The Outline for an Informative Essay

The outline for an informative essay is the framework that students and teachers build on. The class, the assignment, and the student all come together to create the lesson. And in the creation of that particular lesson there needs to be some sort of plan. So, when a writer begins to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard they have to come up with an outline. But what is the outline? What is the beginning?

An outline is the skeleton of the entire essay writing process. It is the first step in the process of creating an essay. It tells you in black and white where you are at and how far you’ve come. It gives you a sense of direction so that you know exactly what direction you want to go in. It can literally make or break your academic success with informative writing.

So how do you go about making an informative essay outline?

You write it! You do not have to be nervous about this part of the process. It’s just a first step and is often the hardest. But it’s also one of the most important.

Decide what direction you want to take with your writing

Do you want to write an essay, a research paper, a review, or even a book report? Then you need to decide what format you wish to use. If you choose to use a research paper then you must decide which research methodologies and which books you will use. Otherwise, you may find yourself writing an essay that is completely different from the original.

Decide on the structure of your written work

Are you looking for a simple thesis statement, multiple research papers, a concise review, or even an opinion piece? Once you know the direction you wish to take your written work then you can choose the format that works best for your needs. An informative essay needs to contain a clear thesis statement, supporting facts, and supporting arguments.

Writing the body paragraphs

Body paragraphs should contain all the information the reader should know within the space limits given for the outline. All facts must be referenced in the body paragraphs. When writing an informative essay, you can include personal opinions or general statements about the subject matter. However, you should avoid including opinions about the subject like “You should really try to go there.”

One of the biggest mistakes students make when they are writing the body paragraphs of their informational essay is the use of footnotes. Footnotes are simply numbered tags on the bottom of the page that are used to inform the reader that additional information is available at the website designated for the bottom of the page. However, many students do not properly use footnotes and write the names of the websites without the keyword. When writing an informative essay, it is important to always use footnotes and write the names of the websites after the title. This will ensure your student knows where to find additional information that they may have not previously been aware of.

The introduction to the essay is the most important part of the outline. It should begin with a brief introduction and end with a strong thesis statement that summarizes the entire body of the written work. A good way to start an outline for an educational essay is to write the opening and end chapter work in reverse order. For example, if you are writing an essay concerning the definition of human rights you would begin the outline for an informative essay with the opening paragraph, then write the main thesis statement, and end with the concluding paragraph for the purpose of summarizing the entire essay.

In conclusion

I would like to say that writing a great outline for an informational essay is not as difficult as some of the information may seem at first.