ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

I. UNIT NO. & TITLE: Unit 1: Reading Academic Texts

II. LESSON NO. & TITLE: Lesson 3: Outlining
III. WEEK NUMBER: Week 5 (September 28 – October 2, 2020)
IV. MODULE NUMBER: Module 4
V. OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson, students must be able to:

 Outlines reading texts in various disciplines

VI. ACTIVITY:
Directions: Identify whether or not the following statements support the principle of outlining. In your notebook, write
the letter of your answer.

1. Leo is writing a story about native birds in Virginia. Which fact for outlining idea doesn't belong?
A. The amount of colors on the male Cardinal
B. Flamingos get their color from eating shrimp
C. How many species are there of the Blue Jay?

2. Which technique is used to outline a successful essay?

A. Writing down all possible essay topics
B. Finding quotes by unknown people to backup essay
C. Writing down the main idea and all paragraph topics

3. Tavis is writing an essay on the features of the ocean floor, which idea doesn't belong in his essay?
A. The ocean floor is a very interesting part of Earth.
B. Volcanoes can spew hot lava everywhere.
C. There are many parts to the ocean floor.

4. Thesis statements should preview what each topic sentence is about.

A. True
B. False

5. What is a hook?
A. opening sentence that captures the reader's attention
B. the last sentence of a paragraph
C. a tool used to catch a fish
D. a boring sentence

VII. DISCUSSION:

What is Outlining?
Outlining is a tool we use in the writing process to help organize our ideas, visualize our paper's potential structure,
and to further flesh out and develop points. It allows the writer to understand how he or she will connect information to
support the thesis statement and the claims of the paper.

It is a helpful guide in organizing your paper. Outlines give a visual structure to your work and are used to show
relationships and hierarchies within your content.

To outline, you must create a linear, organized plan for your paper that shows the main ideas that you will discuss as
well as their relationships within the paper.

Organizing your idea in an outline

 Begin by answering the question that leads to your thesis statement.
 Use the two or three main ideas from this technique as your main heading.
 Write subtopics for each main idea.
 Write the supporting details for each of the subtopics.
 Use various outlines based on the structure you prefer

 Sentence outline – Using complete sentences as entries.

 Topic outline – Using words and phrases as entries.
 Paragraph outline – Using paragraphs as entries.

Guidelines in Writing an Outline:

 Place the title at the center above the outline.
 Every level of the outline must have at least two items (I and II, A and B, 1 and 2).
 Put a period after each numeral and letter.
 Indent each new level of the outline.
 All items of one kind (roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals) should line up with each other.
 Capitalize the first letter of each item.
 The terms Introduction, Body, and Conclusion do not have to be included in the outline. They are not topics;
they are merely organizational units in the writer’s mind.
Basic outline form

I. MAIN IDEA
A. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I
B. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I
1.Subsidiary idea to B
2.Subsidiary idea to B
a. Subsidiary idea to 2
b. Subsidiary idea to 2

II. MAIN IDEA

A. Subsidiary or supporting idea to II
B. Subsidiary idea to II
C. Subsidiary idea to II

III. MAIN IDEA

It is up to the writer to decide on how many main ideas and supporting ideas adequately describe the subject.
However, traditional form dictates that if there is a I in the outline, there has to be a II; if there is an A, there has to
be a B; and so forth.

Example Sentence Outline

The following outline is for a 5-7-page paper discussing the link between educational attainment and health.
Review the other sections of this page for more detailed information about each component of this outline!

I. Introduction
A. Current Problem: Educational attainment rates are decreasing in the United States while healthcare costs are
increasing.
B. Population/Area of Focus: Unskilled or low-skilled adult workers
C. Key Terms: healthy, well-educated

Thesis Statement: Because of their income deficit (cite sources) and general susceptibility to depression (cite
sources), students who drop out of high school before graduation maintain a higher risk for physical and mental
health problems later in life.

II. Background
A. Historical Employment Overview: Unskilled laborers in the past were frequently unionized and adequately
compensated for their work (cite sources).

B. Historical Healthcare Overview: Unskilled laborers in the past were often provided adequate healthcare and
benefits (cite sources).
C. Current Link between Education and Employment Type: Increasingly, uneducated workers work in unskilled or
low-skilled jobs (cite sources).

D. Gaps in the Research: Little information exists exploring the health implications of the current conditions in low-
skilled jobs.
 III. Major Point 1: Conditions of employment affect workers' physical health.
A. Minor Point 1: Unskilled work environments are correlated highly with worker injury (cite sources).
B. Minor Point 2: Unskilled work environments rarely provide healthcare or adequate injury recovery time (cite
sources).
IV. Major Point 2: Conditions of employment affect workers' mental health
A. Minor Point 1: Employment in a low-skilled position is highly correlated with dangerous levels of stress (cite
sources).
B. Minor Point 2: Stress is highly correlated with mental health issues (cite sources).

V. Major Point 3: Physical health and mental health correlate directly with one another.
A. Minor Point 1: Mental health problems and physical health problems are highly correlated (cite sources).
B. Minor Point 2: Stress manifests itself in physical form (cite sources)

VI. Major Point 4: People with more financial worries have more stress and worse physical health.
A. Minor Point 1: Many high-school dropouts face financial problems (cite sources).
B. Minor Point 2: Financial problems are often correlated with unhealthy lifestyle choices such unhealthy food
choices, overconsumption/abuse of alcohol, chain smoking, abusive relationships, etc.
(cite sources).
VII. Conclusion
A. Restatement of Thesis: Students who drop out of high school are at a higher risk for both mental and physical
health problems throughout their lives.
B. Next Steps: Society needs educational advocates; educators need to be aware of this situation and strive for
student retention in order to promote healthy lifestyles and warn students of the risks
associated with dropping out of school.

Example of Topic Outline

Several aspects must be considered in writing a topic outline.

1. Recall that all headings and subheadings must be words or phrases, not sentences.
2. Also, the wording within each division must be parallel.
3. Finally, as in any outline, remember that a division or subdivision cannot be divided into one part; therefore, if
there is an "A" there must be a "B," and if there is a "1" there must be a "2."

I. Family Problems
A. Custodial: Non-custodial Conflicts
B. Extended Family
C. Adolescent's Age

II. Economic Problems

A. Child Support
B. Women's Job Training
C. Lower Standard of Living
D. Possible Relocation
1. Poorer Neighborhood
2. New School
III. Peer Problems
A. Loss of Friends
B. Relationships with Dates

VIII. PRACTICE/APPLICATION/SYNTHESIS: See activity no. 1 and answer worksheet no. 4

IX. ASSESSMENT: See activity no. 2 and answer worksheet no. 4

X. REFLECTION: See activity no. 3 and answer worksheet no. 4

XI. FEEDBACK: Teacher’s comments or reactions after submission and checking.

 Worksheet No. 4
Name: Date:
Year & Section: Teacher:

Activity 1: The column on the left contains a list of points that are not in any specific order. Plug the unorganized points into the
classic outline format on the right to achieve a logical, organized structure. Write your answer in your notebook following the outline
on the right column.
Thesis: College provides an environment for intellectual, social, and physical growth.

Unorganized points Outline Structure

Open recreation center Dorm I.
contacts A.
Intramural program Campus
1. ___________________________
sponsored events Laboratories
2. ___________________________
Intercollegiate sports programs
Class contacts 3. ___________________________
Guest speaker’s Physical
B.
growth Informal social
1.
structure Discussions
Clubs in major field Out- 2.
of-class experiences
II.
Greek organizations
A.
Lectures
1.
Classroom experiences
2. _________________________
Social growth Intellectual
3. _________________________
growth Formal social
structure B.

1.

2.

III. ____________________________________
A. _______________________________
B. _______________________________
C. _______________________________

Activity 2: Directions: Read and analyze the text very carefully and create a topic outline or a sentence outline. Write your answer
in your notebook.
Your teeth and the structure of your mouth play important roles in your ability to eat, speak, and stay healthy.
Everyone has several different types of teeth. Each type has a unique name with specific number of teeth, has development,
has a slightly different shape, and performs different jobs and purpose.
 The teeth in the front of your mouth, and the easiest to see, are called incisors. There are four incisors on the top
and four on the bottom. Incisors are usually the first teeth to erupt — at around 6 months for your baby teeth, and between
ages 6 and 8 for your adult set. Incisors are shaped like tiny chisels with flat ends that are sharp. These teeth are used for
cutting and chopping food. They are the first teeth to chew most food we eat.

The pointed teeth on either side of your incisors are called canine teeth. People have a total of four canine teeth, two
on top and two on the bottom. Primary canines generally appear between 16 and 20 months, with the upper canines coming
in just ahead of the lower canines. Because they are pointed and sharp, they are used to tear food.

Next to your canine teeth are the premolars. You have eight premolars in all, four on top and four on the bottom. The
first premolars appear around age 10, with the second premolars arriving about a year later. They have a completely different
shape than both the incisors and canines. That is because premolars are bigger, stronger, and have ridges – all of which
makes them perfect for crushing and grinding food.

Finally, there are your molars. You have eight of these, four on the top and four on the bottom. Molars are the
toughest of the teeth. They are wider and stronger than premolars, and they have more ridges. Molars work closely with your
tongue to help you swallow food. The tongue sweeps chewed food to the back of your mouth, where the molars grind it until it
is mashed up and ready to be swallowed.

By age twenty, four more molars grow in the back of the mouth, one in each corner. These are called the wisdom
teeth. They appear between 12 and 28 months, People do not need wisdom teeth now, but many years ago these teeth were
necessary to help people chew tough plants, which were an important part of the human diet. Now, many people get their
wisdom teeth pulled by a dentist, a doctor who takes care of teeth, to keep them from crowding their other teeth.
The next time you eat, pay attention to which teeth do which jobs. Having a cookie? Incisors do a good job of biting
into that tasty treat. What about a carrot? Those molars get the job done, not the teeth in front. How about a slice of pizza or
a piece of bread? Your canines will help you tear at the food, and your premolars and molars will help you grind up that
pepperoni pizza or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Activity 3: Complete the paragraph with the necessary words or sentences that best describe what you have learned from the
discussion. Follow the format below.

I have learned that outlining…..…..

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