Topical Organization Pattern

Working Thesis:I believe that volunteering is a fulfilling experience that should become a part of everyone’s life.

Reason I. Volunteering is a win-win experience.

  1. story about someone whose life was changed by a little help
  2. story about someone who changed lives by helping

Reason II. Volunteering saves money that can better be utilized elsewhere.

  1. Hours x wage = hallways, parks, highways,
  2. Ideas where saved money could go

Reason III. Volunteering is the right thing to do

  1. imagine if people didn’t volunteer

1. describe NHHS without volunteers

2. describe no after hours with teachers, no letters of recommendation, no

B. imagine if people did volunteer

1. describe NHHS with volunteers

2. describe tutoring, the extra counseling, talking, efforts, imagine doors being held,

C. Which version of high school would you prefer?

Reason IV. The benefits of feeling good do affect your health

  1. feeling good reduces stress levelsin short term and long term
  1. making positive changes in lifestyle has short and long term effects
  1. volunteering changes the biorhythms and hormone levels

Problem-Solution Organization Pattern:

Working Thesis: Underage drinking has grown to become an epidemic in rural communities.

I. Underage drinking has been a major problem in the last decade or two

Get facts, statistics, and stories

Compare them to one or two generations (20 & 40 years ago)

Establish the growing problem

Cite facts

Transition into what to do about it.

II. Solution 1 abolish the drinking age

Short term effects

Long term effects

Still problems because

Even more problems because

III. Solution 2 lower the drinking age

Short/long term effects

Problems/even more because

IV. Solution 3

Better than solution 1 because

Better than solution 2 because

Yet...

Cause/Effect Organizational Pattern:

Working Thesis: Women in the work force has changed the face of American and has contributed to many of the societal problems in modern America.

  1. Establish the trend of more divorces
  2. facts and statistics of divorces
  3. compare those facts and statistics to earlier decades
  1. Establish the trend of more children needing more special services in schools
  2. facts and statistics of “troubled” children
  3. compare those facts and statistics to earlier decades
  1. Establish the trend of decreasing morality
  2. anecdotes of most popular school problems
  3. 1920s
  4. 1950s
  5. 1970s
  6. 2008
  7. anecdotes of lyrics
  8. 1940s
  9. 1950s
  10. 1980s
  11. 2008
  12. anecdotes of movies
  13. 1930s
  14. 1950s
  15. 1970s
  16. 2008
  1. Establish the trend of lost jobs and unemployment rates
  2. facts and statistics
  3. compare those numbers with earlier decades
  1. Concede issues that might also contribute to the problems in the world
  2. hypothetical example with media
  3. hypothetical examples with natural evolutionary changes
  1. Combine the effects to make the point
  2. No one can argue that women in the work force has changed the face of our society
  3. No one can argue that women in the work force has changed the dynamics of the family
  4. No one can argue that women in the work force has impacted men’s role in the work force
  5. Therefore, no one can argue that the role of women in the work force and the escalation of the family breakdown are not just coincidental; they are logical cause and effect.

String of Beads Organizational Pattern:

Working Thesis: Athletes are overpaid celebrities.

  1. Athlete 1 vs. President of the USA
  2. responsibility of the athlete
  3. responsibility of the President
  4. hypothetical example of pay rate

D. who is worth more?

  1. Celebrity 2 vs. ER doctor
  2. responsibility of the athlete
  3. responsibility of the President
  4. hypothetical example of pay rate
  5. who is worth more?
  1. Celebrity 3 vs. social worker
  2. responsibility of the athlete
  3. responsibility of the President
  4. hypothetical example of pay rate
  5. who is worth more?
  1. Celebrity 4 vs. teacher
  2. responsibility of the athlete
  3. responsibility of the President
  4. hypothetical example of pay rate
  5. who is worth more?
  1. Celebrity 5 vs. farmer
  2. responsibility of the athlete
  3. responsibility of the President
  4. hypothetical example of pay rate
  5. who is worth more?
  1. Pull it together to make your point
  2. Celebrities are important parts of society
  3. However, they are seriously overpaid for their level of responsibility and value

Topical organizational pattern (general argument)

Thesis: The artificial pancreas is the best chance for a future without diabetes.

  1. Artificial pancreas alleviates burden of testing and dosing.
  1. Make my point
  1. Concede that
  1. But it is the better than
  1. Artificial pancreas is essentially cost effective.
  1. Concede the cost of both is excessively high
  2. However, comparison still favors the fix, not the maintenance
  1. Artificial pancreas eliminates the issue of human error.
  1. Anecdotes of human error in babies, children, teens, pregnancy, elderly
  2. Accuracy rate of artificial pancreas

Problem-Solution (narrowed focus)

Thesis: Due primarily to the rising need to help the innocent individuals who contract type 1 diabetes, research needs to take a more radical approach to provide a viable alternative to diabetes management—it needs to find a cure.

  1. Problem
  1. Diabetes is a serious issue
  2. Options furnished so far are passé and need real attention
  3. The technology is obviously available
  4. Not the diabetic’s fault, yet more funding is going into helping alcoholics and smokers and that’s wrong.
  1. Solutions
  1. Artificial pancreas
  1. SCII subcutaneous insulin injection- closed loop system
  1. Beta cell transplantation
  1. Conclusion

OR

Problem-Solution

I. Problem 1 Cost

A. How do possible solutions compare

Pump

Islet cell transplants

Artificial pancreas

II. Problem 2 human error

  1. How do possible solutions compare

Pump

Islet cell transplants

Artificial pancreas

  1. Problem 3 Consistency for Better Health
  1. How do the possible solutions compare

Pump

Islet cell transplants

Artificial pancreas

OR

Cause-Effect (explanation/persuasion of rationale of an arguable effect)

Thesis: Because the cause is still unknown, too much research money is being wasted in treating the diabetes rather than searching for a cure.

I. Define diabetes

A. Old definition

B.New definition

C.If that isn’t enough to prove the point, then

II.Identify the potential causes

  1. Environmental
  1. Definition
  2. Example
  3. nonexample
  1. Auto-immune
  1. Definition
  2. Example
  3. Nonexample

III.Effects of this knowledge

A.If environmental cause, then money should be spent educating and rehabilitating

B. If auto-immune cause, then money should be spent researching stem cells or other innovative solution.

ORCause-Effect (explanation/persuasion of rationale for an arguable cause)

Despite the critics who want to blame the diabetic for their illness, research indicates that diabetes is truly an autoimmune disease, not an environmental issue.

  1. Define diabetes
  1. Distinguish type 1 and type 2 diabetes
  2. Recognize the obvious differences
  1. If an environmental cause
  1. If an auto-immune cause
  1. The effect of this knowledge is clear. Research needs to target the cure than just a palliative treatment.
  1. Treatment moneys
  2. Cure moneys

Practice Topics:

Argue that bottled water is a waste of money

Argue that television is a plague on humanity.

Argue that Americans are getting dumber.