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AP SYNTHESIS ESSAY - Research Challenge 2015

We are writing our own synthesis prompts. You will choose the subject, research the topic, and
choose excerpts that could be used to respond to the prompt (citing them in MLA format!),
and then actually write the essay response! :)

Guidelines:
1. Choose a topic. (I have more examples to share!) Choose a topic that you are interested in, that you have
an opinion about, that you want to write about.
2. RESEARCH! You will have a brief presentation in the library to get you started. Print your sources as you
find things that are useful. Print/create a document for Works Cited as you go - its easier to do this as you
work rather than to go back and find everything again. Trust me.
3. Create a Works Cited page. Make corrections as necessary.
4. Read/study your chosen sources. Take notes on the grids provided. Write an article review for each. (see
guidelines on reverse)
5. Write your actual prompt and format your source excerpts accordingly. You want your official, final packet
to look like an AP synthesis essay.
6. Write your example essay. You should aim for a 5+ score.

Requirements:
1. A total of at least 6 sources for your question. At least 4 should be scholarly articles with an article review.
Your 5th and 6th sources can be cartoons, graphs, excerpts from novels, etc. You dont have to do a
review for those, but you do need to write the MLA citation for them (on the actual article AND a Works
Cited page). (if you choose to use all 6 scholarly articles, you only have to do the full review for 4 of them.
The other two should still include your notes and an MLA citation. A cartoon may not have much in the way
of notes but you can still write a citation for it.)
2. Works Cited - You will have your MLA citation at the top of each review but you also need to create a
Works Cited page. You will go through several drafts with Ms. Lemon. This will greatly benefit you in
college.
3. A prompt. Write your prompt the same way the AP prompts are written. Write introductions for each source.
4. Put everything (your prompt page and the source excerpts) together in one document and print two copies.
So, the first page should be the prompt page and the rest are the parts of each source that you want the
writer to consider when answering the prompt. (the MLA citation at the top, intro info, excerpt)
5. Your answer to the prompt. Preferably typed. Your answer should be pretty good (5+) considering you
chose the topic and the sources!

You will turn all this in (organized neatly in a folder), including the full sources printed
and your notes for them. Stay organized throughout this process and meet deadlines.

Schedule:
Thursday 2/12 - Basics of research presentation - THIS is a VERY important day to be IN CLASS.
Friday 2/13 - DUE: topic choice - discuss with Mrs. Hildreth for approval
Tuesday 2/17 and Wednesday 2/18 - Lab work day! (and a synthesis conversation)
Friday 2/20 - Sources due AND Draft of Works Cited
Monday 2/23 - DUE draft of prompt intro page
Tuesday 2/24 - notes from sources due
Wednesday 2/25 - entire prompt draft due - review with Mrs. Hildreth
Thursday 2/26 - last lab work day - write your sample essays, polish everything. Print 2 copies.
Friday 2/27 - In class - essay presentations. You will turn everything in today... folder with printed
sources, notes, article reviews, AND your prompt packet (2 copies).

AP Article Review Assignment Guidelines


To satisfy the research part of the standards, we will be doing a research mini-project, which is called an
article review. In college, different professors/instructors will use different terms for this type of
assignment (article review, article summary, article critique). Each will probably have his or her own
guidelines for writing this type of research project, but we will cover the more common elements of this so
that when you go to college, you know what you are doing. And you will be like, I am SO glad Mrs.
Hildreth made us do this when we were Juniors. I should have been nicer to her about it. So, take a
lesson from your future self and dont whine and complain.
What you need to know:
An article review or critique is a specialized form of writing in which the student engages with a scholarly
source (journal article for our purposes) by reporting its main ideas, claims, positions, or findings, and the
reasoning which supports these ideas and by critiquing its contributions to knowledge in the discipline in
which it is published. It consists of summarizing and evaluating the source.
This is different than other reviews, like a book or movie review. Those are persuasive and are trying to
get you to see a movie or buy a book. What we are doing is writing a response to the writers ideas,
showing your knowledge of a scholarly topic as well as discussing the ideas, theories, research and
information. You are responding in an analytical way. In the future, this will help you to do authentic
academic work.
This is about more than if you LIKED or DISliked the article, but also to offer your own thoughtful
contributions to the articles analysis.

How to get started:


1. Listen to Mrs. Hildreth and/or Mrs. Lemons mini-presentation about research. Take notes so
you know what you are doing.
2. Find four articles about a topic that you are interested in. (turn them in for a grade) Find two
additional sources. (cartoon, graphs, etc.)
3. Create a Works Cited page
4. Read, highlight, and take notes on your notes sheet about your articles. (turn them in for a
grade)
5. Write your reviews
Some specifics about what a review contains:

-MLA citation at the top of the page


-Use present tense to describe the article (This article contains the long-awaited results...)
-Your first paragraph or two is a summary of the highlights of the article. Introduce the name of the
article and author(s) and any background about the authors that is important. Your summary can
address the articles main claim, goals, methods, findings and how it supports its claims
-Subsequent paragraphs explain the significance of the article - does it fill a void in the existing
literature/research? does it contain breakthrough information? will it cause others in the field to
revise their ideas about the subject? You can also analyze if it is just a rehash of previously known
information.
-Concluding paragraphs are your own evaluation of the article. Is it well-written? Clear?
Confusing? Complete or missing important information? Is more research on the topic needed?
-You can also include what you learned or find interesting or what else you want to learn.

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