Introduction
For this discussion board, you will compose a detailed outline that plans your academic essay, which you will write in the next week of the course. Your upcoming essay will need to be 4-5 pages in MLA format with 4-5 sources. In this essay, you will make a sound argument about the academic topic you’ve been working with in class. Remember: you must position yourself on one side of the debate for this assignment. 
You are required to have the following elements in your essay:  
(1) An introduction that introduces the topic and ends with a strong thesis. Your thesis should state your argument and its major reasons in a clear, concise manner;  
(2) A background paragraph that offers your reader more information about the topic and its current debate (or relevant history);  
(3) Two to four paragraphs that identify your two to four major reasons. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence that links back to the thesis, and you should support each body paragraph with sufficient, credible evidence and analysis;  
(4) Refutation of Opposing Arguments. You should present the opposing side or potential obstacles and offer a refutation in order to convince your reader and eliminate bias;  
(5) A conclusion paragraph that ties all of your paper’s points together and argues an overall significance. 

Assignment Guidelines
For the outline, you will NOT draft the essay; instead, you will begin to map out its frame. Please use the template below to construct your outline in a document. 
Outline Template:
Introduction: explain topic briefly
Thesis: write out thesis statement
Background: write out topic sentence for this paragraph
Identify key sources or quotes that need to go here (in note form)
Major Reason #1: write out topic sentence for this paragraph
Identify key sources or quotes that need to go here (in note form)
Major Reason #2: write out topic sentence for this paragraph
Identify key sources or quotes that need to go here (in note form)
Refutation of Opposing Argument: write out topic sentence for this paragraph
Identify key sources or quotes that need to go here to show the opposing viewpoint (in note form)
Identify key rebuttal points
Conclusion
Identify key points to argue paper’s significance (in note form)