Outlining Reading Texts in

Various Disciplines
Teacher Jack’s Class
 Lesson Objectives
*Define outline and its uses
*Classify outlines according to content and
format
*Explain the outlining process and identify
the components of an effective outline.
*Create an outline on a particular topic.
 HALLIE EPHRON

Outlining is like putting on

training wheels. It gives
me the courage to write,
but we always go off the
outline.
What do you know
about outlining?
Benjamin Franklins once said “If you fail to
plan, you are planning to fail.” Good
execution needs good planning. A good
construction requires a strong framework or
foundation.
 WHY IS THE
S K E L E TA L
SYSTEM AN
I M P O RTA N T
STRUCTURE OF
THE HUMAN
A N AT O M Y ?
 W H AT I S T H E
I M P O RTA N C E O F
ARCHITECTURAL
SKILLS IN
BUILDING
CONSTRUCTIONS?
WHY IS THERE A
NEED TO LIST
ALL THE
INGREDIENTS
PRIOR TO
COOKING YOUR
DISH?
A N O U T L I N E I S A M A P O F Y O U R E S S AY.
I T S H O W S W H AT I N F O R M AT I O N E A C H
S E C T I O N O R PA R A G R A P H W I L L C O N TA I N ,
A N D I N W H AT O R D E R . M O S T O U T L I N E S
USE NUMBERS AND/OR BULLET POINTS
T O A R R A N G E I N F O R M AT I O N A N D
CONVEY POINTS. (GEORGE MASON
UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER, 2016)
AN OUTLINE OF AN
E S S AY C A N B E V E RY
HELPFUL FOR TWO
REASONS:
(1) AN OUTLINE WILL HELP
M A K E Y O U R E S S AY M O R E
ORGANIZED. A CAREFUL
PLAN WILL HELP YOUR
B O D Y PA R A G R A P H S S TAY
FOCUSED ON THE IDEAS IN
Y O U R T H E S I S S TAT E M E N T;
( 2 ) A N O U T L I N E S AV E S T I M E
F O R W R I T E R S . P R E PA R I N G A N
O U T L I N E C A N TA K E T I M E , B U T
WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED, YOU
WILL BE ABLE TO WRITE THE
R O U G H D R A F T O F Y O U R E S S AY
M O R E Q U I C K LY T H A N I F Y O U
D I D N ’ T H AV E A N O U T L I N E .
 Outline
IT IS A TOOL USED TO ORGANIZE
WRITTEN IDEAS ABOUT A TOPIC OR
THESIS INTO A LOGICAL
ORDER. IT ARRANGES MAJOR
TOPICS, SUBTOPICS, AND
S U P P O RT I N G D E TA I L S .
 Topic
THIS T Y P EOutline
OF OUTLINE IS
USEFUL FOR OUTLINING
R E L AT I V E LY S I M P L E
SUBJECTS
 Sentence
ANO U T L I NOutline
E WHICH
USES A
COMPLETE SENTENCE FOR
EACH ITEM.
 Paragraph Outline
THIS OUTLINE IS FITTING
F O R L O N G PA P E R S W H O S E
INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS CAN
BE SUMMARIZED IN WHOLE
PA R A G R A P H S
 Alphanumeric Outline
THIS IS THE MOST
COMMON TYPE OF
O U T L I N I N G F O R M AT W H I C H
USES ALPHABETS AND
N U M E R A L C O M B I N AT I O N S .
Alphanumeric Outline
0-9
I.
II.
IV
 Decimal Outline
A N O U T L I N I N G F O R M AT
W H I C H U T I L I Z E S O N LY
ARABIC NUMERALS TO
LIST MAIN POINTS.
 Brainstorming
LISTING ALL THE IDEAS
T H AT Y O U WA N T T O
I N C L U D E I N Y O U R PA P E R .
 Organize

G R O U P I N G R E L AT E D I D E A S
TOGETHER.
 Order
A R R A N G I N G M AT E R I A L I N
SUBSECTIONS FROM
GENERAL TO SPECIFIC OR
FROM ABSTRACT TO
CONCRETE.
 Label

C R E AT I N G M A I N A N D S U B
HEADINGS.
 Steps in Writing your Outline
*PURPOSE
*AUDIENCE
* T H E S I S S TAT E M E N T
*BRAINSTORM
*ORGANIZE
*ORDER (General to specific/Abstract to
concrete)
*LABEL
 ALPHANUMERIC OUTLINE
Roman numeral

Capitalized letter

Arabic Numeral

Lowercase letter

Arabic Numeral inside

parentheses

Lowercase letter inside

parentheses
ALPHANUMERIC OUTLINE
 DECIMAL OUTLINE

_Main point

_._ Sub point

_._._ Detail

_._._._Sub topic

_ . _ . _ . _ . _ Sub detail
1. Main Point: Effective leaders
encourage a high level of
performance by expecting the
best from their employees.
1.1. People are likely to live up
to a manager’s expectations.
 1.2. Called “Pygmalion effect”
i.e. expect the best and you’ll
get it.
1.3.
1.3.1. leader who expects the
best gets high achievement
 1.3.2. leader who doesn’t
expect much gets low
achievement.
1.3.3.
1.3.4. pays for leaders to
expect the best
 1.3. When a leader believes, the
group will succeed
1.3.3. Expectations become
self-fulfilling prophecy