Title (Person’s Name: Subtitle)

Answer the following questions? Besides your thesis statements, your answers do not need to be complete sentences. Do not post these questions on the final draft of your outline.

I. Introduction

  1. What is your grabber-your hook?
  2. What is your person’s date of birth and birthplace?
  3. What is your person’s family background?
  4. Thesis statement:

II. Relevant background information (Body Paragraph I)

  1. What relevant background information (childhood, school life, family, etc.) make this individual’s story unique? Be specific.
  2. How did these elements of his/her early years affect his/her formative years and success? Be specific.
  3. What was the time period like for him/her? What events were happening that might have shaped that person’s life?

III. Conflicts and Obstacles (Body Paragraph II)

  1. What obstacles has this individual faced, in life or his/her career/field that he/she had to overcome? Be specific.
  2. How did he/she approach and overcome these obstacles? Be specific.
  3. Were there other influential people in his/her life that contributed to his/her success? Explain.
  4. What are some awards or successes the person has earned after overcoming his/her obstacle?

IV. Contributions/Affects/Influences on Society (Body Paragraph III)

  1. What major/unique contributions has this individual made to his/her field? Be Specific.
  2. How has his/her success changed society? Be specific.
  3. How important is this person to other related fields? (Think outside the box.)

V. Conclusion (Choose one or two questions for consideration. Your answers should be several sentences in length.)

  1. Restate your thesis statement (not the same way as the one in your introductory essay).
  2. What is the big picture or big idea we can learn from this person?
  3. How will his or her influence carry on for future generations?
  4. How might our world be different had this person never existed?
  5. What famous quote has he/she said that is relevant to the big issues in this essay, and what should we learn from his/her statement?