Create an Outline


Planning, of any sort, is always a critical step in the writing process. Summarizing the novel should be avoided. You are not writing a book report but exploring connections between texts based on a common Essential Question. Developing an argument and maintaining that focus is the key; construct a precise argument and choose support that will strengthen it.

Now that you’ve written a thesis statement, plan an outline for your Critical Response to Text, and then it’s time to write your essay and flesh out your ideas.

Time to Read


  1. Review Critical Writing.
  2. Complete an outline that explores your understanding of the novel, the short story, and the EQ and how they are connected. Two optional outlines are provided: one has a transformational focus and the other a technical elements focus. Peruse them and find one to your liking; if you have a reliable one in your repertoire, please use it! For a quick overview of two ways to organize your body paragraphs, see the transformational focus plan or the technical elements focus plan.
  3. Review how to appropriately incorporate quotations from your novel into your essay.
  4. Recruit a peer to review your outline to ensure that you're on the right track.


Outline with a Transformational Focus
     
Outline with a Technical Element(s) Focus