So, if it is to help you to write an effective essay, a plan should make explicit the skeleton of an answer to the set question. One side of paper should be ample for planning a 1,000-1,500 word essay, and has the advantage that it can help you to see how the whole essay fits together. Your essay plan can usefully include five components:
(a) A summary of the introductory paragraph, which will orient the reader to what you are trying to do and how you intend to do it. This tells the reader what to expect and also sets the criterion of relevance against which they can judge whether or not your essay achieves what it sets out to do. Sentences in this paragraph should: highlight the terms from the title that you believe are important; make clear how you are interpreting the question; state your aims; and very briefly indicate the general line of argument and/or order of discussion that follows. If the full version of this paragraph gets beyond about half a side, it's too long; cut out any superfluous material and/or make your prose style terser.
(b) In the order in which you will present them, the main points of your argument. Express the essential idea behind each stage of your essay in a single sentence.
(c) Under each of these points, a brief reference to the evidence, examples and supporting material that will be included to support it. This will mainly involve outlining someone's argument(s) and/or details of empirical studies. Arrows may be added to indicate any cross reference between stages of the essay that you intend to include.
(d) A conclusion, which should relate to the essay question and follow clearly and logically from your preceding points.
If (a), (b) and (d) are expressed in coherent sentences (harder to do but far more effective than unrelated words or phrases), putting them together should produce an intelligible abstract or precis of your whole essay.