Sample Materials

Each of these articles represents a different writing plan. By completing the exercises, you will understand how to find the main ideas in an articles based on the way it is organized, otherwise known as the writing plan.

• Click on the name of the article. If you are on a Northern Virginia Community College campus, the article will appear. If you are an NVCC student working at home, a screen will appear asking you for your remote access log on information, and the article will appear after you provide the information. If you are not an NVCC student, you will need to find the article using the information provided in the citation.When the article appears, print it.
• Click on Map in order to see a graphic representation of the main ideas of the article. Compare the article with the map and underline the ideas in the article.
• Click on Outline to see how this information is organized in outline form.

"A Killer's Self-Portrait." Sarah Van Boven (Description)

- Map
- Outline

"Echoes of the G.I. Bill." George Will (Sequence)

- Map
-Outline

"The Politics of Promotion." Patricia King (Comparison)

- Map
-Outline

"Low Marks for Top Teachers." Paul Trout (Causation)

- Map
-Outline

"The Question We Should Be Asking: Is Terrorism Wrong?"Alison Hornstein (Problem/Solution)

- Map
-Outline