Welcome Back Please put away all electronics, and take out headphones. On your desk should be the following: ●Notebook ●Synthesis Essay Organizer Packet ●Your prompt packet

Synthesis Essay Writing Part II: Body Paragraphs

Your Synthesis Essay Organizer is meant to be a rough draft for the essay you will be working on as homework this week. Think of it as the frame of your essay - you are going to complete each part, and then you can add little changes and additions to make your essay complete. Review of Packet’s Purpose

As a reminder, this essay is to be done as homework. ●If you need help, come see me before or after school. ●If you need to use a computer, you can use the computers in the hall after school. The Essay

We worked on our: ●Hooks ●Theses ●Previews And, the homework was to select two sources to add to Romeo & Juliet for the paper. Last Friday

Today we will be focusing on body paragraphs. We will focus specifically on: topic sentences and incorporating quotations. Today

If introductions were the appetizer of our meal, then body paragraphs would be the main dish. They should be filling, interesting, and every detail and flourish should be done in such a way that the reader feels nourished with information. Body Paragraphs

Each paragraph features: ●A topic sentence ●2 Concrete Details ●4 Opportunities for Commentary. ●A Concluding Sentence In your packet, you will notice...

What do you already know about topic sentences? What are their purpose? What should they include? Take a moment and discuss topic sentences with your neighbor. Topic Sentences

If you use this organizer in your writing, your topic sentences will include the name of the author (or source), and it will briefly mention some message or insight about the topic or source. It is like the menu entry for your main dish: it says something specific about the dish (so the customer knows what they are going to get), and it includes information about the entree which gives the reader a hint of where it is from or what it’s made of. Topic Sentences

Flip forward to the second and third body paragraphs… In these, the topic sentences require transition phrases (such as “in addition” and “furthermore”). You need to make logical transitions from one paragraph to the next. Transitions

Take a moment and… Create a list of transition words that you could use as you move from one paragraph to the next. In Your Notebooks

Concrete details are like seasonings or sauces which are used to support the flavor of your dish. If your body paragraphs are steak dinners, then your concrete details would be steak sauce, salt, and pepper. Concrete details SUPPORT your thesis by showing what someone else had to say about the topic/debate. But, because they aren’t your own - you need to give the authors credit for their ideas. It would be like claiming A1 Steak Sauce was your own, just because you removed the label. Concrete Details

●Each paragraph needs two. ○ One needs to be a direct quote from the source. ○ One can either be a direct quote, or paraphrased details from the source. ○ Both need to be properly cited. Concrete Details

●You need to logically transition from the previous sentence to this one. ●You need to lead-in to the quote with the author’s name, or some kind of information about the source. ●And, you need to put the whole quote in quotation marks. ●Try to avoid including any quote that is more than 2 lines long. For your quote(s)

It is important that you include two pieces of information in each quotation. 1.The author’s name 2.The page number Page numbers always go at the end of the quote, in parentheses. The author’s name(s) can either be included in the sentence itself, OR in the parentheses before the page number. In-Text Citations

●In addition, Oscar Wilde wrote that “I could deny it if I liked. I could deny anything if I liked” (24). ●Firstly, in The Importance of Being Earnest it was stated that “I could deny it if I liked. I could deny anything if I liked” (Wilde, 24). Examples of Direct Quotes

Practice writing two rough drafts of a direct quotation. Remember: ●Transition ●Lead-In ●Quote ●Citation Using One of Your Sources

What do you think you might need to include along with your quote for a reader to understand it? With Shakespearean Quotes

Othello recalls, "Upon this hint I spake: / She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, / And I lov'd her that she did pity them" (I.iii ). Shakespearean Quotations and Citations

Act and Scene (II.ii.) Line Numbers (10-12) Firstly, Romeo states that “It is my lady. O, it is my love! / O that she knew she were! / She speaks, yet she says nothing...” (II.ii.10-12). ROMEO

Practice writing out your quotation sentence in your notebook. Raise your hand if you need help. Using Romeo & Juliet

●For your second concrete detail, you can use either direct or indirect quotes. ●If you use indirect quotes, you need to offer the information, dialogue, or statistics IN YOUR OWN WORDS. ●For indirect quotes, you still need to cite the author - as you would with a direct quote. ●If you paraphrase dialogue from Romeo & Juliet, you need to still cite the scene, act, and line numbers. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Write a paraphrased version of the following quote: “In writing about Shakespeare, as with any literature or film, use present tense to convey the ongoing life of the work.” Dr. Michael Delahoyde, 4. Paraphrasing Practice

It is important to remember that this is YOUR paper - and that is why you have twice the amount of commentary as quotes. Think of commentary as the flavors in your main dish. Commentary should be related to the topic sentence (what was said in the menu entry), should work well with the concrete details (those additional sauces you use for the dish), and should connect back to the thesis by proving your thesis or supporting your thesis. Commentary

Concluding sentences are like the last bite of a meal. If written correctly they should tie to the menu entry (the topic sentence), and properly incorporate the sauce (the concrete details) and the flavors provided in the dish itself (the commentary) to create a completed course. Concluding Sentences

●Restate the topic sentence in a new way. ●Add closure to the thoughts from your paragraph. ○ Do not start a new idea at the end of your paragraph - that belongs at the start of your following paragraph. Good Concluding Sentences

●Are the exact same as the topic sentence. ●Don’t add closure to the thoughts from the paragraph. ●Are quotes. Always begin and end with your ideas. Bad Concluding Sentences

1.Reread your topic sentence. 2.Read your quotes and commentary. 3.How might you restate what you said in your topic sentence with the information and commentary you added in mind? 4.How might you wrap up your thoughts on this topic in your paper? Take a Moment...

Part III: The Conclusion Synthesis Essay Writing

A Conclusion A conclusion is the final way to prove that everything that you produced is relevant or important. It should be a good summation of your purpose and your message, and it should indicate that your paper is coming to a close. It is like the dessert after a great meal.

Think about this like layers of a sundae - things can be altered and changed for your purpose - so long as you have certain elements and finish with your most important detail last (the cherry on top, if you will). Formatting a Conclusion

●Showing your reader why your overall ideas are important and relevant is an important part of a good conclusion. ○ What did you think of which was unique, and valuable for the reader to know? ○ Why should your reader care about your subject, and your opinion? Relevance and importance are the ingredients that make your dessert/conclusion different and interesting to the reader. Relevance & Importance

What makes your paper unique? Is it your opinion of the prompt? Is it your take on the sources? Is it your analysis of statistics? Write three sentences about what makes your paper relevant and important - without using the word “I.” Take a Moment

Wrapping up ideas from a whole paper in a short, and concise manner, is a good way to show ownership of the topics and how they connect to the theme. This would be like a waiter saying “Well, because you had the steak and potatoes, maybe you would like a lighter dessert - such as a chocolate mousse to end your meal.” Summation

●Restate topics from the body paragraphs in new ways - and relate them to the thesis. ●Are short and concise. ●Don’t include quotes or paraphrased details. Good Summations

●Are word-for-word copies of the topic sentences from the body paragraphs. ●Are long, and rambling. ●Include quotations and paraphrased details from the sources. ●Don’t connect to the thesis. Bad Summations

A closing thought ●Adds closure to the paper. ●Sums up the main idea in a concise, and interesting manner. ●Doesn’t leave any question in the reader’s mind about the finality of the piece. Closing Thought

●Try not to end with “I think.” We know that you are the one who is thinking, we don’t need to see the word “I.” ●Use a concluding transition word at the beginning of your sentence. ●Avoid “letting the reader decide.” ●Seriously, avoid long concluding sentences. Conclusions, for whatever reason, tend to feel like the longest parts of an essay. With Concluding Thoughts

●If your paper is shorter than the minimum of 2 ½ pages, do not simply add onto the end of your paper. ○ Make your commentary more insightful by adding more to the commentary. It’s always great to read from the writer’s perspective. ○ Create a fourth body paragraph with a different quote from the packet - or, perhaps with some reaction to potential opposing viewpoints. ○ Edit and rewrite parts of your essay which might need more elaboration. General Paper Help