Synthesizing for informational writing Analyzing for a literary or rhetorical analysis When do you analyze, quote, or paraphrase?

How do I synthesize information? Synthesize information like you make a salad: Tear off the lettuce (read the source material) Decide what kind of salad you will construct (are you writing an informational piece with or without an opinion? What is the main idea?) Pour in carrots, onion, cucumber and tomato to make it taste yummy ( Determine what information you need to construct your main idea) Slice the vegies (determine which part of the information needs to be quoted and which you can paraphrase) Toss the salad (weave the information to make a new creation—yours! If you do not toss the salad (or weave sources) it will appear to be separate foods (separate writing). Be sure to add dressing (add strong diction and varied syntax for more flavor) pers personal flavor).

Some Worthwhile confusion points to discuss A synthesis searches for links between materials for the purpose of constructing a thesis or main idea. A thesis must be arguable. It is the subject plus tone (attitude). A main idea may be a statement about what the piece is about, or an umbrella under which the information must fall. Sometimes an informational piece will not have an opinion statement, but only a topic statement. All writing uses synthesis if more than one source is used. However, a literary analysis will incorporate a method to embed quotes from the text (TIQA) for the purpose of analysis, in order to provide support for the thesis. An informational piece may embed a quote for the purpose of informing, but it likely will not need analysis.

What’s the Difference between the main idea, topic sentence, and the thesis? Associate a main idea or topic sentence with a research based informational piece (think: Wildlife Reserve, Santa’s reindeer, Seabiscuit and the depression). Quoting from a text will likely not need analysis. Quote 20% or less. If the idea is arguable, you would then call it a thesis statement. Associate a thesis and a TIQA process with a literary analysis, or perhaps an argument piece. Both may require a synthesis of sources.

TIQA Process used to prove a thesis (the author’s personal theory) about a literary work. In order to support the thesis--which may be regarding tone, figurative language, character analysis, or symbolism--the text must be analyzed to provide evidence that the thesis is true. Analyzing is NOT paraphrasing a quote. Your reader can do this for himself. Wrong: Rainsford discovers that “the night would be my eyelids.” This means that it was so dark that he did not need to close his eyes to sleep. Oops. We figured that out. Comment on its effectiveness. To analyze is to make application to your thesis. Right: This effective use of metaphor makes the clear moo the mood and invites suspense.

Writings strategies Introduction Literary analysis Informational piece Argument paper Hook or other introductory material Name of author (full name) Name of literary piece and type General information about the piece Thesis (subject plus your opinion) Hook or other introductory material Purpose and main idea– may or may not be arguable Introductory material—is there a problem to inform the public about? A juicy piece of little known information? Rhetorical question or provocative statement Informational material to interest the reader regarding your topic. Give an interesting fact or describe a problem. Prepare the reader for what you are going to suggest. Thesis statement or claim (subject plus your opinion about how to solve a problem or accomplish a debatable task)

Writing strategies (Body) Transition and mini-thesis (topic sentence) Introduce first support evidence Quote or example Analyze: explain how the quote accomplishes what you say it does. It must provide evidence to support your thesis statement. Do it again. This time, the T in TIQA may be a transition sentence or phrase. Clincher sentence. Tastes and smells the same as mini-thesis i Literary analysis Paragraph One Topic sentence (mini-thesis) Introduce support example Quote or example which supports mini-thesis which supports main thesis Explain how the quote or example proves your thesis Clincher sentence (re-establish your mini-thesis without restating it)

QUOTE SAMMICH (TIQA) Step ONE: Introduce your quote. What is not introducing a quote: On page 16, it says, “blah, blah, blah.”