Paper Organization

Part one: Full PaperA Journey Onward from the 5-

Paragraph Essay

Back in High School, so Long Ago…

The Five-paragraph Essay

It was a good start for what it was trying to do: “Say what you’re going to say, then say it, and then say what you said.”

Example 5-paragraph Essay

• Thesis: “Boys rule and girls drool. Boys are too cool for school.”

• Outline:1. “Boys rule and girls drool.”2. Evidence for boys ruling

1. point one2. Point two

3. Evidence for girls drooling1. point

4. Evidence for boys being too cool for school1. Point one2. Point two 5. Conclusion: “Boys rule and girls drool. Boys are too cool for school”

Strengths of the 5-Paragraph

• Easy to write quickly• Easy to follow• Well-suited for 2-3 page assignments• It’s a classic!

And Weakness of the 5-Paragraph

• Difficult for long papers• Lose opportunity to include

additional useful information such as history or review of literature.

• Comes off as less sophisticated.

So what other options are there?

• Compare/Contrast• History• Review of Literature• Argument and Counter-argument• Implications• Etc.

Consider Timbur’s Paper

1. Introductiona) Roots of SACHED and its goalsb) Changes in race relationsc) Critique of 70s-era black educationd) Political composition of SACHEDe) Explanation of thesis (definitions, etc.)f) SACHED popular literacy

2. Popular Literacy and SACHEDa) Roux’s work “Easy English”b) Origins of “Easy English”c) Problems with “Easy English”

…

How does this outline change things?

Lengthening and strengthening

A More Sophisticated Outline

• Thesis: “Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider; girls go to Mars to get more candy bars.”

1. Thesis2. History of juvenile space travel3. Lack of gender studies in review of literature4. Boys’ increased stupidity, post-Jupiter

1. Evidence #12. Evidence #2

5. Girls’ increased candy from Mars1. Evidence #12. Evidence #2

6. Implications for gender relations on Earth7. Conclusion

Strengths of a Mixed Outline• Greater freedom of motion• More information than just analysis

Weaknesses of a Mixed Outline

• Can be harder to follow– Hint 1: Try using sub-headings!– Hint 2: Try setting out “road map” in

thesis

• Best for longer papers

Bless Your HS Teachers!The 5-paragraph essay is a beautiful thing

and very useful for high school students to learn, but there’s a whole world of organization out there. Go and write!

Please remember to go home and write your high school teacher a nice email thanking him/her for teaching you the basics of writing!