Belief Formation: Your beliefs should be based on having considered all angles of an issue.
Emphasizes critical thinking to evaluate various possibilities, ensuring a balanced and informed perspective.
Involves recognizing complexities and avoiding oversimplification.
Definition of Synthesis
Synthesis Defined: To combine multiple sources together to create something new.
This process is not merely summarizing, but rather creating a deeper understanding or a novel argument based on the interaction of different texts and ideas.
Critical Thinking in Research
Importance of research and critical thinking in the synthesis process.
Critical thinking involves evaluating the credibility of sources, identifying biases, and analyzing the logical soundness of arguments presented.
Synthesis Prompt Overview
Two Types of Synthesis Prompts:
Argumentative Prompt: For instance, argue your position on whether community college is worth it.
Requires taking a clear stance and defending it using evidence from multiple sources.
Focuses on constructing a persuasive argument.
Analytical Prompt: Consider various factors when making a decision on a topic.
Involves breaking down a complex issue into its component parts and examining how they interact.
Often leads to a nuanced conclusion rather than a simple 'yes' or 'no'.
Test Structure
Given Time Allotment: 15 minutes for reading a text, with a total of 2 hours 15 minutes for the entire essay section.
Read all questions and texts thoroughly within the 15-minute period.
Determine a stance on each essay topic immediately after reading.
Brainstorm a line of reasoning, connecting your initial thoughts to potential evidence from the sources.
During the reading time, actively annotate sources by highlighting key claims, evidence, and potential counterarguments.
Requirements for Argument
Minimum Sources: Use at least three sources in your argument. Avoid a simple pros-and-cons approach.
To move beyond pros-and-cons, focus on the implications, conditions, or nuances that arise when sources interact.
Instead of just listing agreements and disagreements, explore the deeper connections or conflicts between ideas.
Identify Ideas Supporting Thesis:
Find clear lines of reasoning that align with your thesis, ensuring that source material directly contributes to your overall argument.
Essay Prompt Themes
Q1 Essay Prompts: Will focus on topics that require careful critical thinking.
Acknowledge that there may be no right or wrong answers, indicating complexity.
You may incorporate outside knowledge relevant to the argument, such as historical context, economic principles, personal observations, or current events, to strengthen your analysis.
Thesis Statement Importance
Creating an Effective Thesis: Ensure your thesis statement is clear and arguable.
The best student responses demonstrate nuances and complexities in their thesis and development, reflecting a sophisticated understanding of the topic.
Understanding Sources in Synthesis
Source Reading Guidelines:
Sources may contain various angles, including pros, cons, and statistical data.
Include two non-text sources in your synthesis, such as an infographic, political cartoon, map, photograph, or other visual texts.
Pay attention to specific data points, quotes, and expert opinions within each source.
Analyzing Relationships Between Sources
Source Relationships: Consider how sources relate to each other:
Do they support each other's arguments, providing corroborating evidence?
Do they contradict each other, presenting conflicting viewpoints or data?
Do they qualify another source's argument, adding conditions, limitations, or alternative interpretations?
Look for common themes or major points of conflict that emerge across multiple sources.
Source Context Considerations
Context Awareness:
Be mindful of the publication date of sources, as timeliness can affect relevance.
Determine where the source was published (e.g., academic journal, news outlet, government report), which can indicate