Write an Outline and Thesis Statement

What You Will Learn: In this Touchstone, you will apply what youve learned about planning the structure of an argumentative essay by developing a clear thesis and organizing your ideas into a structured outline.

Why It Matters: A strong thesis statement helps narrow the focus of your essay, and an outline aids the writing process by providing a structure for your essay. These foundational elements will help you stay focused, clarify your thinking, and improve your argumentative essay.

What You Will Hand In:

• A complete 12-page outline for your argumentative essay.
• This outline should include your thesis statement, at least three main points with subpoints for each, and a conclusion.
• Answers to two reflection questions.

Keys to Success:

• Your thesis statement takes a clear position on a debatable topic that is appropriate in scope for a 68-page essay.
• Your outline provides a structure for your argument with at least three supporting points and subpoints for each, and a conclusion.
• You answer the reflection questions thoughtfully and completely.

Helpful Links:

Instructions

Step 1: Formulate Your Topic Scope and Thesis Statement

• Choose a debatable topic appropriate for an academic argumentative essay. You may choose any topic you wish, as long as the stance is arguable, and the supporting reasons are defensible with evidence.
• Your topic should be current, appropriate for an academic context, and should have a focus suitable for a 68-page essay.
• You can use the same topic from Touchstone 1.1 and 1.2, or you can choose a new topic. Either way, the topic you choose on this Touchstone is the one you will also need to use in Touchstones 2.2, 3.2, and 4.
• Draft a clear, specific, and supportable working thesis that takes a stand on your topic.
• Your working thesis should be a single focused sentence, framed as an actionable statement that takes a clear position on the research question and includes 34 main supporting points for holding that position.
• Remember that your thesis establishes your papers main claim and previews the points or reasons that youll explore in the paper to support that claim.

Review the tutorial on .

Step 2: Create Your Outline

Your detailed outline provides a map of your final argumentative research essay, including your key claims and the sources that support them. You might not have the five to seven required sources yet, and that is fine, but at least three credible sources are required at this stage. The outline is a way to organize your essay and determine which areas (e.g., your subclaims) will require researched evidence as support.

• An outline gives you a blueprint for your paper that ensures you are staying focused and building a strong argument. Review the tutorials on and .
• Organize your argument with a clear structure that includes:
• Introduction and thesis statement
• At least three main points, each with supporting subpoints
• A conclusion that restates your thesis and wraps up your outline
• As you research and create your outline, come back to add the main points of your argument to the thesis statement.

Step 3: Answer the Reflection Questions

At the end of your outline document, include a short paragraph (46 sentences each) answering:

• What challenges did you face while narrowing your topic or writing your thesis?
• How did outlining help clarify your thinking or your position?

Step 4: Review and Submit

• Review the rubric to confirm that you have met all the requirements of the Touchstone. Once you are happy with it, you can submit it as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) file. Your submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your assignment.

Good luck! This first step is your road map to a strong essay!