Chapter 7: Writing
Students are often dismayed when they find out how much they have to write while in college. They may need to writer papers, lab reports, personal reflections, discussion posts or even creative pieces. Some students have written a great deal in high school, while others think a two-page paper seems like a long assignment. It is important for students to recognize that all the different types of writing they have to do all follow their own “rules,” and that, while they may never love writing, they need to develop confidence in it.
Want the Resources?
Each resource is downloadable as a Word doc! Look for the link at the end of the chapter.
7.1: Beliefs and Challenges Students May Have about Writing
- Teachers “like” my writing or they don’t: Many students think if they earn a good grade, it is because the teacher “likes” their writing and if they earn a low grade, the instructor doesn’t like it. These students don’t realize that writing follows rules—and instructors evaluate how well students follow the rules of writing that relate to that class and/or assignment.
- If you are good at writing you are good at all writing: If a student did well in a creative writing class in high school, they might conclude they are good writers. However, the “rules” for writing poems and short stories are different from the “rules” for writing academic essays, discussion posts, lab reports, emails and reports. Each type of writing has it own set of rules and students need to be aware of the expectations of that piece of writing.
- My feelings always matter: In high school many writing assignments focus on how the students feels about a personal situation, a character in a novel, a news event, etc. Often, students write about their personal opinion, thoughts and feelings even when the assignment didn’t call for it.
- The first draft is the only draft: In high school, students often earned high grades for writing they did moments before the deadline. They have not developed revision strategies and/or they think they shouldn’t have to revise. They also often enter college with few, if any, pre-writing strategies and little thought to how their essay or paper will be organized.
- Word count matters most. Many students have learned to pad writing with extra words and convoluted sentences because they want to achieve a specific word count. Many of them do this because in past writing assignments they a certain percentage of their grade depended on writing a certain number of words.
- I understand assignment expectations. A challenge students face, particularly if they are developmental or first semester students, is that they don’t effectively read their assignments, or prompts, so they end up writing a paper that doesn’t do what they were asked to do. For example, an instructor might ask students to choose between two theories of communication and write about that theory using examples from their life. A student might write about both of them and focus on which theory they think is better—but that isn’t the assignment.
7.2 Discussion Points about Writing
- Have your student write down what they will prove/argue, then go back to the assignment description to make sure it is “on track.” Revise as necessary. Ask them questions such as, “What are you proving/ arguing or showing in your paper?” (This work should result in a thesis.)
- What information do you think you should include in your introduction, so readers are prepared for your major arguments/ conclusions/ points? For example, if the student is responding to something they read, should that reading be summarized in the intro?
- How many paragraphs do you think this paper will have? What will be the main purpose of each paragraph? (Many students will say “Three paragraphs” since the five paragraph essay—intro, three body paragraphs, conclusion- is what they are used to from high school. Challenge this by asking them to jot down what each paragraph will prove or show.
- Ask them to write a sentence that sums up the main point of each one of the paragraphs they will write. Use this work to generate topic sentences. Go back to the “Time Management and Planning” section of this resource and find the “task lists.” Choose one to complete together. The goal is to help the student understand that writing a paper likely will take more than one sitting and involves multiple tasks—and it involves planning, writing and revising. Sometimes, each stage will be repeated. Encourage the student to make a plan to visit a writing tutor as part of their plan.
- Ask the student to show you the paper prompt (assignment description) and talk through the resource “Analyzing a Prompt” together. It can help students transition to college-level writing if they are expressly told that it matters very much to understand the expectations for each assignment and that what they learned about writing in High School will apply to some writing situations in college, but not all. Instead, they will learn different ways to write that fit new assignments they maybe haven’t had before.
- Help students understand that revising doesn’t mean they lack ability– all writers, including professional ones– will revise, re-organize and edit their work, often multiple times. Students need to learn to work revision time into their homework time and also learn strategies for revision.
7.3 Writing Resources
This section is divided up into resources that help students with either pre-writing or revision.
Pre-writing resources include:
- Analyzing a prompt
- Research Paper Sections
- Graphic Outline
- Research Organizer
Revising Resources include:
- Reverse Outline
7.3a Pre-Writing Resources
Analyzing a Prompt
Overview
Students, particularly if they are developmental or new to college, might not know how to critically read a prompt, which causes them to write a paper that is not what the instructor has in mind. This resource gives students tools to use to determine exactly what an instructor is looking for in an assignment and to make sure they are doing what is expected of them.
How it Helps
This resource helps with the following aspects of executive functioning:
Self-Monitoring: This exercise gives students tools to use to think through what they are expected to do for their assignment. It encourages them to look for evidence in the prompt itself about what they should so as opposed to relying on their own beliefs or impressions about that they should write about.
Task-Initiation: This resource helps students think through their paper. By the time they complete it, they will have a clear sense of what they are being asked to do, which, for some students, helps them begin.
Analyzing a Prompt
A “prompt” is another word for an assignment description an instructor will give you when they expect you to write an essay or paper. One reason some students earn low grades on essays or papers is that they don’t read the assignment, or prompt, as thoroughly as they could, so they end up not doing what the instructor wants them to do. Below are steps to take to make it much more likely you will do what you are being asked to do.
Analyze the Question
It’s really important to know what your instructor wants before you begin your writing assignment. You may have heard the saying “Measure twice. Cut once.” The same idea applies here. If you don’t have a really good sense of what you are supposed to answer and how to answer it, then you might waste a bunch of time writing an essay that isn’t what your instructor had in mind. To be certain you are doing what your instructor wants you to do, you have to know how most essay questions “work.” Below is a list of common parts most essay prompts have.
Set-up info: Instructors often begin their prompts by reminding you of things you’ve already read, or letting you know where you can find the answers to the question they are asking you. It is nice to notice set-up info so you can underline or highlight it to “separate” it from the action part of the question.
Action words: Carefully read the prompt and look for words that tell you what you are supposed to do. Here is a list of possible action words—but there are many more. “Compare,” “Contrast,” Similar,” “Different,” “Cause,” “Effect,” “Describe,” “Explain” or “Summarize.” Find action words and mark them.
Number phrases Pay attention to phrases like “Select one,” “Provide three examples,” or “Give two reasons why.” If there any numbers that tell you how much to write, or how many ideas to include etc. note those.
Steps/Parts: Papers often have several steps or parts and you should number them so you know what is expected of you. For example, a question might ask you to describe something, then explain why it is important. Describing something and explaining why it is important are two different things—and your answer should make that clear.
Sample of an Analyzed Prompt:
Let’s say you get the following question in one of your classes:
In class, we have been reading about superheroes and watching superhero movies. In the article “What makes a superhero?” You learned that superheroes need to have at least four of seven qualities in order to be considered a superhero. Choose either Spiderman or the Incredible Hulk. Write an essay in which you explain which of the seven characteristics your chosen hero has and which ones he does not. Use evidence from the film to back up your claims. Below are suggestions about how you might mark up a question so you don’t miss important things.
Set up info: Blue
Action Words: Red
Numbers: Underlined
Steps: (Bold numbers in parentheses)
In class, we have been reading about superheroes and watching superhero movies. In the article “What makes a superhero?” You learned that all superheroes need to have at least four of seven qualities in order to be considered a superhero. (1) Choose either Spiderman or the Incredible Hulk. (2) Write an essay in which you (3a) explain which of the seven characteristics your chosen hero has and (3b) which ones he does not. (4) Use evidence from the filmto back up your claims.
After this prompt is analyzed, it is clear that the student should choose ONE superhero, and talk about all seven of the characteristics by explaining which ones the hero has and which ones he doesn’t. Finally, the student needs to look for examples from the movie to prove which characteristics the hero does or doesn’t have.
Analyzing a Prompt Worksheet
Assignment Title:_______________________________________
Assignment Due Date:__________________________________
- What “set-up” information can you find? (“Set-up” information reminds you of things you’ve already read or learned, or lets you know where you can find the answers to the question they are asking you.)
- What “action words” are present? (“Action words” tell you what you’re supposed to and include words like “compare,” “describe,” and “summarize.”)
- Write any number or number phrases down. (These include phrases like “select one,” “use three outside sources,” or “provide two examples.”)
- What are the steps to complete this assignment? Write them in the correct order below.
- What is your instructor asking you to do? Write it clearly below.
In Practice
I realized the need for the “Analyzing a Prompt” activity in a developmental course when it became clear my students had widely varying opinions and ideas about what, exactly they were supposed to do for their first paper. I tossed my lesson plans out the window and asked students to work in small groups to decide how many paragraph our upcoming essay would have. I was surprised that answers ranged from three paragraph to ten. I asked students to use evidence from them prompt to “make their case” for the number of paragraphs they thought the paper should be– and invited students to change their answers when and if they became convinced by another group. As students discussed, I was able to “see” their thinking and guide the process. By the end of the hour, students had come to a consensus, and, after that, I made the “analyzing a prompt” activity a permanent part of my teaching.
Kathryn
Ideas for Use: Analyzing a Prompt
If You Are a Tutor . . .
This resource can be very helpful when working with a student who doesn’t understand their assignment. Instead of explaining the assignment to them, this exercise will help students build the skills necessary to analyze prompts on their own.
If You Are Faculty . . .
This resource can be used in a variety of ways.
Study skills instructors can use this resource with assignment sheets to help students practice analyzing a prompt. Instructors could collect various assignments from different disciplines in order to have a variety of prompts to analyze. Students would get practice in analyzing assignments across disciplines, and this would prepare them to analyze the diverse prompts that will be in their future.
In first semester or developmental courses, Instructors use this as in-class activity to clarify assignment expectations. Instructors could have physical copies of the prompts and students could work in small groups or pairs to circle and highlight them, or instructors could use the worksheet on the previous page and display the prompts via an overhead projector.
Faculty can also utilize the analyzing a prompt process and worksheet when a student comes to see them and doesn’t understand an assignment. Instead of telling them this information, students can work to analyze the prompt and arrive at a conclusion on their own, giving them agency over their assignments.
Research Paper Sections
Overview
This resource helps students to think about the individual sections of their essay and how they function. It helps them to consider what sections their essay needs and then assists them in developing an outline.
How It Helps
This resource helps with the following aspects of executive functioning:
Self-Monitoring: Because this resource asks students to carefully consider the parts of their research paper or essay in terms of what they will “do,” it helps instructors and tutors to understand how the students is thinking about their paper and facilitates conversations about the purpose off the writing.
Metacognition: This resource encourages students to consider their ultimate writing goals and to consider which “sections” are necessary to bring about their vision for their paper at the same time they are considering their audience’s needs.
Research Paper Sections
Each part, or section of a paper should DO something—provide background, convince your audience there is a problem to address, provide them with solutions, or explain the effects the problem has on a group of people, etc. The point of this exercise is to consider which paper sections YOUR paper will need. This activity will help you generate an outline.
The possible sections of a research paper are:
- Background
- Problems
- Solutions
- Effects
- Counter arguments
The way to decide what sections your paper needs is by thinking through two things:
- Your goals. Who would benefit from reading your paper? What do you want your readers to do, know or feel by the time they finish reading your paper? Do you want your readers to have information they can use to do their jobs better? To make better decisions about something? Do you want to persuade them to start doing something? To stop doing something? To understand how a situation affects a group of people or the environment?
- Your audience. Many students will say they are writing for “anyone.” But that is rarely true. Here are questions to ask yourself about your audience:
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- What do they already know? If you are writing a paper about alternative treatments for Lyme disease, don’t spend the first pages of your paper defining Lyme disease because your reader likely has the disease and knows exactly what it is.
- Are they likely to agree with you? If you are writing a paper for nurses about job safety, you probably don’t need to spend a lot of time making the case that violence against nurses is on the rise. Nurses already know this. Instead, focus on solutions.
- Are they likely to disagree with you? If your audience is likely to disagree with your major conclusions, counter arguments can be helpful.
- How much control does your audience have? Don’t focus your paper on proposing solutions your audience doesn’t have the power to implement. If your audience is teachers and you are writing about how lack of nutrition can affect a child’s ability to learn, don’t include solutions such as changing how SNAP benefits are funded— teachers can’t fix that. Instead, focus on what the teachers would have control over—such as helping kids access resources or finding money in the budget to buy protein packed snacks.
The chart below names and defines section roles on the left side. The middle column provides considerations, and the right column invites you to indicate if your paper should have this particular section and to answer why or why not.
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Paper Section/ Component |
Think about It . . . . |
Yes/No/ Maybe and How Jot a few notes about whether you need this paper section and why. |
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Background: The background is right after the introduction. It provides a history of something, a definition of a concept, and/or explains a situation, process, or event.
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Would your reader benefit from hearing reading a background of your topic? Or is it likely they know the information already? |
Yes No Maybe
Explain your answer. |
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Problem(s): The “problem” section explains why a particular situation, way of thinking, law, event, etc. is a problem. The writer’s goal is to convince the reader that something needs to change.
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Think through the problems you are hoping to propose—how relevant are they to your intended audience? |
What problems will your paper discuss? |
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Solution(s): The “solution” section of a research paper explains how and why a particular solution would solve the problem or problems. Often, the solution section simply follows the problem section, but sometimes you might have problem/ solution, next problem/ next solution.
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Do you have enough knowledge to propose a good solution? Does your audience have the power to enact solutions? |
Yes No Maybe
If you picked “Yes” are you confident you have the knowledge to propose a good solution or solutions? Does your audience have the power/ authority to implement solutions? List solutions below.
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Effect(s): Sometimes, the point of a research paper is to name and describe a problem and then explain how that problem affects a particular group of people, the environment, an institution, society, etc.
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Do you hope your reader will change their behavior, etc. as a result of finding out how something affects a particular group of people? |
Yes No Maybe
Explain your answer. |
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Counter Arguments: Counter Arguments bring in the opposite point of view with the goal of arguing against it, or using research to explain how the counter argument is completely or partially wrong, or how a different way of thinking would be better for any number of reasons.
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If your goal is to persuade people, you may wish to include counter arguments so you can argue against them. |
Yes No Maybe
Do you have a hostile audience? What would they benefit from hearing? |
Ideas for Use: Research Paper Sections
If You are a Tutor . . . .
Talk through this resource with your students. As they discuss why their paper should or should not have particular sections or components, listen for responses that indicate the student is thinking too broadly about paper writing in general (i.e. “All research papers need counterarguments.”) or that they are making decisions without critical thought—for example, if they say they need to include an “effects” section in their paper, ask them what effects they will discuss. Another issue that might come up is concerns about length—new college students might see a lengthy research paper as practically impossible. They can’t imagine how they will produce a 5 or 6 or 8 or 10 page long document, so they try to keep their paper as broad as possible so they can include as many possible topics as possible. Help them strategize through this kind of thinking. (See the Graphic Outline as another way to help students address their concerns about length.)
If You are Faculty . . . .
This resource can be used as a class activity or given for homework. Many students view their teachers as their audience and their goal has been to write to make them happy. Part of shifting to college writing is helping students consider an authentic audience. This resource provides tools to do that.
Graphic Outline
Overview
Outlines can be difficult to write, but often, students report feeling better once they have completed a workable outline. The graphic outline has the features of a regular outline, but it encourages students to consider how many pages or paragraphs they will need to adequately develop each aspect of their paper. For example, how long do they think their background will need to be? How many pages will it take them to describe all the aspects of the problem they hope to address? It also helps students consider what sources they will draw upon to write each part of their paper.
How It Helps
This resource helps with the following aspects of executive functioning:
Metacognition– Because this resource helps students see the paper as whole and to consider how the various parts will make up that whole, it helps with metacognition
Task Initiation– If a student is overwhelmed by where to start, a well-thought-out outline might help them begin, and it will also help them identify if they need more sources to back up parts of their paper, which then translate into a course of action- finding sources to bolster a particular part of their paper.
Inhibitory Control- If students struggle with focus and distraction, a clearly laid out outline might help them since they have divided up their paper into shorter, do-able chunks.
Graphic Outline
Many students say they often have a sense of relief after completing an outline because suddenly, the paper seems “do able.” This particular outline is different from the traditional outlines using numbers and letters because it encourages you to think about how long the different sections of your paper will be.
How to Complete the Chart
The goal of this graphic outline is think through each page of your paper and consider what you will write about or “say” on each page. Notice that there are 5 rows in the chart below, each one representing a page. (i.e. Page 1, page 2, etc.) However, you can add or subtract pages until it is the length of the paper you have been assigned to write.
In the left column, write in complete sentences or just write enough that you know what you are going to say on that page of your paper.
If your paper requires you to do research and use more than one sources, in the right column, name the sources you will use to prove the point you named in the left column. If helpful, you could also use that column to copy and paste quote you hope to use.
Sample Chart
See the example below for a three-page paper a college student might write on the challenges of students adjusting to college from high school:
Topic/ subjectIn this column, write down what topics you will cover and guestimate how many pages it will take you to do so. |
SourcesIn this column, list the sources you ALREADY have – by author or title or both- to write this part of your paper and make a note about what sources you still need.
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Page 1 Intro and thesis— How long will your introduction and thesis be? 1/2 of a page
What will you do to introduce your topic? In my intro, I will tell the story about how I failed my first history test because I didn’t understand that college studying was different from high school. Thesis: When students transition from high school to college, they often are not prepared to do as much reading as college requires and they struggle to manage time.
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Page 1 (half page) I will compare the amount of reading high school students have to do with the amount of reading college students have to do. (About 1/2 page) |
Mary Martin’s article “College Students Who Don’t Read”
Abdi Mahomed’s article “The Jump in Rigor between High School and College.” |
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Page 2 On page two I will explain how many students in high school got by with not reading their books and how they try to do that in college. This has led them to have poor reading habits. (3/4 of a page)
I will explain how students don’t know how to manage time since, in high school, this was done for them. (1 page) |
Mora Nguyen and Beth Schmidt’s article “What Do I Do Now? College Students Time Unmanagment.”
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Page 3 Time management continued.
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Conclusion- how long will your conclusion be? About ½ page |
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Works Cited/ References Page |
Blank Graphic Outline Chart
Topic/ subjectIn this column, write down what topics you will cover and guestimate how many pages it will take you to do so. |
SourcesIn this column, list the sources you ALREADY have – by author or title or both- to write this part of your paper and make a note about what sources you still need.
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Page 1 Intro and thesis— How long should your intro and thesis be? ______ What will you do to introduce your topic?
What is your thesis?
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Page 2
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Page 3 |
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Ideas for Use: Graphic Outline
If You Are a Tutor . . . .
Working through this assignment with students can help you see what they are thinking about their paper, its structure and their sources and how they plan to use them. Potentially, working on this assignment might reveal issues that can be solved before the student even begins writing– for example, if a student brings up similar points in multiple sections of the paper, or if points they say they want to develop in their paper don’t fit the assignment goals, you will notice this before the student writes a paper or essay that will need fundamental revision.
If You Are Faculty . . .
If you teach lengthier paper or research papers, the graphic outline might be a helpful in-class activity or homework assignment since it will allow you to see ahead of time what your students are thinking about paper organization, and how much “space” students think that each point will take them to make. It will allow you to help students develop realistic expectations about source use as well as paper length.
If this resource is used as a class activity, students can pair up or work in small groups to help each other with outlines. In situation where all students are given the same assignment, this can provide you with valuable insight into how students see it. If groups have widely different opinions about organization you can ask groups to justify their answers. In situations where each student has their own topic, students can help each think through organization, and they can see models of how other students have chosen to organize their papers.
Research Organizer
Overview
The research organizer helps students keep track of their thesis statement, sources and possible quotes or facts they would like to use in their paper all in one document. This source also encourages students to develop information literacy by asking them directly why their sources are credible– which allows instructors to tie back to any conversations or assignments they may have done that are designed to help students evaluate sources.
How It Helps
This source will help students with the following aspects of executive functioning:
Self-Monitoring– Because this source asks students to consider how they will use their sources, as well why they are credible they it helps students develop self-monitoring skills because they will realize they have a clear vision for how a source can be used or they are unsure.
Task-Initiation— This assignment has clearly defined steps and questions for students to complete. Students who feel overwhelmed by a research paper will now have a clear place to begin, and they will have what they need in one document.
Inhibitory Control– Students who struggle with larger projects because of focus concerns or anxiety might find this resource “digestible” since it has clearly laid out steps that may help students focus, and measure progress toward a goal.
Research Organizer
RESEARCH GUIDELINES:
(Put any information that students need to know about guidelines here. This could include how many sources they need, what types of sources, where they should find sources, etc.)
Research Question:
Thesis Statement:
SOURCES:
1). Author(s):
Title:
Journal/Publisher/Website:
Year of publication:
Why is this a credible source?
Facts or quotes that I can use to support my thesis:
2). Author(s):
Title:
Journal/Publisher/Website:
Year of publication:
Why is this a credible source?
Facts or quotes that I can use to support my thesis:
3). Author(s):
Title:
Journal/Publisher/Website:
Year of publication:
Why is this a credible source?
Fact or quotes that I can use to support my thesis:
4). Author(s):
Title:
Journal/Publisher/Website:
Year of publication:
Why is this a credible source?
Fact or quotes that I can use to support my thesis:
NOTES/QUESTIONS:
Research Organizer: Ideas for Use
If You Are a Tutor . . .
Sometimes students have difficulties organizing their outside sources and keeping track of what they’ve found and why it’s useful to their essay. Tutors can give the Research Organizer to students and have them fill it out during tutorials. This can spark conversations about what research is useful to their topic, what facts and quotes they want to be sure to include in their essay, and whether or not they have enough support from outside sources. By having the students fill out the organizer, they take the initiative for organizing their research. Tutors can guide students by asking questions such as:
- Where would you use this source in your essay?
- How does this source support your thesis?
- Is this a credible source? How do you know?
- Is this section adequately supported with evidence?
- What specific facts or quotes are useful from this source? Where would you like to include them in your essay?
If You Are Faculty . . .
- Give the students the Research Organizer as an out-of-class assignment. This can done in conjunction with a library day or research day when students learn about the library databases available to them and how to use them. They then fill out the Research Organizer in their own time, and turn it in. Faculty can then tell if they are on track with research or not.
- Give them time to fill out the Research Organizer in class. This can be done as a research workshopping day. After learning about the databases and library services available to them, students have an in class workshop day where they find sources and fill out the Research Organizer.
- Give the Research Organizer as an optional assignment. In more advanced courses, most students already have a system in place for organizing their research. However, the Research Organizer can still be helpful for students who struggle with organization and planning. Consider giving it to students as a resource they can choose to use.
7.3b Revising Resources
Reverse Outline
Overview
The reverse outline helps students build skills in revision– an area where students often struggle. Students might understand that their paper needs revision work, but they might not have a system for evaluating what they have written, or a process for addressing disorganization or confusing paragraphs. Students often resort to correcting grammar since that is “cut and dried.” This resource helps students see that revision is more involved that making sure sentences are grammatically correct.
How it Helps
This resource helps with the following aspects of executive functioning:
Task-Initiation: Revising might seem overwhelming to students, but this resource provides a step-by-step process they can follow to begin the process of revision.
Metacognition: This resource might help students look at their paper as a whole. They will see that all the parts of the paper should work together to support a main idea or conclusion, and it provides questions for students to think through to help them consider if and how each paragraph of their paper supports the main point they wish to make.
Reverse Outline
You are probably familiar with creating a regular outline, which is typically done early in the writing process. Creating a reverse outline is a bit different. Reverse outlines are created after a draft is complete. They can be helpful for seeing the overall organization of your essay and how elements of your essay connect back to your thesis.
Start by writing the thesis of your essay at the top of the page. Go through each paragraph, and write down the main idea of the paragraph. Then write down the evidence you have to support the main idea. Next, write down how it relates to your thesis statement. Do this for all body paragraphs. Once you’re done, take a look at your reverse outline, and ask yourself the following questions:
- Do all my body paragraphs support my thesis statement?
- Do any paragraphs have more than one main idea? If so, consider separating ideas into individual paragraphs.
- Do my body paragraphs have enough evidence and support? Where do I need to add more evidence?
- Are my ideas organized logically? Are my paragraphs in the best order?
- Are there places my readers might get lost? How can I best organize my essay to avoid confusion?
See the next page for a reverse outline worksheet.
Sample of a Reverse Outline:
Thesis: Spanking is not an effective disciplinary option because it does not work, it can lead to more aggressive behavior, and it can cause lasting psychological damage.
Body Paragraph One
Topic: Spanking should not be used as a disciplinary method because it simply does not work.
Evidence/Support: According to Jorge Cuartas, a researcher from Harvard Graduate School of Education, “we know there are better techniques, like positive discipline, that are more effective.” Research published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology showed that physical punishment was no more effective than other forms of non-physical punishment (Day and Roberts).
How this paragraph supports my thesis statement: This paragraph supports my thesis statement because it clearly shows through scholarly research that spanking doesn’t work. Because it doesn’t work, it should not be used to discipline children.
Body Paragraph Two
Topic: Another reason why spanking is not a good disciplinary option is because spanking can actually increase aggressive behavior in children.
Evidence/Support: According to a study published in Pediatrics, children who were spanked at age 3 showed increased aggression and behavioral problems at age 5 (Taylor et al.). Aggressive behavior has been shown to increase significantly with physical punishment in boys (Fairchild and Erwin). Additional studies from Pagani et al. and Gershoff and Grogan-Kaylor will also be included.
How this paragraph supports my thesis statement: This paragraph supports my thesis statement because it uses evidence from peer-reviewed journals to show how spanking increases aggressive behavior. Because spanking increases aggressive behavior, it is not an effective disciplinary option.
Reserve Outline Worksheet
Thesis:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph One
Topic:______________________________________________________________________
Evidence/Support:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How this paragraph supports my thesis statement:_________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph Two
Topic:______________________________________________________________________
Evidence/Support:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How this paragraph supports my thesis statement:_________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph Three
Topic:______________________________________________________________________
Evidence/Support:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How this paragraph supports my thesis statement:_________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph Four
Topic:______________________________________________________________________
Evidence/Support:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How this paragraph supports my thesis statement:_________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Repeat for all body paragraphs!
In Practice
I give the Reverse Outline as an assignment when my students are working on their argumentative research essay. After they have a thorough draft, students complete the outline and turn it in. This allows me to see if students are on the right track with their essays. I also have them get in groups and work together with their completed reverse outlines to identify areas of potential issues in their drafts. Sometimes, I will repeat this assignment with their final draft. I’ve noticed that most students see a difference between their first reverse outline and their final reverse outline. They can tell that their essay is more successful and better organized.
Elizabeth
Ideas for Use: Reverse Outline
If You Are a Tutor . . . .
This resource is great to use in one-on-one tutorials. Sometimes students expect tutors to “fix” their writing for them. This resource helps give students some agency over their work. Once a student has a draft, tutors can work with the student to fill out a reverse outline, with the student taking the lead in filling out the form. In doing so, they learn more about how their draft functions. Tutors can ask questions to get the student to think more about the success of their draft. Does this paragraph have a strong topic sentence? How does this section relate back to your thesis? Do you think this area has enough research or support? Encourage the students to revise their essay and then consider using the reverse outline a second time. This can help students to see the progression of their work.
If You Are Faculty . . . .
The reverse outline is an excellent resource to help guide student revisions. Revision can be a confusing process for students, and this can provide them with some direction. This resource could be used in a number of different ways. Here are some ideas:
- When students have a completed draft, ask them to create a reverse outline. Then ask them to develop a plan for revision based on their reverse outline. What will they cut, add, or change? How will this help the overall organization of their essay? They will then have a clear plan for how to revise their work.
- Use this resource during workshopping time. If a student seems stuck and unsure of how to proceed with their essay, give them the reverse outline. Filling it out will hopefully shed light on the areas of their essay that need more work.
- Use the reverse outline as a peer review element. Have students get into small groups or pairs. Everyone will exchange drafts and complete a basic reverse outline on their classmate’s draft. Then, they can discuss what plans for revision they recommend.
- Give the reverse outline as an assignment. Have them complete the reverse outline after they have a thorough draft. They can then turn in their outline, which can be helpful for instructors to see if students are on the right track.
Download Chapter 7 Resources
Download chapter 7 resources as a Word Doc. Customize them to suit your students’ needs.
Click Here: Chapter 7- Writing Resources
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- Self-Monitoring
- Task Initiation
- In Practice
- Metacognition
- InhC
