Name
Unit 1: Ancient Legacies, Modern World
World History 9-Minchillo
Homework Directions: Read and highlight pages 1-2 below. Then complete exercises 1 and 2
that follow. Stop at the end of page 4. We will review and discuss your answer in the next class.
How to Write a Paragraph Using a Formal Outline
What is a paragraph?
You have written paragraphs before. However, you are now at the stage in your learning were
expectations for your writing have increased. Teachers in high school expect more precise ideas,
more details in explaining your ideas, and more concise and clear analysis.
When high school teachers ask you to “write a paragraph for homework on…”, the expectation is
that the paragraph will be between 12-16 sentences. It is also assumed that your paragraph will
be a structured thought process that provides evidence for a central idea. This means that a
paragraph will have the following:
topic sentence:
the central idea or argument of the paragraph
- a narrow idea stated broadly
- concise language
- 1 complete sentence
subtopic sentence: expansion on one aspect of the topic sentence
- a specific idea stated precisely
- concise language
- 1 complete sentence
*There must be TWO ideas present in the paragraph that
directly connect to and expand upon the topic sentence.
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proof:
in history this is called factual evidence
(in the form of artifact, document, or factual references)
in English this is called textual evidence
(in the form of quotes and descriptions)
in science this is called empirical evidence
(in the form of scientific observations)
- proof must be relevant to the subtopic sentence
- multiple examples may be provided
analysis:
critical examination of how the proof “proves” the idea stated in your
subtopic sentence
- not a restating of proof
- not a restating of the subtopic sentence
- statement(s) that clearly and obviously explain how the
proof and the idea are connected (This may seem
obvious to you, but assume it is not obvious to your
reader.)
- concise language
- multiple sentences may be used if necessary
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Exercise 1: The following sentences have been taken from a complete formal paragraph.
Read each sentence. Determine if it is a topic sentence, a subtopic sentence, proof, or analysis.
Explain your answers. You do not have to do them in order. Feel free to skip around.
1. After this, the Japanese government was forced to pay closer attention to threats to nuclear
plants, and formed committees to investigate potential problems and possible solutions.
2. Japan’s nuclear crisis is entirely the result of the country’s lack of natural resources and
geographic location.
3. Japan is the world’s largest imported of coal and liquefied natural gas, and the third largest
importer of oil after the United States and China.
4. But even though the Japanese government’s intentions were justified, the nuclear reactors
can pose a very real threat to people and the environment if their stability is threatened in
any way.
5. Japan is located on the border of four different tectonic plates, which makes it extremely
vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis.
6. Both earthquakes and tsunamis can cause massive destruction of property and death if they
are of a large scale and hit a densely populated area.
7. A perfect example of this destruction was the March 2011 tsunami, which severely damaged
four of six nuclear reactors.
8. This type of threat and damage was experienced before between 2005 and 2007, when
three Japanese nuclear power plants were shaken by earthquakes and threatened the
stability of the reactors.
9. Earthquakes are a sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by the sudden
movement of large sections (tectonic plates) of the earth’s rocky outermost crust, while
tsunamis are a series of great sea waves caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide,
or volcanic eruption.
10. Such reliance on foreign imports encouraged the Japanese government to build nuclear
reactors that would fuel a national nuclear power program.
11. Yet it is clear that these geographic threats will continue to pose a problem for Japan and
cannot be eliminated.
12. As a nation of several small mountainous islands with limited natural resources, Japan does
not produce any resources needed to fuel its industrial society.
13. Designing a plan to phase out nuclear power is probably a more realistic goal, as long as
the country can find new forms of renewable energy to replace its nuclear reactors.
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Exercise 2: Now look at the same sentences in paragraph form. Using 4 different color
highlighters, highlight each sentence in the paragraph according to the key below.




topic sentence
a subtopic sentence
proof
analysis.
Japan’s nuclear crisis is entirely the result of the country’s lack of natural resources and
geographic location. As a nation of several small mountainous islands with limited natural
resources, Japan does not produce any resources needed to fuel its industrial society. Japan is
the world’s largest imported of coal and liquefied natural gas, and the third largest importer of
oil after the United States and China. Such reliance on foreign imports encouraged the
Japanese government to build nuclear reactors that would fuel a national nuclear power
program. But even though the Japanese government’s intentions were justified, the nuclear
reactors can pose a very real threat to people and the environment if their stability is threatened
in any way. Japan is located on the border of four different tectonic plates, which makes it
extremely vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis. Earthquakes are a sudden and violent
shaking of the ground caused by the sudden movement of large sections (tectonic plates) of
the earth’s rocky outermost crust, while tsunamis are a series of great sea waves caused by an
underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. Both earthquakes and tsunamis can
cause massive destruction of property and death if they are of a large scale and hit a densely
populated area. A perfect example of this destruction was the March 2011 tsunami, which
severely damaged four of six nuclear reactors. This type of threat and damage was
experienced before between 2005 and 2007, when three Japanese nuclear power plants were
shaken by earthquakes and threatened the stability of the reactors. After this, the Japanese
government was forced to pay closer attention to threats to nuclear plants, and formed
committees to investigate potential problems and possible solutions. Yet it is clear that these
geographic threats will continue to pose a problem for Japan and cannot be eliminated.
Designing a plan to phase out nuclear power is probably a more realistic goal, as long as the
country can find new forms of renewable energy to replace its nuclear reactors.
What do you notice about the structure of the paragraph?
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What is an outline?
An outline is a formal system used to organize your ideas, proof and analysis. It helps provide
focus and organization in your writing. Think of outlines as the skeleton of the paragraph. The
more “muscle” that is on the skeleton, the easier it will be to formalize and polish your paragraph.
The sentence outline is done in full sentences and follows a rigid format, using Roman and Arabic
numerals along with capital and small letters of the alphabet. This helps both you and anyone who
reads your outline to identify the main ideas of your paragraph and follow the flow of these ideas.
Paragraph Outline Format:
TOPIC SENTENCE: One sentence that identifies the central idea or argument of the paragraph
and provides a clear path for two specific subtopic sentences.
a. One sentence that expands specifically on one aspect of the topic sentence.
.
1. specific factual evidence that proves the subtopic
2. specific factual evidence that proves the subtopic
3. if documents are provided, specific document evidence that proves the subtopic
b. One sentence that expands specifically on one aspect of the topic sentence.
.
1. specific factual evidence that proves the subtopic
2. specific factual evidence that proves the subtopic
3. if documents are provided, specific document evidence that proves the subtopic
Closing Analysis: One sentence that brings closure to the topic of the paragraph. It may
connect the main idea of the paragraph to the main idea of the next paragraph. If this is the case, it
is referred to as a transitional sentence.
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Exercise 3: Now look at the same paragraph in outline form. Compare the outline to the full
paragraph given below it. In the paragraph, highlight only the sentences and phrases that were
listed in the outline.
I.
Japan’s nuclear crisis is entirely the result of the country’s lack of natural resources and
geographic location.
A. As a nation of several small mountainous islands with limited natural resources, Japan
does not produce any resources needed to fuel its industrial society.
1. world’s largest imported of coal and liquefied natural gas
2. the third largest importer of oil after the United States and China
3. government built nuclear reactors that would fuel a national nuclear power
program
B. Japan is located on the border of four different tectonic plates, which makes it extremely
vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis.
1. earthquakes: sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by the sudden
movement of large sections (tectonic plates) of the earth’s rocky outermost crust
2. tsunamis: series of great sea waves caused by an underwater earthquake,
landslide, or volcanic eruption
3. both can cause massive destruction of property and death
4. example: March 2011 tsunami, which severely damaged four of six nuclear
reactors
5. example: between 2005 and 2007, three Japanese nuclear power plants were
shaken by earthquakes and threatened the stability of the reactors
6. government was formed committees to investigate potential problems and
possible solutions
Designing a plan to phase out nuclear power is probably a more realistic goal, as long as the
country can find new forms of renewable energy to replace its nuclear reactors.
Japan’s nuclear crisis is entirely the result of the country’s lack of natural resources and
geographic location. As a nation of several small mountainous islands with limited natural
resources, Japan does not produce any resources needed to fuel its industrial society. Japan is the
world’s largest imported of coal and liquefied natural gas, and the third largest importer of oil after
the United States and China. Such reliance on foreign imports encouraged the Japanese
government to build nuclear reactors that would fuel a national nuclear power program. But even
though the Japanese government’s intentions were justified, the nuclear reactors can pose a very
real threat to people and the environment if their stability is threatened in any way. Japan is located
on the border of four different tectonic plates, which makes it extremely vulnerable to earthquakes
and tsunamis. Earthquakes are a sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by the sudden
movement of large sections (tectonic plates) of the earth’s rocky outermost crust, while tsunamis
are a series of great sea waves caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic
eruption. Both earthquakes and tsunamis can cause massive destruction of property and death if
they are of a large scale and hit a densely populated area. A perfect example of this destruction
was the March 2011 tsunami, which severely damaged four of six nuclear reactors. This type of
threat and damage was experienced before between 2005 and 2007, when three Japanese nuclear
power plants were shaken by earthquakes and threatened the stability of the reactors. After this, the
Japanese government was forced to pay closer attention to threats to nuclear plants, and formed
committees to investigate potential problems and possible solutions. Yet it is clear that these
geographic threats will continue to pose a problem for Japan and cannot be eliminated. Designing a
plan to phase out nuclear power is probably a more realistic goal, as long as the country can find
new forms of renewable energy to replace its nuclear reactors.
6
Look at the remaining sentences and phrases that were not highlighted.
1. What types of sentences were not included in the outline? Why?
2. What types of phrases were not includes in the outline? Why?
Independent Practice:
You have been assigned a paragraph writing exercise. You are to write a formal paragraph
answering the following question:
“How does the Code of Hammurabi demonstrate Babylonian ideas of justice?”
Before you write your paragraph, you must write an outline of the paragraph following the
guidelines discussed in this packet.
Then, you are to conference with me for 15 minutes to review your outline. For this conference,
you must have a printed out draft of your outline. Do not be concerned if it is not perfect. It is not
expected to be. However, it is expected that you will put time and effort into the draft. During the
conference, we will use the checklist below to review your outline.
After your outline has been reviewed, you will write your final draft of your paragraph and submit it
to Turn It In.
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Needs Imp’ment (D)
basic req’ments (C)
Satisfactory (B)
NOTE:
Keep your draft. Attach this to your draft. Refer to this check list when
writing.
Outline and Conference:
You will receive 10 points for scheduling and showing up to our conference.
You will not be graded on your outline. The purpose of the grading below is
to give you an idea of what the expectations are and to help you evaluate
your own work. The expectation is that you will use this checklist to improve
your draft, so that you can improve your writing skills, and ultimately your
grade.
Topic sentence
 presents a central idea for the paragraph that is specific, but
presented in a broad way.
 answers the question
 provides direction for paragraph by presenting the topics for the
subtopic sentences
 concise language (not wordy, does not restate the question)
 grammatically correct full sentence (not a run-on sentence or
fragment)
 1 complete sentence
Subtopic sentences
Each subtopic sentence:
 expands on one of aspect of the topic sentences
 presents a specific idea, but with more analysis
 requires factual content and/or document evidence to support the
idea
 concise language (not wordy, does not restate the question)
 grammatically correct full sentence (not a run-on sentence or
fragment)
 1 complete sentence
Proof (evidence)
 listed relevant factual content that supports the subtopic sentence
above it
 details phrased, not just a word or topic
 paraphrased reference to document(s) that support the subtopic above
it
 document evidence has parenthetical citations
Closing sentence
 critical examination of overall information presented
 provides closure to paragraph or transition into another idea
 does not restate topics sentence or subtopic sentences
 statement that clearly and obviously explains how the proof and the
ideas are connected
 concise language (not wordy, does not restate the question)
 grammatically correct full sentence (not a run-on sentence or fragment)
 1 complete sentence
Well Done (A)
Minchillo-WH 9
Exemplary (A+)
Hammurabi Outline & Conference Checklist
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