The first step to writing a synthesis essay is to decide what issue you want to write about. When you review the assignment information about the synthesis essay, you will see that you need to choose “a focused issue with current relevance the is related to The Best We Could Do.” Here is a step-by-step process for choosing an issue. The bold and underlined components are what you will submit for this assignment:
1. Understand the difference between a topic, a situation, and an issue by viewing these slides: “From Topic to Situation to IssueLinks to an external site..”
2. Choose a general topic related to The Best We Could Do by reviewing the graphic novel and your annotations.
3. Narrow that topic to one that can be adequately addressed in a short essay. There are many resources on the Internet that address narrowing a research topic/issue. Choose at least ONE of the resources below to help you think through how you should narrow your topic. You don’t need to read them all, but I would recommend that you read more than one.
- “Developing a TopicLinks to an external site.” https://guides.lib.vt.edu/gettingstarted
- “Developing Research Questions and Narrowing Research TopicsLinks to an external site.” https://lib.utsa.edu/LearningTechnology/narrowingtopics/
- “Step-by-Step Guide and Research Rescue: Finding and Narrowing Your TopicLinks to an external site.” https://guides.lib.byu.edu/c.php?g=216340&p=1428396
- “Using Stasis Theory to Narrow Your TopicLinks to an external site.” https://pressbooks.pub/openenglishatslcc/chapter/using-statis-theory-to-narrow-your-topic-a-lesson-in-writing-a-viewpoint-synthesis-issue-exploration-paper-and-in-organizing-your-room/
- “Pick a Topic and Develop a Research QuestionLinks to an external site.” https://library.csi.cuny.edu/c.php?g=452346&p=6313003
Keep in mind that many invention strategies such as clustering, brainstorming, freewriting, listing, and discussing are useful as you decide on a narrowed topic.
4. Do some internet research to make sure that the specific topic you’re interested in is actually current. The reading plan that you committed to earlier this semester should help you here. What is the situation related to your topic? What is the conversation surrounding the situation? Provide at least one link to an article about your narrowed topic.
5. Determine the specific issue (what reasonable people disagree about) that you would like to address. Phrase this issue as a question that different people would answer differently. For example, in the slides in step one, the question could be phrased as “What effect will the arrest of El Chapo have on Mexico?” There are four answers given: 1. The arrest will have little benefit to Mexico; 2. The arrest will bring more violence to Mexico; 3. The arrest will change nothing until American demand for drugs diminishes; 4. The arrest will not change the underlying glorification of the drug trade in Mexico.
6. Provide a tentative idea of three groups who would answer your question differently. Refer back to the video about multiple perspectives. In that example, the three groups were the Trump administration, the Mexican government, and the Honduran migrants. What might the three groups for your issue?
- These are the slides mentioned in #1
- https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1QIu_QywCmzDBpRohOwNuKfykByTbVzgtagD41oqP_4Q/edit#slide=id.gc6f73a04f_0_0
- The sources need to be from one of these News links
1440 NewsLinks to an external site.
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AP NewsLinks to an external site.
AP email newslettersLinks to an external site.
The Atlantic email newsletters
The Conversation email newsletters
Los Angeles Times email newsletters
- This is the video it is refering to in #6
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu0cCaVPVp0
- If you need copy of book, I downloaded it from here
- https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=289D7AA823068D30D705A9190BECD7D0