Essay #1: Synthesis

Important due dates and deadlines: SYNTHESIS DUE: Tuesday, March 3rd at the start of class FIRST DRAFT DUE: Thursday, March 5th at the start of class. Bring three completed, printed drafts for Peer Review Workshop FINAL DRAFT DUE: Thursday, March 19th at the start of class. You must also turn in your process work in a pocket folder (see list below)

Synthesis:
A synthesis is the act of blending information from multiple sources and melding it with the writer’s own ideas. A synthesis could involve quoting paraphrasing, and/or summarizing source material. To avoid plagiarism when synthesizing source material, you need to clarify which ideas are taken from which sources and which ideas are your own through correct MLA in-text citations and documentation.

For your first formal synthesis assignment, keeping the sources you have read so far in mind, write 1-2 pages to answer the following questions. The first one is mandatory, and you may select from the rest the ones that are most applicable to your research topic/process. Split your ideas into paragraphs, and use the third person voice throughout your synthesis. Focus on weaving together the ideas you have and you have read about in your sources and showing how they work together. You will need to include a Works Cited page at the end of the synthesis with any sources you refer to in the assignment. You can use this as the basis for your Works Cited page for your final essay.

Questions to consider:
1. (Mandatory) As you read, you will become aware of concepts, interpretation and controversies relating to your topic, and that you are entering a larger conversation. Describe the conversation you are entering with writing this essay. What is the larger debate that you are taking part in? Remember, simply stringing together words and ideas of others is not enough. You need to show readers how your source material relates to one another and to your thesis.
2. What sources make the strongest arguments? What makes them so strong?
3. Do some arguments recur in several sources?
4. Which arguments do you agree with? Disagree with? Of those you disagree with, which ones seem strong enough that you need to acknowledge them in your text?
5. Are there any disagreements among your sources?
6. Are there any themes you see in more than one source?
7. Are any data- facts, statistics, example- or experts cited in more than one source?
8. What have you learned about your topic? How have your sources affected your thinking on your topic? Do you need to adjust your research question? If so, how?
9. Have you discovered new questions you need to investigate?
10. Keep in mind your