Synthesising Information

Synthesizing Information

C. Miller AP Lang and Rhetoric

By the end of this lesson

• Students will be able to define synthesis within the scope of English class

• Be able to identify key information from an article for synthesis

• Synthesize information in their own writing

Poll

Do you already feel as though you are an A+ synthesizer?

• Yes

• No

Synthesizing

Synthesizing is when you take the ideas presented by reading or viewing media, add them with what you already know, and draw some new conclusion using the new and existing information that you had.

Open Ended

What does it mean to synthesize?

Example:

In the image to the right, 30% of Americans prefer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as their comfort food of choice. There is no wonder there are dozens of variations of the tried and true favorite.

Example explained

On the previous slide, information gained about comfort food was presented. The underlined words represent what I already knew. Both the information that I learned from the image and what I already knew work together to come to the conclusion that PB&J is the "tried and true favorite" comfort food; this is the synthesis.

How can synthesizing information help my writing?

• Better paraphrasing

• Helps show connections between the text and your thinking.

• Demonstrates that you have depth of knowledge on the subject.

Multiple Select

Select the best answer

How can synthesizing help your writing

• It makes you look smarter.

• Demonstrates advanced intellectual capabilities.

• Establishes connections between your line of reasoning and the text.

For the next 3 slides

Read the excerpt then choose the most important information to include in your synthesis:

Multiple Choice

"Jen" The female Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was outed – but only pseudonymously – by Navy Seal Matt Bissonnette, who took part in the raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed – thanks to the intelligence she provided. According to Bissonnette's book, she spent five years researching Bin Laden's whereabouts. Little is known of her. Except Bissonnette says she is feisty – and that when she saw Bin Laden's bullet-riddled body, she wept.

• The spy's name is Jen and she worked for the CIA.

• Jen is fiesty, and cried over Osama Bin Laden.

• Jen provided CIA intelligence that later was used to raid and kill Osama Bin Laden.

Multiple Choice

Christine Granville (born Krystyna Skarbek)

"In the 1940s, most people seemed to think all female agents were beautiful and used their charm and beauty," says Clare Mulley, author of "The Spy Who Loved," a biography of Granville. This was not true for all, but "Granville's charm and beauty were really important." She was fast-thinking, brave, devoted, and instinctive; once biting her tongue to feign the symptoms of tuberculosis and elude the Gestapo. She was awarded the George Medal.

• She was fast-thinking, brave, devoted, and instinctive; once biting her tongue to feign the symptoms of tuberculosis and elude the Gestapo. She was awarded the George Medal.

• "In the 1940s, most people seemed to think all female agents were beautiful and used their charm and beauty," says Clare Mulley, author of "The Spy Who Loved," a biography of Granville.

• This was not true for all, but "Granville's charm and beauty were really important."

Multiple Choice

Violette Szabó

Proof that women have long been spies and mothers. A secret agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), Szabó took part in two intelligence-gathering missions in 1944, in Rouen and Limoges, barely two years after her daughter was born. One biography claims that she bought a dress for her baby in Paris, France when the first mission was completed. She was captured during her second mission and executed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.

• A secret agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), Szabó took part in two intelligence-gathering missions in 1944, barely two years after her daughter was born.

• One biography claims that she bought a dress for her baby in Paris, France, when the first mission was completed.

• She was captured during her second mission and executed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.

Open Ended

Using what you already knew about female spies and what you just learned through reading the excerpts write a well-developed and coherent response challenging or defending why women make good spies.

Poll

Do you feel that you are a better synthesizer after this lesson?

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

Leave any feedback that you feel will improve this lesson and your understanding of how to synthesize information.