Step 5
DUE by the Start of Class (Week 4):
1. Read Instructions on Step 5 Page
2. Complete Slideshow Outline of Research and Prepare to Present
DUE by the Start of Next Class (Week 5):
1. Complete First Half (4-5 Pages) of Rough Draft
Step 5: Writing and Synthesis
Step-at-a-glance
Part 1
Organize your note cards by reason into an outline. You may want to use a graphic organizer like the "house" or SDR3 to help with organization and idea development.
Set aside unrelated research!
Create a slideshow outline based on your organized research to present to the advisors using the template
Present this outline to one of the advisors
Part 2
Write a rough draft and have someone help you edit it.
Working with Your Cards
After you print out and cut up your cards, you need to organize them into piles by the reason that you indicated on the card. You can fill these reasons in to the house graphic organizer. This is broad organization scheme.
Creating the Slideshow Outline
If you do a good job on this slideshow outline, writing your paper will be a piece of cake. If you note on the template, you are required to:
Provide your central question
Provide a thesis statement (essentially an "answer" to your central question that hints at what the rest of your paper will show)
At least THREE supporting arguments or "findings" with sources
At least TWO counterclaims (with sources) that you will then argue against to fully support your thesis statement
Works Cited Page
Please read the sample slideshow outline as it provide examples of findings and counterclaims.
Writing the Rough Draft
Your final paper will be 12-15 pages long. For your rough draft, you will write 7-8 pages. Your paper is essentially an argumentative paper as you saw on the slideshow outline. Here are the instructions for writing a paper in this style. When writing an argumentative synthesis paper it is essential to find common ideas among your sources. When you are writing, there should be at least TWO sources per paragraph and those two sources should not repeat over and over in the same evidence section. If one entire paragraph or page of your paper is one source, you did not synthesize.
Here is a sample synthesis paper with in-text citations and instructions. Here is an additional synthesis paper. The sources have been color coded so you can see how they are used within the paper. In just about ONE page of writing, EIGHT different sources were used.