GSW 1120/ Oesch-Minor

Significant portions of this PowerPoint are excerpted from a handout by Ethan Jordan who attributes credit to Amanda

Rzicznek’s work as adapted from a synthesis exercise by Mike Czyzniejewski and Dan Rzicznek.

Slides 3, 12 and 13 are from the Writing Center “Synthesis” handout http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/enrollment/file108392.pdf

In the rest of the papers you will write for 1120, you will be required to implement a process called

“synthesis.” Synthesis is merely a term that describes

a connection between sources.

Once you find these connections, you will use them

to draw conclusions that will help you formand defend your thesis.

Using direct quotes from multiple expertsfurther legitimizes your claims.

SYNTHESIS

Tips for Effective Synthesis

Become familiar enough with your sources that you don’t simply reiterate them within your essay; discuss them in relation to your points and arguments.

Use more than one source per point. The sources you’vechosen should share common ground—your thesis—so using at least two sources to support a single point shouldn’t be troublesome.

Using multiple sources to illustrate each point makes youlook more credible as a writer and researcher; the moresources you can use to back up a particular point, the morelikely your readers will be to side with your argument.

After quoting two sources, be sure to explain how the quotesnot only relate to your main ideas but also how the quotesrelate to each other.

Strong synthesis relies on an effective thesis statement.

SYNTH-ICE-SIS

I Introduce the expert

C Cite support

(a short quote works perfectly)

E Explain the connection

Use the I-C-E technique to help organize paragraphs and create synthesis.

Experts on marketing trends in the 1980s assert that parents share a responsibility along with marketers in the dramatic increase of

advertising targeting children. In writing about how children become the targets of advertising, Eric Schlosser says, “The explosion in children's advertising occurred during the 1980s. Many working

parents, feeling guilty about spending less time with their kids, started spending more money on them” (519). Schlosser claims that parents

invested more money on products for children to ease their guilt about not investing enough time in their children. Literature professor

Elizabeth Teare agrees with Schlosser that parents are culpable in the commercial aspects of advertising, as she says, “middle class parents are ‘turning [their children] into commodities’ by providing them with cultural signs, like books, that adults think signal parenting success” (553). According to Teare, parents believed that indicators of good

parenting could be purchased. In this way, they could self-identify as a good parent if their children had artifacts like books and American Girl dolls. Clearly, these authors support the idea that marketers are not the

only ones to blame for the rise in children’s advertising; parents’ purchasing habits fueled marketing trends.

FIRST EXAMPLE:TWO (OR MORE) SOURCES

THAT AGREE

Topic SentenceIntro x “Cite x” (27).

Explain x LINK (x agrees with y)

Intro y “Cite y” (43).

Explain y Wrap-up

SYNTHESIS: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

I

C

E

I

C

E

Experts on marketing trends in the 1980s assert that parents share a responsibility along with marketers in the dramatic increase of advertising targeting children. In writing about

how children become the targets of advertising, Eric Schlosser says, “The explosion in children's advertising

occurred during the 1980s. Many working parents, feeling guilty about spending less time with their kids, started

spending more money on them” (519). Schlosser claims that parents invested more money on products for children to ease

their guilt about not investing enough time in their children. Literature professor Elizabeth Teare agrees with Schlosser

that parents are culpable in the commercial aspects of advertising, as she says, “middle class parents are ‘turning

[their children] into commodities’ by providing them with cultural signs, like books, that adults think signal parenting

success” (553). According to Teare, parents believed that indicators of good parenting could be purchased. In this way, they could self-identify as a good parent if their children had

educational artifacts like books and American Girl dolls. Clearly, these authors support the idea that marketers are not

the only ones to blame for the rise in children’s advertising; parents’ purchasing habits fueled marketing trends.

Topic SentenceIntr

o xCiteExplainLIN

KIntro y/CiteExplainWrap-Up

SYNTHESIZE ME

Experts on marketing trends in the 1980s assert that parents share a responsibility along with marketers in the dramatic increase of

advertising targeting children.

In writing about how children become the targets of advertising, Eric Schlosser says, “The explosion in children's advertising occurred during the 1980s. Many working parents, feeling guilty about spending less time

with their kids, started spending more money on them” (519).

Schlosser claims that parents invested more money on products for children to ease their guilt about not investing enough time in their children.

Literature professor Elizabeth Teare agrees with Schlosser that parents are culpable in the commercial aspects of advertising, as she says, “middle class parents are ‘turning [their children] into commodities’ by providing

them with cultural signs, like books, that adults think signal parenting success” (553).

Clearly, these authors support the idea that marketers are not the only ones to blame for the rise in children’s advertising; parents’

purchasing habits fueled marketing trends.

SYNTHESIS EXPERIMENTExtra Meaty

SUMMARIZEDirect QuotePARAPHRA

SEDirect QuoteDirect Quote

Stack evidence. Integrate multiple quotes. Fact pack. Make it extra meaty.

Synthesis of Information that Disagrees =

COUNTERARGUMENT

Two (or more) sources that disagree:

Daniel Hade describes how the American Girl dolls are damaging to children, even though they may seem harmless: “Misspelled names, inaccurate routes, and misleading statements about what life was life like in Sweden may seem like just a few insignificant details, but the effect upon the message is quite significant” (567). Here, Hade argues that the historical misinformation marketed with American Girl dolls’ inaccurately shapes children’s views of real-world historical accounts. Ihave A. Fakename disagrees with Hade, arguing that children’s media requires oversimplification, as she says, “If children play with dolls (even inaccurate ones) that represent historical figures or truths, isn’t the lie better than the truth in that case?” (59). Thus, in Fakenames’s opinion, even if there are issues with the historical accuracy of children’s toys, play is the most important aspect for proper development in children.

MANAGING IN-TEXT CITATIONS

Note how each source is properly cited, with author introduced and source qualified

for the initial citation. In writing about how children become the targets of advertising, Eric Schlosser says, “The explosion in children's advertising occurred during the 1980s. Many working parents, feeling guilty about spending

less time with their kids, started spending more money on them” (519).

Also keep in mind that these examples are simple, that you can include more sources or more text in-between your citations, as long as the connection is

made clear with transitions (i.e., “agrees,” “disagrees,” etc.) that show why and how you’re

connecting them in the first place.

GSW Approved: Types of Synthesis

Similarity: shows how two sources corroborate (agree) with one another. Ex.: Atwood, like Cohen, argues that popular culture plays an important role in the composition classroom.Contrast: shows how two sources support a point in different ways. Ex: Unlike Cohen, Atwood argues that”Accumulation: shows how one source builds on the idea of the other. Ex: “Building on Cohen’s point, Atwood proposes” or

“Atwood adds to Cohen’s point by noting”Causation: shows how one source discusses the effects

of another source’s ideas. Ex: “Though Cohen identifies the importance of popular culture in the composition classroom, Atwood posits an effect”

Verbs of Attribution

How do you know which verb of attribution to use?As with so many things in writing, it depends on context.

In an argumentative essay, try verbs like affirm, argue, confirm, deny, disagree, and verify, where applicable.

For research essays, try introducing a quotation or paraphrase with verbs like add, reveal, state, mention, or say.

If you mean to point out that a writer has really accentuated a point, try emphasize. If you are dubious about what the author is writing

and plan to disagree, try allege or claim.

Different verbs are warranted in different contexts, so have as many at your fingertips as possible.

CANVAS ACTIVITY

VISIT CANVAS

BEGIN BUILING A PARAGRAPH THAT SUPPORTS ONE OF YOUR STRONGEST CRITERIA USING THE I-C-E

TECHNIQUE

SYNTHESIS SIMPLIFIED

ICE ICE BABYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE

LINK to the GSW Handout on Synthesis

http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/enrollment/file108392.pdf