FEBRUARY 2, 2018

Thonney Ch 9: Writing a Synthesis Paper

Introductions and Thesis Statements
 TODAY’S CLASS
• Brief review of synthesis
• Workshop time for
• Outlining
• Main claim/thesis statement
• Introduction
 KEY TERMS
• Central claim: This is the main assertion in a paper that the writer wants
readers to understand or accept.
• Synthesis writing: Finding connections between what various sources on a
topic say and using those insights to make a new point.

Keep in mind:
• This paper is focused more on making an assertion about the conversations that
are happening on your topic. Your overall claim will likely be something about
the similarities and differences between the academic and popular
conversations.
• You aren’t inserting an opinion on the topic itself at this point. Instead, you are
considering what others are saying and how effectively they are saying it.
 AFTER YOU HAVE READ YOUR
• Look for agreements,
disagreements, and discrepancies
between sources.
• What about the authors’
backgrounds or audience explains
their position?
• What do these authors fail to
consider?
ARTICLES
• Consider the credibility and
effectiveness of each source.
• What do these authors fail to
consider?
• What makes one author more
convincing than the other?
 FORMULATING THE CENTRAL CLAIM
1. Write down your goal.
2. Revise your statement to reflect what your evidence shows.
3. Address the “so what?” question.
4. Acknowledge alternative viewpoints.

You will be writing “Claims that Summarize the Published Research”

• There are examples how of to write an effective statement on pg. 364-365.
• These examples show how to focus on the research rather than weighing in
on the topic.
 IN-CLASS ACTIVITY
• Use the worksheet provided to organize your thoughts, draft your central
claim, and begin outlining your paper.
• I won’t be collecting this sheet, but you will need to submit a formal outline
with the mini-portfolio for this paper.
• If you finish with the main claim and outline, you should move onto drafting
the introduction to your paper.
• Remember, this is about a conversation between authors, so be sure that
you are making those connections in your discussion of your sources.
 FOR MONDAY
• The rough draft of your essay is due.
• You must bring a hard copy of the paper to class.
• At the top of your draft, write one area that you would like your peer to
focus on in reading your work. Do not write grammar or sentence structure,
but instead focus on things like main claim, use of evidence, organization,
etc.
• If you do not have a hard copy of the paper or if your draft is not nearly
finished (3-4 pages), you will not be able to participate and will be marked
absent.