Synthesis Essay

Synthesis

• To synthesize is to converse

• Syn (together) + thesis (put)

• Con (together) + verse (turn)

• Thesis + Antithesis Synthesis

Conversing with Texts

• The texts (sources) are friends. How would you talk with your friends?

• The texts can speak with each other. – They can support or contradict each other.– They can address implications in other texts. – They can elaborate on other texts.

“At least three…”

• Take the directions literally. Select the sources that will enhance the argument.

• Three sources will be discussed in deeper detail than six sources will be discussed.

• Six sources will cover broader ground. There will be more opportunity for texts to be related to other texts.

• Training: Students will apply three sources to a question. Later, they will apply six sources to the same question. How do students feel about the difference?

The University of Discourse

• James Moffett writes about the universe of discourse. If students understand the departmentalization of universities, they can understand the compartmentalization of ideas. They can research colleges!

• Apply the university of discourse to analysis of sources in the synthesis essay. Students will be discussing matters more abstractly.

The University of Discourse—2

• Economics• Political Science• Sciences• History• Psychology• Sociology• Philosophy (Ethics)• Statistics

• Law• Medicine• Engineering• Education• Design (Architecture)• International Studies• Business (Finance)

Incorporating Information

• Quotation

• Summary

• Paraphrase

Conventions of Crediting

• Footnotes– Documentation– Elaboration

• Endnotes

• Bibliographic form

• Format yields information.

Integration

• Integration is making a whole, making one.

• Disparate parts need to be integrated into one whole argument.

• The one whole argument is an abstraction of the several separate concrete sources.