrap all of our points together and suggest a different way of thinking or acting related to your topic.

5. Source evidence: Have you identified more than two sources and connected them to separate topics in body paragraphs?  If you completed your annotated bibliography, this part should be easy since the work has already been done!

6. Syntax and mechanics: Have you proofread your outline to check for errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling?  Are your sentences complete and easy to understand?