Synthesis Essay Prompt
A synthesis essay
is similar to a comparison/contrast essay in that it combinesinformation from more than one source and often about more than onetopic. However, where the comparison/contrast essay discovers a thesis in thedifferences or likenesses of the sources or topics, the synthesis essay discovers athesis in the way the information works together to create learning. You need toformulate your own purpose, and develop your own perspectives andinterpretations. Papers are thesis driven and show that they combine theinformation you have found in ways that help readers to see that the informationand the topic are questioned in a new way.The main purpose of a synthesis essay is to make insightful connections. Thoseconnections can show the relationship(s) between parts of a work or even betweentwo or more works. It is your job to explain why those relationships are important.In order to write a successful synthesis essay, you must gather research on yourchosen topic, discover meaningful connections throughout your research, anddevelop a unique and interesting argument or perspective.
A synthesis is not a summary.
A synthesis is an opportunity to create new knowledge out of already existing knowledge, i.e., other sources. You combine, “synthesize,” the information in your sources to develop an argument or a unique
perspective on a topic. Your thesis statement becomes a one-sentence claim that presents your perspective and identifies the new knowledge that you will create.Your
thesis for this essay will be a statement of what you have learned from allof the readings you have done for this class. The topics have been government andjustice. All you have to do is determine something you have learned from thereadings and discussions we have had in class and then write about that idea/argument that you have developed. Begin your work on this essay by playingwith several possible thesis statements and exploring ways you might support themusing the readings from A
World of Ideas such as: Lao-Tzu, Machiavelli, Rousseau,Jefferson, Thoreau, King, Stanton, etc. (Two or more sources are required)
