Creating Team Synthesis Essays

Objective:  Students will be researching articles on chosen topics in teams, combining/synthesizing information to create a thesis, and writing a synthesis argument utilizing current MLA standards.

Procedure:  This lesson can be modified to be an individual or team assignment.  It can be given as a weekly assignment or to be a major synthesis essay.

1. Students will first explore the AP Central site and read the background materials on synthesis essays, including the sample topics and essays and the rubrics for grading.
2. Students will choose or be assigned a topic from American Rhetoric or Opposing Viewpoints (or Slate or The Onion). eg. Student rights and freedom of expression.
3. An individual student must find 3 articles on the same topic; a team of 3 may find one article each. Articles may be expanded to include political cartoons, graphs, charts, etc...
4. Students will synthesize the 3 articles to create a unified thesis and a pro/con list.
5. Then, students may either write an MLA documented blog entry, a documented essay, or a documented debate against an opposing team. Students can use the OWL at the Purdue website or MLA handbooks to verify accurate citations and submissions.
6. Students may engage in whole class discussion on a unified topic, team vs. team debates, or individually submitted formal essays for a final evaluation.

Assessment:  Assessment depends on which product the teacher chooses. A formal synthesis essay should be graded using the AP 1-9 rubric. However, weekly submissions may be evaluated based on length, accuracy of citations, value of thesis, completion, or effectiveness of argument.ca