Synthesis Essay Assignment Sheet
GENRE: Synthesis
OVERVIEW: “When you synthesize multiple sources in a research paper, you create a conversation about your research topic. You show readers that your argument is based on your active analysis and integration of ideas, not just a series of quotations and paraphrases. Your synthesis should show how your sources relate to one another; one source may support, extend, or counter the ideas of another. Not every source has to ‘speak’ to another in a research paper, but readers should understand how each source functions in your argument” (Hacker & Sommers, 2021, p. 157). See also p. 223, specifically APA-3d.
“To compose an effective synthesis, you must (1) make connections among ideas in different texts, (2) decide what those connections mean, and (3) formulate the gist of what you’ve read, much like you did when you wrote a summary. The difference is that in a synthesis, your gist should be a succinct statement that brings into focus not the central idea of one text but the relationship among different ideas in multiple texts” (Greene & Lidinsky, 2021, p. 215).
DEFINITION: Synthesis is an essay genre that asks students to read source material and then extrapolate/conclude their own position/thesis from this broader academic discussion. Deciding how your argument emerges from or fits within a larger academic discussion demonstrates a high level of critical thinking. Synthesis is, therefore, a demanding endeavor as students are expected to exhibit skills in critical reading and thinking, logic, and written communication.
THE WRITING ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES: The essay should be submitted in APA format; see APA tab in A Writer’s Reference. The essay should synthesize the readings from Coates, Dweck, and Edmundson (assigned readings for Module 4). The essay length should contain a MINIMUM of five paragraphs in 2-3 pages, which means you have two full pages (not 1.5, not 1.9) MINIMUM. Don’t forget to include the title and reference pages. Page 1 is the title page. The essay begins on page 2. The final page of this document, after the essay is complete, is the APA References page, so the entire document will usually run 4 (at a bare minimum)-6 pages.
WRITING PROMPT: The excerpt in our Inquiry textbook from Between the World and Me by T. Coates (pp. 23-27), M. Edmundson’s “Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here” (pp. 459-469), and the excerpt in our textbook from Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by C. Dweck (pp. 669-677) all at one point or other grapple with the need for students to invest themselves personally (by accepting that growth stems from failure and by learning who they are, what they love, and what they believe) in order to truly take ownership of their education, even if doing so necessitates failing, disappointing others, enduring confusion, and accepting uncertainty. Using all three of these sources (and only these three sources), write an essay in which you advocate for three strategies that students can use to invest themselves personally in higher education so that they get the most out of it. These should be strategies that students from all backgrounds can use to achieve the benefits of higher education in spite of the many obstacles (both institutional and otherwise) they face. Note: See Essay Writing Instructions section, too, as you’ll be required to locate a relevant article from a newspaper to use as a hook in your essay’s introduction. You must use the ProQuest Newsstream database from the Calhoun Community College library databases to locate the article.
REQUIRED: For each point you present, you must synthesize ideas from at least two of these authors.
Note 1: This is not a summary assignment or a mere analysis of the authors’ ideas. Instead, you must present your own argument based on the reasoning, evidence, and ideas available in the articles.
Note 2: Since this is an essay based on research (the three articles), the arguments you make are limited by your ability to draw support from and find connections between the authors listed in the prompt. Indeed, you are not permitted to consult or include any sources beyond the articles listed in the prompt. Do not make unsupported claims that you cannot support with evidence from these articles or from common knowledge and experience.
ESSAY WRITING INSTRUCTIONS:
Tone: formal—use only the objective third-person point of view. Use the conventions of academic writing.
Introduction/Thesis:
- Begin with a reason that readers should care about whether students take their education seriously from a personal standpoint. The introduction should introduce the topic of getting more from an education than just grades and a degree or certificate.
- Transition to the broad subject of the essay (namely, the benefits of using higher education to stretch students intellectually and to help them learn more about themselves—who they are, what they love, what they need to feel satisfied.)
- To explain the importance of this issue to your audience, provide a brief hook that offers information from a newspaper article. The article should provide information (in the form of anecdotes, statistics, etc…) about college students’ satisfaction. See ProQuest database from the Calhoun Community College Library databases to locate articles that discuss reasons a college education is worthwhile, despite the expense. Make sure you cite the article appropriately using APA guidelines for in-text citations of a newspaper article. The References page must contain the proper Reference citation in APA for a newspaper article from a digital database.
- Transition from the broad subject to your specific focus regarding the subject of the need for students to reap more of the benefits than the drawbacks of higher education. Then, provide an argumentative thesis sentence. The thesis sentence should be straightforward, offering your audience three strategies that students can use to personally invest in (take ownership of) their education so that they get the most out of it. These are the strategies on which each body paragraph will focus in turn.
Note: the introduction and (perhaps) your reiteration of it in the conclusion are the only places you should use this newspaper article.
Note: Do not mention the three articles and authors from the assignment in the introduction. These sources are intended only for the body paragraphs. You are not using them as primary sources as you did in the Rhetorical Analysis essay. In this essay, they are secondary sources to support your argument.
Body Paragraphs: (MINIMUM OF THREE)
Each body paragraph focuses on one of the strategies from your thesis sentence. Go in order of the way they’re presented in the thesis. Use PIETIE for body paragraph development. The POINT is the specific strategy you’re advocating for in the paragraph. ILLUSTRATE the point by providing evidence from one of the three sources. EXPLAIN the illustration by analyzing how and why it supports the strategy for which you’re arguing. TRANSITION to another ILLUSTRATION. Offer another piece of evidence from a different author. EXPLAIN that illustration just as you did the other illustration. Body paragraphs should contain 9-19 typed lines of text, so make sure your quotes are not too lengthy. Do not use quotes of more than three typed lines of text. Don’t forget to use strong transitional phrases, words, or sentences at the beginning of body paragraphs to create a seamless, fluid essay style. Don’t forget that you must use all three sources in the essay and that each body paragraph must use two of the three sources.
Note: You are required to introduce the authors in your conversation the first time you mention them in the body of your essay. The first time you name the author, use the author’s first initial, middle initial (if given), and last name; thereafter, use only the author’s last name.
Note: You are required to reference at least two of the authors in each body paragraph. (Remember, though, that including the author as support for your argument is not the only way to include an author in your conversation. Indeed, you may wish to react to or disagree with an author’s claim.) You will receive a letter-grade deduction for each body paragraph that fails to quote from or directly reference at least two authors.
Note: You must directly quote an author in each body paragraph, though you may also directly summarize or paraphrase the author’s ideas in body paragraphs. In all cases, you must use APA guidelines to cite each source properly within the text of the paper (APA-2, 3, & 4a).
Note: APA in-text citations are required for all quoted or paraphrased material. Any missing in-text citation results in automatic failure of the essay (at least 50% deduction).
Note: APA encourages headings. Headings are like short titles for each section of your essay. Headings simply use 12-pt. Times New Roman font like the rest of the essay. Center the headings and use bold font. These headings separate the different sections of your essay. Do not use a heading for the introduction, but for each point you make, create a new heading, and create a heading for the conclusion. (That heading can simply read “conclusion.”)
Note: Write objectively; therefore, do not use first person singular (I, me, my) or second person (you, your). Furthermore, avoid first person plural (we, us, our) unless you’ve established who specifically “we” are: we Americans, we readers, we scholars, etc.
Conclusion:
The conclusion should sum up your points—the strategies you advocate and why you’re advocating for them. Also, explain the significance of your argument. What, for example, would happen if incoming first-year students adopted the strategies you offer? You may refer back to the newspaper article here if doing so is helpful to you, but otherwise, leave it alone.
SPECIFIC ESSAY CONTENTS:
(Title page, essay body with headings, References page)
- APA formatted title page: The title should encapsulate the essence of the essay and arouse the reader’s interest. Do not simply state the subject or topic of the essay
- Essay’s body: 2-3 pages. As always, two pages means two full pages, not 1.9 pages. You are strongly encouraged to use headings in this essay!
- References page. Include all three articles from our textbook that you use in the essay and the citation from the newspaper article. Citations go in alphabetical order by the first word of the citation (generally the author’s last name).
References*
Green, S., Lidinsky, A. (2021). From inquiry to academic writing: A text and reader (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Hacker, D., & Sommers, N. (2021). A writer’s reference (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
*only for the quotes used in this assignment sheet; these citations are not for use in your essay.
Rubric for Synthesis Essay
| Criteria: | Arrived | Almost There | Getting There | In Progress | Not Yet |
| A+/A/A- | B+/B/B- | C+/C/C- | D+/D/D- | F | |
| APA Format 10% | Formatted according to the APA Style Guide including title page, abstract, properly executed in-text citations, and References page. | Mostly formatted according to the APA Style Guide. | Attempts formatting according to the APA Style Guide. | Incorrect format; missing required components of APA. | Messy, illegible, does not attempt the proper format, does not include required elements of the essay. |
| Grammar, Mechanics, Usage 20% | Few errors in grammar, formality, mechanics, and/or punctuation. | No more than 2 major errors and 5 or fewer minor errors. | No more than 3 major errors, no more than 7 minor errors. | 3 major errors or significant number of minor errors (8+) | Numerous major and minor errors that make the assignment illegible. |
| Introduction 10% | Includes a lead paragraph that captures the reader’s attention and introduces the general topic. In the last sentence, the thesis is stated clearly and follows one of the four models for an academic thesis statement. | Mostly does the following: Includes a lead paragraph that captures the reader’s attention and introduces the general topic. In the last sentence, the thesis is stated clearly and follows one of the four models for an academic thesis statement. | Adequately does the following: Includes a lead paragraph that captures the reader’s attention and introduces the general topic. In the last sentence, the thesis is stated clearly and follows one of the four models for an academic thesis statement. | Lead paragraph may not capture reader’s attention. thesis may not be clearly stated or may be too general. | The intro paragraph is missing or does not function as an introduction. |
| 125 | 95 | 65 | 35 | 0 | |
| Body 50% | Three body paragraphs are included, each begins with a topic sentence; Give supporting evidence from at least two of the sources: introduce source with signal phrase, give quote and in-text citation, then explain. End with your opinion on the topic (without using 1st person “I”). | Mostly does the following: Three body paragraphs are included, each Begin with a topic sentence; Give supporting evidence from at least two of the sources: introduce source with signal phrase, give quote and in-text citation, then explain. End with your opinion on the topic (without using 1st person “I”). | Attempts the following: Three body paragraphs are included, each Begin with a topic sentence; Give supporting evidence from at least two of the sources: introduce source with signal phrase, give quote and in-text citation, then explain. End with your opinion on the topic (without using 1st person “I”). | A body or two paragraphs may be missing. Not enough evidence may be presented. | Body paragraphs with topic sentence, supporting evidence, and concluding sentences are missing |
| 25 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | |
| Conclusion 10% | Summarizes main points/relate back to overall theme/purpose; offers suggestions for how to improve the situation; challenges the reader to act or think differently about the topic. | Mostly does the following: Summarizes main points/relate back to overall theme/purpose; offers suggestions for how to improve the situation; challenges the reader to act or think differently about the topic. | Attempts the following: Summarizes main points/relate back to overall theme/purpose; offers suggestions for how to improve the situation; challenges the reader to act or think differently about the topic. | The following may be missing: Summarizes main points/relate back to overall theme/purpose; offers suggestions for how to improve the situation; challenges the reader to act or think differently about the topic. | Concluding paragraph is missing or does not function as a conclusion. |
Total: 250 Points:
