Created by: Kelly Kiehl

Synthesis 1

Overview:
Students will define synthesis and examine its real world applications.

Objectives:

Develop an introductory understanding of synthesis

Actively synthesize multiple points of view in casual writing

Materials

Laptop
Dictionary
Whiteboard
Markers

Activities:

Ask students to do a free write on defining synthesis in their own words. (10 min)
Have students share their ideas on the meanings of synthesis. Have one students look up
synthesis in the dictionary and share the synonyms. Write student thoughts up on the board. (10
min)
Ask students how they might see synthesis in everyday life. Pass out social networking hand out,
which requires students to find posts on their social networking sites with comments that
represent synthesis. (20 min)
Discussion of activity (10 min)

Evaluation:
Students will post a reflection of the activity on a discussion board in Canvas. Their understanding of
synthesis will be reflected in these posts.

Created by: Kelly Kiehl

Synthesis 2
Overview:
Students will gain a deeper understanding of synthesis and actively
practice the relation of ideas in group settings.

Objectives:

Materials

Laptop
Google Docs
Whiteboard
Markers

Develop a deeper understanding of synthesis

Synthesize points of view in a group setting
Begin to recognize that individual ideas exist in a conversation
with others ideas

Activities:

Give a mini lesson on Fracking. Ask the students who they think might be effected by fracking.
Make sure they have a thorough understanding of the process and its consequences. (10 min)
Divide the students into groups of 5, assigning each student in the group a role of someone who
would be effected by fracking (a farmer, an oil company CEO, an environmentalist, etc.) (5 min)
Require students to create a synthesis of their points of view in a GoogleDoc that they work on
together. Each student should recognize the relation of their ideas with the members of the
other group. (35 min)

Evaluation:
The Google Doc created by the students during this activity will serve as the evaluation of this skill.

Created by: Kelly Kiehl

Synthesis 3
Overview:
Students will practice synthesis in their own writing.

Objectives:

Materials

Laptop
Essay Drafts
Whiteboard
Markers

Demonstrate an understanding of synthesis by critically

thinking about others' ideas, and then writing about how
his/her ideas exist in a conversation with others.

Activities:

As a class, the students will review the meaning of synthesis. The instructor will talk about
important synthesis words in writing (agree, disagree, builds upon). (10 min)
Students will work with their own essays, implementing the skills that they have learned in the
previous synthesis lessons, and adding in the important synthesis signals. Students will bold
these words that signal synthesis in their drafts. (20 min)
Students will trade their essay drafts with their peers, and the peers will focus on the synthesis
in the drafts. They will offer suggestions on how the synthesis can be expressed more smoothly
and clearly in the drafts. (20 min)

Evaluation:
The students' essays will serve as the evaluation of their understanding of synthesis.