Synthesis Essay Lessons

Objectives: Students will be able to create a complex thesis statement that reflects the synthesis of claims, and counter claims based on facts or arguments from the sources.

Day 9

Objectives: Students will be able to analyze the type of claims and the relationships among the claims in an exemplary essay.

Do Now:

• What kind of claim ( fact, value or policy) is ” whether monolingual English speakers are at a disadvantage today”? Why?
• Factors: What factors should be evaluated before selecting the best position?

1. Recognize Complexity: Many students receive lower scores on synthesis essays because they overlook the complexity of the prompt and take a simple position. An essay that cites three sources supporting only one view will not score above a 4. Why? Because an important goal of research and synthesis is to recognize complexity and to show an awareness of multiple views. This does not mean that you cannot take a definite position on an issue. It does mean that you should establish ethos (your credibility as a writer) by conceding to other views. A careful consideration of information given in the prompt can move you beyond the trap of superficial, one-sided thinking.
2. To SYNTHESIZE means to assemble parts into a new whole. The parts are the different sources,each representing a distinct view or views on a particular topic. The “whole” is your essay in which you explain your position, considering views from the sources that show both sides of the issue.  The synthesis essay is similar to the argument question, but it is more complex:
3. The TYPE of thinking you are doing for the synthesis essay is often different from the argument essay. Whereas argument essays can often be be more philosophical, synthesis essays are usually about a particular topic or issue. You are often asked to evaluate factors and to consider the implications of decisions —a thinking step beyond the traditional “defend, challenge or qualify/ take a position” task in the argument essay.
4. You are required to synthesize information from the sources into your argument, either summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting directly from at least three sources. Remember that the sources won’t make your point. They provide supporting information, perspectives, viewpoints so that you can make your point.
5. Choose which views will become focal points in your synthesis essay, you should then select the best evidence from the source group that supports these views.
6. Have a tentative position and thesis.

Writing a Thesis Statement
Now that you have considered the sources, refer back to the tentative position you wrote after analyzing the prompt. Do you now have specific reasons to support the position you took? Will you revise or add a qualification to this position? Or will you change to a completely different view? ALWAYS keep your PURPOSE in mind, thinking about what kind of claim(s) the prompt is asking you to make. Below are three possible formats you might use to write a thesis statement.

Position which makes a qualification:
• While________________________________(counterargument),__________________________(my position).  Position which takes a stand and offers supporting points:

• ____________________________ (clarification of my position) because/in order to/so that ________________________(supporting reasons).

Position which argues the importance of considering certain factors/implications before making a particular decision:
• Before deciding to _____________________________[person/institution](limit, maintain, expand) should consider ________________________.

Independent Practice

Revise the synthesis essay. Us the structure of synthesis essay on the last page to revise your essay.

Homework: Finish the revised essay.

Day 8

Students will be able to synthesize the sources and generate an original perspective on the issue discussed in the sources through making three type of claims- fact, value and policy.

Do Now: Gallery Walk

Visit as many poster presentations as you can and make some comments on the following-

1. Does the student answer what the question asks?
2. Does the response solely rely on facts? Are there any claims?
3. Is there any claim that reflects of the synthesis of several facts?
4. What is the most important thing you have learned from this presentation about the author?
5. What’s not clear? What else would you like to know?

• How does the author’s work bear clear marks of the time and place s/he lived in?
• How would you describe the author’s persona/voice( beliefs, ethnicity, gender and class and social position, etc)?
• How does the author’s persona impact the purpose of their work?
• How would you describe the author’s style?

Mini Lesson

Steps to take to write a synthesis essay:

1. Read the Prompt. You will read the synthesis prompt and think carefully about an issue. An issue is a conflict with different possible resolutions; a resolution is a position that considers various views and perspectives and attempts to reach a position that reconciles the differing views in some way. Make sure you carefully read the language of the prompt to see what your “task” or “purpose” is for this essay (i.e. identify factors, offer a recommendation, etc)
   2. Read & Evaluate the Sources. You will read what THEY SAY (writers of the six to eight documents/sources) on this issue, in order to determine what YOU SAY on the issue.
   3. Write the Essay. You will write an essay establishing YOUR POSITION and synthesizing information from at least 3 different sources to support your discussion. You should always include a discussion of the counterargument with a concession & rebuttal.
2. What Does the Prompt Tell You?
   Be careful to read the entire prompt—they are often more complex than you think, and misreading the prompt is a common (and dire) mistake.
3. Topic: what is the prompt about? (What issue?)
4. Context: what (if any) useful background information does it give you?
5. Task/Purpose: what does it ask you to DO in your essay?
   • Are you making a Claim of Fact (identify or examine factors, outcomes, implications), a Claim of Value (evaluate, argue for/against, develop a position on an issue), or a Claim of Policy (offer a recommendation, develop a position on whether or not something should be changed)?
   • NOTE: Claims of fact, value, and policy often build on each other—especially with claims of value & policy, you most likely will have to make both in your argument—but it’s important to recognize which type of claim the prompt is asking you to focus on.
6. Recognize Complexity: Many students receive lower scores on synthesis essays because they overlook the complexity of the prompt and take a simple position. An essay that cites three sources supporting only one view will not score above a 4. Why? Because an important goal of research and synthesis is to recognize complexity and to show an awareness of multiple views. This does not mean that you cannot take a definite position on an issue. It does mean that the you should establish ethos (your credibility as a writer) by conceding to other views. A careful consideration of information given in the prompt can move you beyond the trap of superficial, one-sided thinking.
7. Factors: What factors should be evaluated before selecting the best position? Remember that, in the synthesis, even if factors/evaluations are not directly mentioned, you are expected to consider them in your discussion of the issue.
8. Consider your Tentative Position: Now that you have identified some of complexities in your analysis of the prompt, formulate a tentative position on the issue—your guess of what you might argue AFTER reading the prompt but BEFORE reading the sources.

Independent Practice:

Students analyze the prompt on page 3 and do the following-

1. What’s the topic?
2. What’s the context?
3. What kind of claim ( fact, value or policy) is ” whether monolingual English speakers are at a disadvantage today”? Why?
4. In order to take a position and persuade someone to follow you , what do you need to do?( gather facts about advantages or advantages about being monolingual; evaluate /argue against other claims;

Homework: Revise the intro and first body paragraph of the synthesis essay.

Day 7

Objectives: Students will be able to evaluate their synthesis essay by using the “synthesis essay heuristic”.

Your synthesis will emerge as you complete the following steps: 
1. Read the Prompt. You will read the synthesis prompt and think carefully about an issue. An issue is a conflict with different possible resolutions; a resolution is a position that considers various views and perspectives and attempts to reach a position that reconciles the differing views in some way. Make sure you carefully read the language of the prompt to see what your “task” or “purpose” is for this essay (i.e. identify factors, offer a recommendation, etc) !
2. Read & Evaluate the Sources. You will read what THEY SAY (writers of the six to eight documents/sources) on this issue, in order to determine what YOU SAY on the issue. !
3. Write the Essay. You will write an essay establishing YOUR POSITION and synthesizing information from at least 3 different sources to support your discussion. You should always include a discussion of the counterargument with a concession & rebuttal.

1. READ THE PROMPT
I. What Does the Prompt Tell You? 
Be careful to read the entire prompt—they are often more complex than you think, and misreading the prompt is a common (and dire) mistake.

Topic: what is the prompt about? (What issue?) !
Context: what (if any) useful background information does it give you? !

Task/Purpose: what does it ask you to DO in your essay?
• Are you making a Claim of Fact (identify or examine factors, outcomes, implications), a Claim of Value (evaluate, argue for/against, develop a position on an issue), or a Claim of Policy (offer a recommendation, develop a position on whether or not something should be changed)?
• NOTE: Claims of fact, value, and policy often build on each other—especially with
claims of value & policy, you most likely will have to make both in your argument—but it’s important to recognize which type of claim the prompt is asking you to focus on. !

II. What is Your Position on the Issue? 
Recognize Complexity: Many students receive lower scores on synthesis essays because they overlook the complexity of the prompt and take a simple position. An essay that cites three sources supporting only one view will not score above a 4. Why? Because an important goal of research and synthesis is to recognize complexity and to show an awareness of multiple views. This does not mean that you cannot take a definite position on an issue. It does mean that the
you should establish ethos (your credibility as a writer) by conceding to other views. A careful consideration of information given in the prompt can move you beyond the trap of superficial, one-sided thinking. !
Factors: What factors should be evaluated before selecting the best position? Remember that, in the synthesis, even if factors/evaluations are not directly mentioned, you are expected to consider them in your discussion of the issue. !
Consider your Tentative Position: Now that you have identified some of complexities in your analysis of the prompt, formulate a tentative position on the issue—your guess of what you might argue AFTER reading the prompt but BEFORE reading the sources.

Homework:

• Revise the introduction ( thesis statement) of the synthesis essay.
• Develop a claim of facts , a claim of values( with recognition of a counter claim), and a claim of policy( with recognition of a counter claim).

_________________

Day 6

Objectives: Students will be to express their perspectives on monoligualism by hypothesizing the sources provided.

__________________

Day 5

Objectives: Students will be able to create an outline based on an exemplary sythesis essay.

________________________________________

Day 4

Objectives: Students will be able to create an outline for a synthesis essay based on at least three sources on monolingualism.

Steps to Write a Synthesis Essay

Mini Lesson with Guided Practice

1. When reading each source, underline 1 or 2 statements that represent the author’s message or use your own words to describe the author’s main argument. Underline the evidence that supports it. What are the three sources will you use for the essay? What are the main argument of each source? How does the author support his/her argument ( supporting evidence or reasoning)?
2. Draft a T-chart with Argument on the left and Counter-Argument on the right.
3. For example-Topic: Is College Worth its Cost?

3. Decide how to construct a thesis based on ideas from three sources. How to construct a complex thesis by combining the similar ideas and pointing out an opposing claim in a complex sentence?

4. Determine how to organize the essay by reviewing your pro-arguments in a logical order ( ascending) to create a rising trajectory.

5. Find a counter claim for each ( pro)argument you make.

6. Refute or qualify the counter argument ( claim).

______________________________

Day 3

Objectives: Students will be able to

• understand what a strong argument looks like through analyzing an exemplary essay
• develop a perspective on the issue of monolingualism by synthesizing arguments from at least three sources.

____________________________

Day 2:

Objectives: Students will  analyze the argument of each source and formulate their own position and perspective on the issue by synthesizing the arguments of at least three sources.

Do Now: Each group presents its passage analysis by identifying the following-

•  What claim is the source making about the issue?
• What data or evidence does the source offer in support of that claim?
• What are the assumptions or beliefs (explicit or unspoken) that warrant using this evidence or data to support the claim?

Resource: Synthesis 

Mini Lesson

How to synthesize various arguments to formulate your own perspective on the issue as the thesis of your essay?

• Synthesis occurs when they offer two or more different sources as evidence or support for their own particular argumentative point or counterargument.
• words or phrases that can be used to show the relationships between sources—words or phrases like “agrees,” “disagrees,” “concurs,” “expounds upon,” “goes even further,” “contradicts,” “confirms,” “clarifies,” etc.
• synthesis can be charted as a formula: “A writes, ‘X’; B agrees (disagrees, elaborates upon, etc.) and writes, ‘Y.’”
• .A synthesized essay should leave a reader with a holistic sense that the writer has conveyed his or her own new ideas, and has drawn upon a chorus of voices for support.
• Synthesis, then, is not just something that can be pointed to and labeled; rather, it should be an overall sense that a piece of writing gives.

Synthesis is not-

1. (NOT) Two or more sources in a paragraph—period . There is a popular idea that synthesis just means that a paragraph contains two or more sources. Having more than one source in a paragraph is an excellent first step toward synthesis; however, I would content that true synthesis isn’t happening unless a relationship between the sources is apparent.
2. it is possible to have synthesis on a more sophisticated level, and to demonstrate a relationship between sources without using a connective word or phrase from a standard list; synthesis can be achieved subtly if a writer displays a careful progression of ideas, with one source building upon what another says. However, at the rudimentary level, it is hard to pull off synthesis without a connective word
3. Here’s an example: Chocolate comes to us from South America, where it was once consumed as a bitter, hot beverage, according to Joe Schmoe, author of “Ahh! Chocolate” (12). The beverage quickly gained favor in Europe. Ima Goodbar points out that Queen Isabella had an elaborate hot chocolate set that she used on important state occasions (276). A student should be applauded for getting information, including background information, from a variety of sources; however, simply placing source material side-by-side does not make for synthesis. I would agree with those who would claim that the example above falls into a gray area—the link between the ideas is clear, although a synthesis word or phrase is not used. Still, a paper that included only this sort of stacked information would not be judged successful in terms of synthesis.
4. (NOT)  One source related only to itself . Sometimes students will offer a quote early in a paragraph, and later in the paragraph, the same source will be shown in relationship to itself (hopefully by agreement, as a source disagreeing with itself would be off-putting, to say the least). A more sophisticated way of attempting synthesis within a single source occurs when voices quoted within that source are related to one another. Here’s another made-up example, for the purposes of illustration: In Karen Craigo’s article “Milton Hershey Should be Canonized,” Lisa Simpson states, “I love chocolate” (14). Wayland Smithers agrees with this sentiment, stating, “Chocolate is the greatest discovery humankind can claim” (qtd. in Craigo 17). Note that both quotes come from the same source. This shows some sophisticated thinking, with appropriate connections being made, and it is a type of synthesis—a relationship between ideas is being demonstrated. Still, it’s not what I’m looking for in my class; note how my definition requires two or more different sources to be used.
5. (NOT) Random synthesis words thrown in for good measure . Often I will read a draft and come across the sort of signal words I’m looking for—agrees, disagrees, etc.—but the words are not being used to link sources; rather, they are used merely to introduce a source, and seemingly the agreement or disagreement indicated is with the author’s own ideas. Here’s a sample: One reason chocolate should be on every elementary school lunch menu is that it makes students feel so good. Rita Dove, president of the Dove Chocolate Corporation, agrees, stating, “Chocolate is the perfect end to a satisfying luncheon” . It may be helpful to encourage students to use words very deliberately. A word like “agrees” should probably be reserved for those occasions when a real relationship is being explored. Students may be tempted to pile synthesis words into an essay, even when synthesis is not present. Let them know that you aren’t giving bonus points for clever use of “concurs” or “elaborates upon.”
6. (NOT) False relationships between sources . When students are trying hard to attain synthesis (the compositional equivalent of nirvana), sometimes they struggle in figuring out exactly what the relationship is between Source A and Source B. The result of their confusion can be strange indeed; often, it is what I would call false synthesis—a made-up relationship between sources. It might look something like this: Perhaps the biggest reason taxpayers should be given a standard chocolate deduction is the importance that this commodity has to our entire economic system. Nicole Kidman, author of “If I Ate Anything, It Would Be Chocolate,” writes, “So much in our society is dependent upon our ability to attain chocolate, whether this is through cocoa powder, mocha lattes, or a Cadbury Cream Egg” (42). But in his article “Chocolate Tastes As Good As Halle Berry’s Tonsils,” Adrien Brody disagrees. He states, “Chocolate is important to American life, but I like vanilla, too” (67). There is a relationship to be drawn between the two quotes offered here, but a student who chose to state that the articles “disagree” would be missing the mark.
7. (NOT) Too much of a good thing . Be sure to alert students to the fact that lots and lots of synthesis may not be as effective in an essay as some well-placed, select instances. I believe it is effective to get them into the habit of locating their own voice within a synthesized passage—perhaps by physically highlighting the parts of a paragraph that contain their own words. Are they interpreting quotes and furthering their own ideas, or are they just piling quotes one on top of the other? The highlighting method may allow students to ascertain on their own if they are being overshadowed by source material.
8. (NOT)• Too much of one source . Students would be well advised to make sure that one of their sources isn’t driving the essay. If every paragraph contains material from a particular source on a student’s Works Cited page, or if whole paragraphs aren’t synthesized, but rather offer this single, particular source alone, it could be that a writer is using copied structure—relying too heavily upon a source’s argumentative structure, rather than coming up with his or her own. Students should be on the alert for this problem.

How to improve a thesis?

Here are some questions students can ask as they peer review each other’s work: 1. Is the relationship between sources made clear? 2. Are synthesis words or phrases used to link two or more different sources? 3. Does the synthesis word or phrase accurately summarize the relationship between/among sources? 4. Does synthesized source material overwhelm your voice? 5. Is one source synthesized or otherwise used more than the other sources on the Works Cited page?

Capturing Authorial Intent  and “Introducing Something Implied or Assumed

•  *In discussions of X, one controversial issue has been________ . On the one hand,______ argues_______ . On the other hand, _______contends__________
  . Others even maintain_______________ . My own view is _________________.
• *When it comes to the topic of_____________ , most of us will agree that__________ .
  Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of________ . Whereas some are convinced that___________ , others maintain that______________ .
• *In conclusion, then, as I suggested earlier, defenders of_______________ can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that _____________ is contradicted by their claim that________ .

Making Concessions While Still Standing Your Ground
*Although I grant that__________ , I still maintain that_______________ .
*Proponents of X are right to argue that_____________ . But they exaggerate when they claim that_____________ .
*While it is true that____________ , it does not necessarily follow that_____________ .
*On the one hand, I agree with X that__________ . But, on the other hand, I still insist that_______________ .

Resources:

• Source  C: Are We really Monolingual?
• Source F: The Rise and Fall of American Linguistic Empire by Paul Cohen

Independent Practice

As a group, write a synthesis essay.

Exit Slip: Hand in an outline for your group synthesis essay with a thesis statement.

Homework: Compose a precis paragraph using the handout  provided.

_________________________

Day  1

Objectives: Students will understand the essential elements such as argument, counter argument, collapsing argument, etc. in a synthesis essay through analyzing an exemplary essay provided by the College Board.

Materials:copies of AP Lang 2016 exam part I synthesis essay sources and sample essays

Do Now: Write down a few ideas or strategies that you know about writing a successful synthesis essay. Pair share.

Mini Lesson with Guided Practice

Share tips in the article “Preparing for the Synthesis Question: Six Moves Toward Success”

Student Independent Practice

Each group will read an assigned article and put together a presentation of their understating of the assigned article –

•  What claim is the source making about the issue?
• What data or evidence does the source offer in support of that claim?
• What are the assumptions or beliefs (explicit or unspoken) that warrant using this evidence or data to support the claim?

Resources:

• Source  C: Are We really Monolingual?
• Source F: The Rise and Fall of American Linguistic Empire by Paul Cohen

Exit Slip: Hand in the group analysis of the assigned source.

Homework: Pick a visual from this New Yorker Cartoon section and analyze it using the SPATER ( see handout)method.

______________________________________

A. What does the visual (or nonverbal) text provide that the traditional text cannot?

1. determining the point of view of a visual text; visual media broaden the perspective and can provide multiple viewpoints, consistent with much of our postmodern fiction. For example, a Faulkner novel, for example, has many characters’ views, but the multiplicity of these perspectives allows readers to synthesize these views into the author’s overall position.
2. Tied directly to point of view are the choices that the sender (creator, photographer, statistician, film editor, advertiser, etc.) makes in the presentation of text, not unlike what authors will determine in their own choices
3. Verbal Text: Stylistic Devices
   Diction or Syntax ; Juxtaposition; Structure ; Motifs ;Emphasis Exaggeration, repetition;Incongruity or Irony ; Tone
4. Nonverbal Text: Stylistic Devices: Numbers, captions, headings; Placement, Organization (of images, data), Recurring elements, Exaggeration, repetition, Contrast, tone

How to determine the rhetorical context of a visual piece?

a. What are the messages?
b. What choices in composition has the creator made? What has been omitted?
c. What is the creator’s intention?
d. In what way(s) does the visual medium present the message that a written text message could not?
e. In what ways(s) does the visual medium present a message that would enhance the written text message?

For example, take a look at Alfred Stieglitz’s famous photograph, The Steerage.

1. What are the messages? Stieglitz communicates the paradoxical nature of immigration. The crowds on board exhibit the masses’ exodus to the New World; the living conditions are rife with squalor. We can note the multiple tones present within this one photograph: the optimism exuded by the sheer energy of the movement towards a new world; the pessimism presented by the subjects on board who gaze downward; Stieglitz’s own cynicism toward what arriving
   in the New World really proffers.
2. Choices in Composition: The photographer’s use of contrast establishes a type of heaven and hell, celebrated by geometric, harsh lines of a ladder or platform. Yet within each side of “Elysium” are elements that suggest otherwise; those in heaven gaze downward, while the white linen below presents optimism and commitment to a better life. Omitted: What are the people on the upper deck thinking? Are they more optimistic than those on the lower deck, who are gazing upwards? Is there already a hint of classism on board?
3. Creator’s intention: To presume to know the intention of a piece of art is an act of hubris, especially if we are not familiar with the subject or artist. In light of the rhetorical context, however, “intent” asks us to determine the relationship between sender, receiver, and subject; thus, intent becomes a matter of inference. Perhaps the photographer’s intent was only to capture a day in the life of a ship; but when we synthesize this data with other knowledge, we may use this data to note Stieglitz’s ability to demystify some of the glamour of the New World, and to reveal the irony of the sacrifices those immigrants made to pursue a better life.
4. Enhancements to Verbal Text: Anzia Yaziersken’s Th e Breadgivers, or even the final paragraphs of Th e Great Gatsby (published in the same year), both present the misgivings and sacrifices of émigrés, yet they do so in the context of the pursuit of something greater than what they knew in the old country. The fictional texts present a greater bias, given our dispositions about characters up until this point; the photograph, by contrast, is Everyman.
5. What the Visual Provides that Regular Text Cannot: Th e major addition here is multiple points of view. THE visual synthesizes these various viewpoints—whether biased or neutral— at the same time. With The Steerage, especially after reading an account of immigration to this country, we have lost neutrality in exchange for knowing a character’s life. Stieglitz’s photograph juxtaposes multiple perspectives, including the photographer’s.

How to integrate the analysis into the overall argument?

• use visual texts as part of developing arguments: expand the argument, rather
  than merely affirming it.
• Synthesis, by contrast, asks students to consider related issues in an effort to fully understand an issue.

Capturing Authorial Intent  and “Introducing Something Implied or Assumed

•  *In discussions of X, one controversial issue has been________ . On the one hand,______ argues_______ . On the other hand, _______contends__________
  . Others even maintain_______________ . My own view is _________________.
• *When it comes to the topic of_____________ , most of us will agree that__________ .
  Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of________ . Whereas some are convinced that___________ , others maintain that______________ .
• *In conclusion, then, as I suggested earlier, defenders of_______________ can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that _____________ is contradicted by their claim that________ .

How can visual rhetoric be successfully synthesized with verbal text? The prompt asks for students to agree, disagree, or qualify the assertion that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections.

Given the creative dissonance between a qualitative (often verbal) account of an issue, versus a quantitative (often statistical) account, we can consider these questions in determining the multiple perspectives that a chart provides:
1. What are the boundaries, indices, or variables selected? What has been excluded in this process?
2. Do the trends, assertions, or claims presented by the chart remain consistent? Does the chart account for variations in the data?
3. In addition to the more logical evidence of numbers, what other information, especially written text, may be considered to obtain a fuller picture of what the evidence means?

A Sample Response that Expands

To say that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections begs the question of what we mean by a “positive impact.” If we mean that more people are watching candidates and gaining an understanding of who they are voting for, then we fail to take into account that the voting public has become a more informed one. Indeed, given the image-based approach that televised debates present, at stake is not just a question of image versus issue, but also one of
access. Indeed, television provides the access, which for many people may be enough; further, television has never purported itself to be an agent of education, for it is by nature a more passive method of engagement. Yes, TV has done what it has set out to do, but the failure of television to impact elections positively has less to do with who watches or even how many are watching, but rather what happens to the electorate in between the act of viewing and the act of voting.

The lack of attention span in the American electorate promotes image over issues. Ted Koppel clearly understands this in his declaration of television as a “joke” in monitoring public debate, given the reduced amount of time viewers even have to watch candidates (Source F). Such sentiment is also supported by Sources B and D, respectively, where those who do watch television, note Roderick and Hart, combine the “serious and sophomoric” and convolute a
President’s underwear with the impression that they understand the candidate; similarly, such fatigue with candidates themselves who cater to this superficiality is manifested by the reduced number of viewers who watch the elections on television, noted in Source D.

Decreased viewership, however, fails to acknowledge the related issue of access to presidential candidates. Louis Menand articulates the power of the Kennedy–Nixon debates as commensurate with the highest peak in television debate ratings (Sources C, D). But frankly, the novelty had worn off by the 1980s, with the advent of cable television and now the Internet. Candidates are scrutinized more closely than ever; to decry Clinton’s wardrobe as a reflection of his presidential potential is as absurd as believing that Kennedy’s virtue was intact; Source D also fails to reflect how many Americans actually voted in Presidential elections.

Sample 2: Memoir As Truth Prompt, Authored by John Brassil

Unlike the television prompt, this piece features a cartoon, which invokes key terms associated with traditional studies of satire. Most of these terms fall under the general heading of distortion: exaggeration, caricature, hyperbole, mockery, and overstatement. In writing and in graphics, we explore the following questions:
1. What is being distorted and why?
2. What is the implicit thesis of the graphic?
3. What are the targets (emphasis on plural) of this distortion?
4. What effect does the juxtaposition or placement of imagery and/or text have on the overall purpose?

An initial reading of the cartoon affirms Frey’s notion that memoir is as much about story as it is about truth, and the text itself, coupled with the coffee-cupped characters seriousness, suggests that the more horrific the story, the better the sales. Yet, the buffoonish demeanor and appearance of the characters suggests that the cartoon is, indeed, satirizing not just the authors of memoir, nor just the public who consumes such memoir, but also the casual process of inventing truth.

A Sample Response That Affirms

Without question, it is appropriate, even necessary, for a memoirist to be able to distort the truth. America is as much about story as it is about facts; further, fi ction can and should be about the truth. Sometimes, the truth itself is too hard to swallow, and the memoirist can provide an important message through a well-told story.

Numerous sources support this assertion as well. Th e “Foxtrot” magazine presents characters who fully support this method (Source D). James Frey concurs with this notion as he writes: “I believe, and I understand others strongly disagree, that memoir allows the writer to work from memory instead of from a strict journalistic or historical standard” (Source B). And William Zinsser himself also believes fully in the necessity of having memoir be raised to an “art” form
(Source C).

Making Concessions While Still Standing Your Ground
*Although I grant that__________ , I still maintain that_______________ .
*Proponents of X are right to argue that_____________ . But they exaggerate when they claim that_____________ .
*While it is true that____________ , it does not necessarily follow that_____________ .
*On the one hand, I agree with X that__________ . But, on the other hand, I still insist that_______________ .

Student Independent Practice

Women and Sports  ( Use http://www.gettyimages.com/?corbis to search for the images of Gertrude Ederle, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Michelle Wie)

questions you may use to synthesize the pictures-

a. What do these photographs have in common?
b. What choices have the artists made in terms of how to present a superior female athlete?
c. Of the three, which seems to be the most/least eff ective in its presentation?
d. Rank the pictures in order of importance.

Conclusion: at the heart of successful synthesis is an interdisciplinary approach toward learning—not in the curricular sense, as in the coupling of content—but in the pedagogic sense, where we can look at the types of literacy that students employ from one discipline to another.

Reflection: What did you learn that was most important in helping you understand the visuals?

Homework: Write a synthesis essay using year 2010 prompt.