Synthesis essay

What is the synthesis essay?

Students are given
• intro and description of a topic that has
different perspectives
• Selection of sources that address the topic
• --nonfiction --non-textuals
• Fiction
• Poetry
• drama
 How do I answer the synthesis
essay?
• Investigate a variety of sources, both print and
visual
• Choose which of the sources to include in your
presentation
• Respond to these sources and discuss how
they relate to your thesis (position)
 You must
• Relate it to the thesis/claim
• Use specific examples (personal and
otherwise)
• Use selected sources to support the major
point
Textuals Non-textuals
• Essays • Photos
• Articles • Charts
• Graphs
• Fiction
• Art
• Drama
• Editorial cartoons
• Poetry • Newspaper pages
 Purpose of the synthesis essay
To determine ability to
• Read critically
• Understand and analyze texts
• Develop & support a position on a given topic
• Support a position with evidence from outside
sources
• Incorporate outside sources into texts of essay
• Cite sources used in the essay
 Two types of synthesis essays
• Expository essay where you develop thesis
and support with specific examples form
sources
• Compare and contraast
• Cause and effect
• analysis
 Second kind of synthesis prompt
• Must present an argument
• Must take a position on a given topic
• Must support position with outside sources
• Must indicate the weaknesses of the other
arguments
 How to tackle the synthesis essay
• Break down the synthesis prompt
1.Read any introductory material
2.Look for key words, phrases, other
information to make your job clearer
3.Highlight important terms and elements of the
prompt
 Intro example
• Invasive species are non native plants and animals that
thrive outside of their natural range and may harm or
endanger native plants and animals. As producers and
consumers in our global society, we affect and are
affected by species introduced accidentally or
intentionally to a region. Currently some people argue
for stricter regulations of imported species to avoid the
possibility of unintended negative consequences.
Others, however, claim that the economies and basic
resources of poorer nations could be improved by
selective importation of nonnative species.
 Assignment
• Read the following sources (including any
introductory information) carefully. Then write
an essay in which you evaluate what a business
or government agency would need to consider
before transferring a hardy but non-indigenous
species to another country. Synthesize at least
three of the sources for support.
Refer to the sources by their titles (source A, Source
B etc.) or by the descriptions in the parentheses.
 Time factor
• Suggested reading time
• Suggested writing time
Strategies—Critically read the texts
ANALYZE FOR
• Purpose/thesis
• Intended audience (Of the original article)
• Type of source (primary, secondary)
• Main points
• Historical context
• Authority of the author
• How material is presented
• Type of evidence presented/source of evidence
• Any bias or agenda
• How text relates to topic
• Support or opposition toward the thesis
 How to analyze non- textuals
• Identify subject of the visual
• Identify major components: characters, visual
details, symbols
• Identify verbal clues—tag lines, date, author,
dialogue
• Does visual take a positive or negative position
toward the issue?
• Identify primary purpose of the visual.
• Determine how each detail illustrates and /or
supports the primary purpose
 Practice
• Look at Source A and analyze.
• Subject—balsam fir trees destroyed by species
 Determine your position
• After reading the prompt construct a
preliminary position sentence/controlling
focus
• Ex: Government and businesses alike must
consider __________ __________ ________
before permitting importing a non-indigenous
plant or animal to a new region.
• Although importing a non-indigenous plant or
animal to a new region may be an easy fix,
 Selecting sources
• What is your purpose?
• Is the source background info or pertinent
info?
• Does the source give new info or info that
other sources cover?
• Does this source reflect viewpts of any other
texts?
• Will this info add depth to your essay?
 Selecting sources (cont.)
• Does this source contradict the viewpts of
other sources?
• Does the source support or oppose your
position?
 Summary of source
• Read closely and locate key words that enable
you to reduce the piece to its essential points

•
 Choosing which parts of the selected
texts to use
• Review the notes/highlights on your chosen
passages
• Ignore items you have not annotated
• Determine if each excerpt contributes to the
development of your thesis
 Choosing which part you will use--
body
• Identify major point each will support
• Does it strengthen your position (if not, ignore
it)
• How much of the excerpt will you use?
• Why have it in your essay?
• What comments can you make about it?
 How to incorporate--body
• If you have not annotated the piece ignore it
• Determine how each source develops, supports
your thesis
• 1. identify the major point each will support
• 2. analyze if the source/piece will strengthen
your point and not just refer to it.
• 3. determine how much you will use
• 4. Determine what comments you can make
about the point (analyze)
• 5. determine anticipated objection to the point
Source Point supported Quote/non-textual
aspect/
summary
/paraphrase

A Media ‘s use of Tearful survivors

survivors dominant element;
influenced public’s holding photos of
anger toward missing loved ones
terrorists (focal point)
 Summary
• Read article
• Underline key words
• Base summary on key words underlined
 Paraphrase
• Transpose the original material into your own
words
 Inference
• Draw a conclusion based on the important
information provided
• What do you get out of the material/source?
 Purpose of intro
• Catch reader’s interest
• Give background information necessary for
reader to understand point of the essay
• Introduce thesis that indicates purpose of
essay and order of points to be raised in
support of thesis.
 Writing intros
• Find a startling statistic that illustrates the seriousness
of the problem you will address. Quote an expert (but be
sure to introduce him or her first).
• Mention common misperception that your thesis will argue
against. (Many Americans believe. ..)
• Give some background information necessary for
understanding the essay.
• Use an anecdote that exemplifies reason for choosing the
topic. In an assignment that encourages personal reflection,
you may draw on your own experiences;
• In research essay, the narrative may illustrate a common
real-world scenario. (Freedman and Blotnik)
 Writing the conclusion
• Can include information from sources that you
did not use
1.Topic sentence –presents your position
2.Refer to source that makes a strong statement
in support of your position but did not give
adequate support to include in body
3.Design clincher to be more than just a tag on.
 Purpose of Conclusion
• place the paper in a larger context
• serve as a call for action
• set forth a warning or hypothesis
• intentionally complicate the issues you have
already introduced (Allyn and Bacon)
• Restate thesis in simplistic manner
• Clincher—refer back to attention getter (tell the
ending of the anecdote, put the statement,
statistic in context)
• If essay deals with contemporary problem, warn of
consequences of not attending to the problem.
• Recommend a specific course of action.
• Use quotation or expert opinion to lend authority to the
conclusion you have reached.
• Give a startling statistic, fact, or visual image to drive home the
ultimate point of your paper.
• If your discipline encourages personal reflection, illustrate your
concluding point with a relevant narrative drawn from your own
life experiences.
• Return to n anecdote, example, or quotation that you introduced
in your introduction, but add further insight that derives from the
body of your essay.
• In a science or social science paper, mention worthwhile avenues
for future research on your topic.