Synthesis involves combining elements to create a new concept, theory, or idea.
Synthesis is about judgment: appraising which path to take and then committing to the choice. Synthesis is the creation of composition, as it forces students to see how seemingly unrelated concepts can be complement or antagonize one another. This unit requires students to becomes judges when writing, as it aims to bring in relevant, outside material to support the main idea of the essay.
This “synthesis” unit is sometimes called the “research unit”. It culminates in a research-based capstone project, which requires students to synthesize information from a variety of sources into a meaningful research paper, proposal, or presentation. This final project should exhibit the effective use of academic paraphrase, citation and citation styles, summary, and analysis. Lesson plans for this unit should challenge students to engage in informational literacy. Schedule a visit to the library, discuss how to pose inquiry-based questions to scholarship, and develop activities that challenge students to consider ethically-based research.