The Synthesis Essay

Many of you have heard of the Junior Research Paper.  You will be doing something slightly different. You will be writing a researched argument based on our work with synthesis papers that is focused on a general, educated audience. This will be a bit longer than your argument essay and require that you find and use credible outside sources.  We’re going to do all of this BEFORE the end of May. (“Whew!  You’ve GOT to be crazy, Mr. Giddings!” I can hear you saying it in your heads. Nah, if I were crazy, we’d read these papers at the next school board meeting while dancing around a Maypole juggling small woodland creatures. Thank God, I’m not crazy!)

View the various prompt instructions via the dropdown menu above. Requirements and the Due Date also have their own tabs. Note that most of the actual prompts and sources are in our book. 

Additionally, you have the ability to choose your own adventure. You will be held to the same academic expectations for your sources and question sophistication as the provided prompts. Just check with me before you get into it too far for approval. If you end up doing a topic I did not provide sources for and are having trouble locating academic sources, let's talk.