Modern European History - Brunswick School Web viewName: _____ Modern European History Date: _____ Unit 6 –Nation-Building and War. Why Do I Have to Write Outlines? 12. 12. Outlines

Name: _______________ Modern European History Date: ____________Unit 6 –Nation-Building and War

Why Do I Have to Write Outlines?

Outlines Clarify Thoughts and Develop IdeasThe blank page can be intimidating. Writing an outline can help you get over any initial writer's block when starting a writing project. An outline can also be used as a brainstorming tool, helping you to develop your thoughts so you know just what it is you want to write. An outline can help you to clarify your thoughts, as well. What may start as a simple topic or general idea can become a specific argument with supporting details as you plan out your ideas and structure before you start writing the actual text.

Outlines Identify Weaknesses in ArgumentOutlines break down arguments and supporting details and can help you identify possible weaknesses in your argument. You may realize that you don't have a supporting detail for a main idea or that the support you have proposed is not strong enough. An outline may also help you identify points that are out of place, such as a supporting detail in the third paragraph that should really be in the first paragraph.

Outlines Organize Ideas to Stay on TargetWhen you write without an outline, it is easy for essays to become unfocused. Not only might supporting details be misplaced or missing, but the argument may go off on a tangent, including personal anecdotes, trivia, or information that is related to the topic but does not advance the argument. Writing an outline helps you ensure that your writing stays focused and helps you to organize your ideas so that they make the most impact.

Outlines Save TimeAn outline can create a step-by-step guide that makes the actual writing easier - saving you time. Once you finalize the outline, you can use it to write each paragraph of the essay. Once a complete outline is written, the actual project will mostly involve expanding and connecting the ideas together so they flow from one to the next. By the time you start the actual writing process, your outline has allowed you to work out any issues with the argument, details, and organization, so you won’t waste time revising an essay that is weak and unfocused.

Adapted and revised from “Importance of Doing an Outline Prior to Writing,” © 2016 Hearst Seattle Media, LLC.http://education.seattlepi.com/importance-doing-outline-prior-writing-3570.html

Read through the following essay outline and highlight and number each of the following elements; be sure to highlight only the basic information, phrase, word, name, etc. - not any additional information.

Argument paragraph #1

1-1      clearly identifies argument

1-2      evidence #1accurately supports argument

1-3      evidence #2accurately supports argument

Argument paragraph #2

2-1      clearly identifies argument

2-2      evidence #1accurately supports argument

2-3      evidence #2accurately supports argument

Argument paragraph #3

3-1      clearly identifies argument

3-2      evidence #1accurately supports argument

3-3      evidence #2accurately supports argument

Question: Why did the Europeans control such a small portion of Africa in the 1800s?

the geography of Africa made it difficult to explore/conquerthere were many unnavigable rivers that had fast-moving waters such as cataracts, waterfallsthere were many steep inclines that would be difficult to pass, such as the Great Rift Valley

their interactions with natives resulted in deaths for Europeansthey had battles with some of the tribes, such as when the Zulus fought and kept the British outthere were diseases that the Europeans did not have immunity to, such as malaria that killed many Europeans until the drug quinine was developed as a cure

many European countries stayed out of Africa in order to avoid political conflictsmany European countries already had many other colonies to oversee in other parts of the world, such as Australia, America, India, Southeast Asia, etc.there would be competition between many European nations for colonies and they did not want to go to war with other countries over new colonies, so they had the Berlin Conference to divide up Africa to avoid fighting among nations

geographyunnavigable rivers: cataracts, waterfallssteep inclines: Great Rift Valley

interactions with nativesbattles: Zulus fought the Britishdiseases: malaria (quinine)

political conflictsother colonies: Australia, America, India, Southeast Asia, etc.avoid war with other European nations: Berlin Conference