The Synthesis Essay

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The Synthesis Essay

• Advanced Placement Language Composition

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Key Elements of Rhetoric

• Definition The faculty of observing in any
  given case the available means of persuasion
• Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

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Purpose of rhetoric

• A thoughtful reflective activity leading to
  effective communication
• Rational exchange of opposing viewpoints

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Rhetoric is situational

• Context occasion or time and place it is
  written or spoken
• Purpose the goal that the speaker or writer
  wants to achieve
• Bias cultural context

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The Rhetorical Triangle
Speaker
Audience
Purpose
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Elements of Rhetoric

• Thesis, claim, assertion
• Persona
• Appeals to ethos, logos, pathos
• Visual text

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The Classical Model of Rhetoric

• Exordium beginning a web
• Single paragraph or several
• intrigues
• challenges
• establishes ethos

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The Classical Model

• Narratio
• Factual information
• Background material
• Explains need for subject
• Appeals to logos and pathos

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Patterns of Development

• Narration
• Description
• Process analysis
• Exemplification
• Comparison and contrast
• Classification and division
• Definition
• Cause and effect

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The Classical Model

• Conformatio
• Development of the proof
• Specific and concrete evidence
• Appeals to logos

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The Classical Model

• Refutatio
• Counterargument
• Bridge between the writers proof and conclusion
• Anticipates arguments arising from conformatio
• Appeals to logos

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The Classical Model

• Peroratio
• Brings all the writers ideas together
• Answers the so what? question
• Audience most likely to remember final words
• Appeals to pathos and ethos

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Patterns of Development

• Narration telling a story or recounting events
• Description established mood or atmosphere
• Process analysis how something works and why

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Patterns of Development

• Exemplification a series of examples
• Comparison and contrast juxtaposition of
  similarities and differences

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Patterns of Development

• Classification and division sorting into
  categories
• Definition often the first step in argument
• Cause and effect chain of events

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Art of Analysis of a text

• Diction
• Imagery
• Details
• Language
• Syntax
• Style
• Other tropes and schemes

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Synthesis Entering the Conversation

• Types of Support
• Details
• Examples
• Anecdote
• Facts
• Quantitative data
• Expert testimony

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Relationship of Sources to Audience

• Types of audience
• General audience casual, informal, anecdotal
• Formal audience information from publications
• Academic audience scholarly works

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The Synthesis Essay

• Identifying the issues recognizing
• complexity
• Reader thinks, questions, considers and
  reconsiders

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The Synthesis Essay

• Make sure you know the authors purpose
• Make sure you understand the authors thesis

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Formulating Your Position

• Take stock of the issue
• Formulate questions which recognize both sides of
  the issuedefend
• refute
• qualify

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Examples of Questions

• Topic Community service
• Does requiring community service devalue it?
• Does it discourage participation after high
  school?
• What influence does socioeconomic situation play?
• What are the logistics of supervising and
  recording it?

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Create a Working thesis

• Community service can be extremely valuable in
  the development of both character and academics,
  but the negative effects of forcing students to
  participate by making such a program a graduation
  requirement offset the benefits.

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Create a Working thesis

• Though students may not recognize the value of
  community service until later in life, Staples
  High School should require community service to
  instill a sense of civic responsibility and
  encourage a life long habit of helping others.

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Create a Working thesis

• High schools should encourage students to
  participate in community service and reward those
  who do so without making participation mandatory
  for graduation

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Create a Working thesis

• Required community service programs are
  beneficial to both the individuals who
  participate and the communities being served, as
  long as students have some choice in the type of
  service they engage in.