English 11.67
Group Exercise: Outlining & Organization

Select ten of the following ideas and pieces of information and arrange them into a persuasive, effectively structured argument.
1) look over the various ideas below and, with your peers, choose a central idea to pursue
2) establish/choose an intended audience for your argument
3) choosen 10 pertinent bits from the list
4) organize these bits into an effective, logical grouping
5) if you have time, create an arguable thesis statement for the projected essay

--short quote by movie star about using protection
--short quote by athlete about abstinence until marriage
--short quote by doctor about dirty needles carrying HIV
--short quote by gay politician about practicing safe sex
--short quote from religious text about beauty of sex within marriage
--short quote by activist who got HIV when she was raped and is calling for greater punishment for rapists

--medical definition of HIV from dictionary
--medical explanation of HIV’s progression into AIDS from web site
--list of ways of getting HIV from medical journal
--table of treatment options to slow HIV’s progress from medical dictionary

--story about lifestyle which led to HIV by former male politician
--story by dying boy about getting HIV from hospital blood transfusion
--story about AIDS-related mortality rate across Russia by NBC reporter
--story about AIDS-related mortality rate across Africa by CBS reporter
--story about slow, excruciatingly painful progress of AIDS by dying woman

--2004 study on the many strains of HIV which are resisting treatment
--1997 study on a possible cure for HIV
--2002 study concerning a new drug which may slow progress of HIV
--1980 book chapter concerning spread of HIV in Africa
--2003 report on state of HIV in America by Newsweek
--1999 study on gay culture and HIV in New Zealand by medical journal

--diagram of HIV virus and its effect on cells
--picture of older woman dying from AIDS in hospital bed
--picture of dead youth killed by AIDS in 1985

--your own “imagine what it would be like to . . .” story/anecdote
--other sources . . .

Paul Marchbanks
marchban@email.unc.edu