Do Now: Respond to the following. When you need to make a difficult decision or choice (like where to go to college), what is your decision-making process?

Synthesis Essay

Purposes for Synthesis Enter a conversation that society is having about a topic. Explore viewpoints expressed in articles, editorials, reports, and visual media on the topic. Formulate your own ideas about the topic. Use viewpoints expressed in sources to create and support an argument on the topic.

Sample prompt: Using the following documents on community service requirements in high schools, write an essay, explaining whether you believe that high schools in general – or your specific school or district – should make community service mandatory. Incorporate references to or quotations from a minimum of three of these sources in your essay.

Some viewpoints on mandatory volunteerism: Teaches responsibility and fosters sense of community. Provides opportunity to experience different professional settings. Expands knowledge of greater world realities and experiences of others. Exploits community service for personal gain. Because forced, creates distaste for service. Corrupts spirit of service.

Recognizing Complexity Most topics provided on the exam will be complex; that is, they will have multiple perspectives/ more than two sides (pro-con). Your argument should be qualified (recognize the complexities of a topic and/or anticipate objections to your position). To create a qualified argument, use sources in the following ways: – As evidence to support your opinion. – To concede to and refute opposing viewpoints expressed in sources. – To criticize ideas expressed in sources for inaccuracies or reject them as wrong.

Questions that explore complexity of topic: Does requiring community service devalue it? Does requiring it discourage future participation? Does positive experience that most volunteers often have offset their initial reluctance to participate? How does the structure of the community service program – is it part of academic study? are there choices? – affect its perceived value? Can such a requirement be safeguarded from exploitation for an individual’s personal gain? How? What values about community and education underlie a service requirement? What influence does community socioeconomic situation play in such a requirement? How does a school system determine how many hours of service to require?

Thesis statements that reflect complexity of topic: 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 programs a graduation requirement offset the benefits. Though students may not recognize the value of community service, JFK Memorial High School should require community service to instill a sense of civic responsibility and encourage a lifelong habit of helping others.

Thesis statements that reflect complexity of topic: High schools should encourage students to participate in community service and reward those who do so without making participation mandatory for graduation. 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.

Citing Sources AP readers will look for citations (at least three). Use direct quotations from or paraphrases of sources. Provide credit to sources in any of the following ways: – “According to Source D, …” – “In Emerson’s opinion, …” – “A survey of recent graduates (Source D) shows that …” – “25% of recent high school graduates view their high school community service experiences as rewarding (Smith).”

In your essay… Support your position with three reasons. Cite three sources within essay. Include your own ideas in addition to ideas expressed in sources. Avoid just summarizing sources; instead, quote or summarize sources in service of your own argument. Determine most effective order for your ideas. Credit sources.

Visual Rhetoric