"Imagine trying to put a puzzle together without being able to look at the pieces. Impossible, huh? But this is similar to the problem many college students face when tackling organization in their papers. These students might be visual or kinesthetic learners who thrive on hands-on learning methods, but they are expected to 'fit the mold' when it comes to traditional ways of organizing their thoughts on paper. Sometimes it helps visual and kinesthetic learners to see their papers as an actual puzzle that needs to be put together correctly.

Materials needed:
scissors, glue sticks or tape, white paper, and a photocopy of the student's paper.

First, discuss with the students the three or four main points they are trying to address in their papers. After these working thesis points are established, take a deep breath, and arm the students with scissors. Have them cut up their papers, separating each idea or sentence into a single unit. This may seem foreign to them at first, but assure them that they are only "destroying" a copy and that initial "destruction" is what they are looking for. Next, ask students to make different piles of sentences or ideas according to the main points that they support in their thesis. Most likely, they will also have a pile of information that does not "fit" the groupings. In revision, they might decide that these sentences don't support their thesis and should be revised out of the paper.

Once the students have sorted their ideas into piles, discuss and have them consider the concepts such as topic sentences, evidence, and transition sin order to experiment with arrangements of the sentences in each "paragraph" group. The cut and paste method allows them to rearrange the sentences any number of times on the desktop before deciding on a final arrangement. Finally, it's time to break out the glue sticks or tape and put ideas back together in a way that is organized according to the main ideas of the thesis.

By using this method, visual and kinesthetic learners not only find a way to organize their papers more clearly, but also a deeper visual and hands-on understanding of how and why organization in writing works."

A cut and paste activity using a preselected essay: Bertrand Russell's "Three Passions Have I"

From "Organization: Using Elementary Strategies in a College-Level Writing Center" written and prepared by the Woodbridge Campus Writing Center of Lori Leeker, Carla Abraham, Stephanie Mueller, Genny Marsh, and Sarah Potter with Brenda Mesiel, Writing Center Facilitator. Contact Brenda Meisel or the Woodbridge Campus Writing Center for more information.