Synthesis Project

Project Due: _________________________

Goals:

To further our familiarity with the Synthesis question format
To see connections between relevant primary documents
To develop critical thinking skills

Requirements:

Groups of 4
A carefully written prompt, which includes
A critical question or statement about your topic, plus any follow up questions that may be required. Your prompt should be worded to include one of the following:
defend, challenge, or qualify
evaluate
analyze
6 documents related to your assigned topic, clearly labeled A-F and including any necessary introductory information
One document must be visual
One document must be an essay/literary document
Select the most important excerpt for longer sources.
Write the introduction and bibliographic information for each using MLA Formatting
Annotated bibliography, which will include the correctly cited source material for each of your documents, as well as a brief (3-5 sentence) rationale explaining how each document might be used in response to the prompt. Use MLA formatting. The rationale must also include a note on which document is meant to be used as the visual component as well as which document is meant to be used as the literary/essay component
Then each person will write a sample essay response to the prompt.
Use the 2011 AP format (language, length of excerpts, boxes, and so on) as a template for your final product. Format your project exactly as if it were from the College Board.
The whole package neatly put together in the following order on the due date:
Cover page with your group’s topic and names
Prompt
Documents A-F
Annotated bibliography
Responses to prompt (submitted the following class period)
The topics:

Media
Sports
Health and Technology
Education
Social and Political Issues
Other (If you do not remain true to the traditional approach to synthesis prompts, your grade will suffer! This is not an optimal time to demonstrate your endearing quirkiness :).

Synthesis Project Scoring Guide

Area of Assessment

A

B

C

D

Prompt

(20 points possible)

Clear, precise, and thoughtful; demonstrates outstanding critical thinking

Clear, precise and thoughtful; demonstrates strong critical thinking

Adequate; may need to be more precise and/or thoughtful; demonstrates some critical thinking

Inadequate; unclear and imprecise; demonstrates weak critical thinking

Documents and rationales (50 points possible)

· Includes one visual and one literary source

· Relevant introductory info is included; it is clear and concise

· Rationales in the annotated bibliography demonstrate outstanding critical thinking; connections between each document and the prompt are highly insightful

· Includes one visual and one literary source

· Relevant introductory info is included

· Rationales in the annotated bibliography demonstrate critical thinking; connections between each document and the prompt are insightful

· Includes one visual and one literary source

· Some relevant introductory info is included—may need to be more clear or elaborated

· Rationales in the annotated bibliography demonstrate competent critical thinking; connections between each document and the prompt may be predictable

· May be missing either a visual or literary source

· Needs further introductory info for documents

· Rationales in the annotated bibliography demonstrate weak critical thinking; connections between each document and the prompt are inadequate and very predictable

Response to prompt

(20 points possible)

Thoroughly and insightfully outlines one way in which the prompt might be responded to, including explanations of how all documents would work within the response

Insightfully outlines one way in which the prompt might be responded to, including explanations of how all documents would work within the response

Adequately outlines one way in which the prompt might be responded to, including explanations of how all documents would work within the response

Outlines one way in which the prompt might be responded to; may not include explanations for all documents

Presentation/

Formatting (10 points possible)

· MLA citation is followed perfectly

· Project is put together in a highly professional, clearly organized manner that reflects the work of all members of the group

· MLA citation is followed with minor errors

· Project is put together in a professional, organized manner that reflects the work of all members of the group

· MLA citation may have several errors

· Project is generally organized and reflects the work of most members of the group

· MLA citation is incorrect or missing

· Project is poorly organized and does not reflect the work of all group members

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