Synthesis Prompt Review Reminders and Tips

Tip 1: What is the prompt asking? Frame the prompt as a question. Practice… “Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well- written essay that develops a position on the extent to which government should be responsible for fostering green practices.” “How much should the government be responsible for fostering green practices?”

More Practice “Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well- developed essay that argues a clear position on whether the USPS should be restructured to meet the needs of a changing world, and if so, how.” “Then, in a well-organized essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, examine the factors a group or agency should consider in memorializing an event or person and in creating a monument.”

Possible Questions Should the U.S. Post office be restructured? How should it be restructured? What factors should an agency consider when memorializing an event or individual and creating a monument?

Tip 2: Create a thesis statement. Read the sources before finalizing your thesis. Make sure your thesis fits the prompt (see step 1). While it’s important to consider the sources, don’t let the sources become your entire argument- the sources should SUPPORT your argument

Practice! “Then, in a well-organized essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, examine the factors a group or agency should consider in memorializing an event or person and in creating a monument.” Your Sources: ▫A: Monuments must be in historically significant areas ▫B: A photo of a monument in a park with trees around it ▫C: An article about how Mount Rushmore is an insult to local Indians ▫D: An article about a cemetery possibly being sold to a new development ▫E: An article concerning controversy about the location and design of the Holocaust Museum ▫F: An article about a statue of a fisherman that was moved around and eventually destroyed ▫G: An article about the Vietnam Memorial design and how it was designed to work with its landscape

Possible Thesis Before creating a monument to memorialize an event or person, an agency should consider the cultural significance of possible locations and the functionality of possible designs.

Tip 3: Create an outline Each paragraph should have a clear focus revealed by a clear topic sentence Paragraphs should use more than one source as much as possible Paragraphs may contain other examples of your own creation—remember, it’s an argument first!

My Outline Introduction Body Paragraph 1: Location is crucial in designing a memorial because of both cultural and practical considerations. Body Paragraph 2: Along with location, the actual design of the memorial needs to be functional and attractive. Conclusion

Tip 4: Use the sources effectively DON’T use them in your topic sentences Use both indirect and direct references Use both in-text and parenthetical citations EXPLAIN how the source fits your thesis (give a long explanation for at least one source- if time is short you can briefly mention others)

Practice: Stitch and weave the following quote to support the “functionality of design” paragraph. “The idea of destroying the park to create something that by its very nature should commemorate life seemed hypocritical, nor was it in my nature. I wanted my design to work with the land, to make something with the site, not to fight it or dominate it. I see my works and their relationship to the landscape as being an additive rather than a combative process.”

My Try When agencies create the design for a memorial, they need to consider the impact on the environment. As Source G states, the relationship of a memorial to nature should be “an additive rather than a combative process.” If a memorial harms the environment, it will lose some of its nostalgia and importance because visitors may be focused on this destruction rather than the significance of the memorial. In contrast, when a memorial works with its landscape, such as the Vietnam War Memorial mentioned in Source G, this harmony only adds to the majesty of the monument.

Practice again: Paraphrase this source to support the location paragraph. “It is not surprising that immediate and intense controversy erupted when plans were publicized to build a Holocaust museum on The Mall in Washington, D.C. The controversy grew from Jewish and non-Jewish communities, primarily due to the fact that a museum dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust would be built in the United States, who did little to stop the Holocaust from occurring, or as one protester said, “Imagine a Holocaust museum in the town whose political sages refused to lift a finger to halt the Holocaust or open our shores to the few survivors! How offensive to any informed individual!”

My Try “The initial controversy surrounding the location of the Holocaust Museum shows how sensitive this topic can be (Source E). If an agency is taking the time to create a memorial, then the person or event it will represent must hold emotional significance to people. When emotions run high, any small controversy surrounding location will be magnified, as was the case with the Holocaust Museum.”

Practice Again: Use both of these sources in one paragraph (about any topic). “I have to admit: Mount Rushmore bothers me. It was bad enough that white men drove the Sioux from hills they still hold sacred; did they have to carve faces all over them too? It’s easy to feel affection for Mount Rushmore’s strange grandeur, but only if you forget where it is and how it got there. To me, it’s too close to graffiti.” (Source C) “[T]he public monument speaks to a deep need for attachment that can be met only in a real place, where the imagined community actually materializes and the existence of the nation is confirmed in a simple but powerful way. The experience is not exactly in the realm of imagination or reason, but grounded in the felt connection of individual to collective body.” (Source A)

My Try The location of a monument must fit its historical significance and allow visitors to feel connected to the past. As Source A states, the best memorials are “grounded in the felt connection of individual to collective body.” The Gettysburg Memorial is so powerful because visitors stand where the battle was fought. When the historical significance of a location is not considered, a memorial can seem out of place or even offensive. Mount Rushmore seems to be a strange place to celebrate the presidents, especially since the people native to the area were treated so poorly by early Americans (Source C). With no history to honor in that area, the monument loses its power and can even become “close to graffiti” (Source C).