Synthesis Essay

A Few Truman Show quotes

“We accept the truth of the reality with which we are presented” (Christof)

“We’ve become bored with watching actors give us phony emotions, we’re tired of pyrotechnics and special effects” Christof

Synthesis Essay

What is a synthesis essay?A synthesis essay is an essay in which

you use a variety of sources to support your thesis statement.

In a typical literary analysis essay, you would generally use only one source.

 

PROMPT: Take a position on the point at which the use of modern technology has a negative impact on people’s lives (individual people’s lives or the life of society as a whole, or both).

 essay must cite Fahrenheit 451 and at least two other sources

Sources: Fahrenheit 451 (must use at least two pieces of evidence from

F451) Utopia by Thomas More “The Pedestrian” “Harrison Bergeron” 2081 – film “There Will Come Soft Rains” “Digital Dementia On the Rise” article “Technology and Childhood” article “Do Human like Machines Deserve Human Rights?” “Does Facebook Make Someone Social Offline?” article “Are iPads, smartphones, and the mobile web rewiring the way

we think?” article The Truman Show Wall-E – we will watch a clip in class

Sources Digital Dementia: http://www.medicaldaily.com/digital-dementia-rise-south-korea-childhood-internet-addiction-must-be-addressed-experts-say-247100

Technology and childhood: https://www.parentmap.com/article/technology-and-childhood

Facebook/Social offline: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/fashion/30Studied.html?_r=0

Wall-E clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1BQPV-iCkU

Humanlike machines http://www.wired.com/2009/01/st-essay-16/

Step 1: review the sources available Step 2:form an opinion on the prompt

and brainstorm a list of subtopics Step 3: choose your subtopics Step 4: choose three or more sources

that will prove your point Step 5: write a draft of your thesis

statement

Synthesis Essay 11/13 & 11/16

Today: Finish the Truman ShowGo over big picture of essay Outlining formatChoose your sources and your subtopicsWork on your outline

Fill in your body paragraph subtopics and evidence choices

Be specific about your evidence – you need passages for all pieces of writing

November 17/18, 2015Today:

Comments about title of essay Thesis instructions

Write your thesis AND have it checked by Mrs. G (10 points for a good thesis)

Analysis instructions Work time to write analysis portion of outline If there is time – introduction instructions Homework: finish analysis portion of outline – think

hard about your evidence and how they support your topic sentence and thesis AND work on your rough draft of your body paragrahs

Thesis Statements “When you have gathered enough information, it is time answer your thesis question. As you gather ideas and concepts from other people, you should begin to get an idea of what the answer to your thesis question is. This is your thesis statement (or controlling idea). The thesis statement expresses the central conclusion of your research findings and is the controlling idea of your essay; in essence, it states what you are trying to prove.” (from OWL Purdue).

The thesis is the map for your essay – it tells the reader what your essay is about.

Generally: a good thesis will have the following characteristics: 1. A good thesis statement will make a claim. Develop an interesting perspective that you can support and defend. This perspective must be more than an observation. “America is violent” is an observation. “Americans are violent because they are fearful” (the position that Michael Moore takes in Bowling For Columbine) is an argument. Why? Because it states an opinion. It makes a claim. 2. A good thesis statement will control the entire argument. Your thesis sentence determines what you are required to say in a paper. It also determines what you cannot say. Every paragraph in your paper exists in order to support your thesis. Accordingly, if one of your paragraphs seems irrelevant to your thesis you have two choices: get rid of the paragraph, or rewrite your thesis. Adapted from Karen Gocsik’s “Developing Your Thesis.” Dartmouth Writing Program. Dartmouth College, 12 July 2005. Web. 3 Sept. 2012.

http://www.canandaiguaschools.org/uploads/CALibrary-Research/09%20-%20Developing%20A%20Thesis%20Statement.pdf

Thesis StatementThe thesis is the guiding statement for your

essay – it tells exactly what your essay will be about.

It is typically the last sentence of your introduction

It can stand alone – it can be read separate from your essay and make sense

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis”, the author explores the idea that love and cruelty can coexist in the human heart.

Sample Thesis Statements for synthesis Prompt: Take a position on the point at which homework has

a negative impact in people’s lives. #1 Homework becomes a problem in people’s lives

the moment it is assigned. (Why? This thesis lacks reasoning.) #2 Homework becomes a problem when it interferes

with church, family, social, and sports times. (Good, but too specific. Save those points to use in the

individual paragraphs.) #3 The impact of homework becomes overbearing for

the student when it diminishes the student’s time for his or her own passions.

(Good. Not too much detail but contains a solid overarching phrase (diminish time for passions) that has many ideas that can prove it. Shows reasoning.)

Thesis: good or bad? Technology destroys friendships. Technology is a negative influence because it destroys

relationships. Technology has a negative impact when it inhibits

personal growth. The insidious nature of technology can be seen when it

destroys relationships, health and critical thinking skills. Modern technology develops a destructive quality when

the technology that is being used interferes with someone’s life.

Technology has allowed society to advance, but at a certain point it can be destructive to people’s lives.

Technology becomes destructive when it impairs a person’s ability to succeed.

Period 7 Example Thesis Statements

“Technology has been beneficial to modern society in many ways, but when technology is allowed to control peoples lives it becomes extremely harmful.”

-Solomon Knapp “Technology becomes a negative influence when it separates

one from society and they forget how to care for themselves and others.”

-Kyle Dukelow “The use of technology can negatively influence society when

people begin to believe the lies created by modern technology are the authentic reality.”

Meghan Howard

Period 8 Example Thesis Statements Modern technology becomes a negative impact on

society when it influences people to develop harmful habits. -Hunter Hicks

Technology, even though primarily utilized positively, can be a direct avenue to a negative quality of life. –Jack Bisset

Technology develops a negative impact when it changes the way people think and respond to their environment. –Kayden McCallum

New developments in technology have aided in the progression of modern society, however, it has negative influence on the quality of life when it interferes with the mental and physical aspects of one’s health.

-Stephen Hei

Analysis of Evidence

This is where you explain how your evidence proves your topic sentence and your thesis

Say, Mean, Matter review Essay examples

Sample topic sentence and chunk of a body paragraph

Television can also be used as a form of manipulation. In fact, audiences may not be getting the full story or coverage of an event or issue. The lack of information or change in information can alter people’s opinions. Ted Koppel wrote in 2001 that a presidential debate was a “joke,” but “because we were able to pull the best three or four minutes of the ninety-minute event, Nightline made the whole thing look pretty good” (source F). In this scenario, Nightline changed the debate for its audiences, who in turn may have changed their minds for or against one candidate or the other. Through the power of editing, companies can cut and alter footage to sway their audiences.

Another “chunk” sample

For instance, during the election of 1960, those who listened to the presidential debates over the radio felt that John F. Kennedy did not do as well as those who watched the debates on television felt he did. This evidence shows the “distorting effects of television” (source C) in its emphasis on image. By using television as a key in presidential campaigning, a certain percentage of voters base their votes on image and personality instead of the political issues at hand.

MLA formatting Choose the “references” tab at the top of your

Word document Under “style” choose MLA seventh edition Choose “Insert Citation” and click on “add new

source” Fill in the information for your source Repeat process with your next source When you quote a source, click “insert citation”

at the end of the quote!!! Make that if it is at the end of a sentence, the

period goes AFTER the parenthesis.