ENGLISH Essays

Hello, Class,

This week you are asked to continue developing the synthesis grid that you started last week.  I have included the synthesis grid link for quick reference.

www.iupui.edu/~uwc/pdf/Literature%20Review%20and%20Synthesis.pdf

 

Instructions

1. Your response for this activity will include the same research question that you used in your grid last week.  Please be sure to state your research question by expressing a complete sentence.

2. You will also provide four (4) possible answers to your research question.  It is okay to use the same answers that you developed last week, or you may develop four (4) new answers.  Please provide a complete sentence(s) when stating your answers.

3. Then, you will provide a synthesis grid that includes brief statements, explaining what four (4) of your sources have to say about your research question. Note: You cannot use the same sources that you used last week. You will be using four (4) different sources that you have located from the online databases.

4. As always, please provide feedback to at least two (2) classmates, offering any observations or suggestions.

 

Here’s how your response should look:

 

Research Question: ________________________

Possible answers: _________________________

 

Possible Answer 1 (provide a brief description or category name)

Possible Answer 2 (provide a brief description or category name)

Possible Answer 3 (provide a brief description or category name)

Possible Answer 4 (provide a brief description or category name)

Source A

(provide article title & author’s name)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source B (provide article title & author’s name)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source C (provide article title & author’s name)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source D (provide article title & author’s name)

 

 

 

 

 

Synthesis Grid

 

 

ESSAY 2

Class:  As stated on the syllabus, your first draft of WA3 is worth ten percent (10%) of your final grade.  The first draft that you submit should be a completed draft, meaning that it meets all of the requirements listed below (the instructions are also under Course Content).  

Please ensure that your first draft is submitted in your Assignments folder (not your Study Group folder) by 11:59 P.M. on July 7.  I have attached some audio comments with additional details.  Feel free to respond to this note with questions or concerns.

 

WRTG 291 - Assignment #3: Synthesis Essay

 

Courses that fulfill the General Education Requirements (GERs) at UMUC all have a common theme— technological transformations . In following this theme this semester in WRTG 291, we have examined numerous authors on the impact of technology on society. We will continue that analysis for writing assignment #3.

 

REQUIREMENTS

In your textbook, Research Writing , Chapter Six is entitled “Synthesis.” In that chapter, the authors note that the synthesis essay requires you to perform the following tasks: (1) to look at a group of sources that share a topic or interest, (2) to identify grounds for grouping the textual components, and 3) to organize this textual material under a controlling theme (p.65).

 

Your textbook also describes different types of synthesis essays (e.g. exploratory, literature review, and thesis-driven). For this writing assignment, you will write a thesis-driven synthesis essay on a specific topic that relates to one of the following themes introduced in your textbook:

a)       How are online technologies changing the way we live?

b)       How is technology changing our definition of what it means to be human?

c)       What role should technology play in education?

Note. Pages 81-86 of your textbook explain how to write a thesis-driven synthesis essay.

 

APPROACH

For your annotated bibliography (WA2), you conducted extensive research related to one of the technological transformation themes. For this reason, you already have a collection of sources that should help to get you started. You will most likely need to find additional sources for your thesis-driven synthesis essay since you are now focusing on a specific topic rather than just a theme.

 

With your present collection of sources, you can take the following steps:

 

·          First, analyze your sources to identify what topics and sub-topics the sources may have in common. Remember to identify a specific topic for writing the synthesis. Then, articulate this topic into a working thesis.

 

·          Secondly, you will need to identify relationships among the sources and then group them accordingly (refer back to your synthesis grid). You might find the section “Baseline Questions for Initial Reading” in the textbook (p. 68) to be helpful. You will spend some time searching for common ground within the texts that you choose. In addition, you will find the section, “In-depth Questions for Identifying Relationships among Texts” (p. 69) an effective resource. You will ask yourself what points you want to make about the sources that you’ve chosen.

 

·          Thirdly, find additional sources from the online databases as you narrow the topic for your paper. Keep in mind that your annotated bibliography was written on a broader level/topic. For the synthesis essay, therefore, you will likely need to focus the topic more as you further develop your working thesis.

 

·          Finally, using your working thesis, develop a draft that synthesizes the material that you’ve gathered from your chosen texts. Remember, you are not comparing and contrasting your sources; you are synthesizing the sources, which is different from writing a traditional research paper.

 

 

LENGTH :  

Your thesis-driven synthesis essay will be 1700-2300 words long, not including the References page. You are required to use 8 to 12 sources for the essay.

 

 

ORGANIZATION

The following are some points to consider while organizing your thesis-driven synthesis essay:

·          The introduction should sum up the reason for the synthesis and introduce the texts to be synthesized. The purpose of the essay should be clearly introduced. The introduction should end with the thesis statement.

 

·          The body of the essay should be organized by the points of development related to your thesis (refer back to the categories that you identified in your synthesis grid). Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, should integrate material (via paraphrases, quotations, and summaries) from several of your sources, and should clearly cite all sources to avoid plagiarism. The paragraphs should directly support the main point of the essay.

 

·          The conclusion should summarize what is learned from synthesizing the sources discussed in the essay.

 

 

DUE DATE

·          The first draft is due by 11:59 P.M. on July 7, 2013 and should be submitted in your Assignments folder because the first draft will be graded.

·          After you have submitted the first draft of WA3, your instructor will then grade it and provide feedback/suggestions for revising the final draft that you will also submit for grading.

·          Your final draft of WA3 is due at the end of the semester, July 28, 2013 .

·          Please note: twenty (20) penalty points will be imposed on the final graded draft if a student fails to submit the required first draft. In addition, the first draft will be also be penalized if it is submitted late without having prior approval for an extension. 

 

GRADING

The following rubric will be used for grading:

Analytic Rubric

 

CRITERIA

4

3

2

1

COMMENTS

PART I: Introduces the topic and texts with an engaging introduction that states the problem; thesis statement conveys a specific purpose for writing the synthesis. (20%)

 

 

 

 

 

PART II: Develops the body of the essay by defending the thesis, synthesizing 8 to 12 secondary sources to show relationships to the thesis; the body of the essay integrates paraphrases, summaries, and quotations, as well as the writer’s commentary/analysis; APA citation is used (40%)

 

 

 

 

 

PART III: Employs a fluid writing style & word choice (15%)

 

 

 

 

 

PART IV: Maintains accurate grammar & punctuation (15%)

 

 

 

 

 

Part V: Features a compelling conclusion that reinforces the essay’s thesis (10%)

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

Note: If an essay fails to include a title page and a References page in APA format, an automatic four (4) points will be deducted from the final essay grade (each page is worth two (2) points).