Synthesis Essay: What Motivates Our Choices



Synthesis Essay: What Motivates Our Choices? Name:______________________________

Evaluation Criteria

100 pts

INTRODUCTORY Paragraph

-Introduce the topic (making choices) one of these ways:

• In a very broad context (such as – depending on your topic: a few comments on where/how we see tension between self-interest and community values in our culture; or a few comments on how people of action vs. thinkers have shaped our society; or a few comments on the most common influences on decision-making in our culture, or a few comments on how free we are, in general, to make choices for ourselves in our culture. Include 1-2 specific, recognizable real-world examples of these general observations)

or

• As an anecdote about making choices: a short memory of a personal experience or a narrative about someone else’s experience. The anecdote should tie in to your thesis.

-In 1-2 sentences, transition into your thesis. Narrow the focus of your writing from the general topic of decision-making to the issue on which you are taking a stand (integrity vs. self-interest; acting vs. thinking; what motivates our choices and its relative benefit or harm)

-State your thesis: it should take a stand on one of the essay prompts, and include a general reason for this stance.

BODY PARAGRAPHS:

You will organize your evidence by common ideas you find in your excerpts.

Each paragraph will focus on one narrower reason that supports your thesis, and will use the most relevant evidence from any of your sources to illustrate this point.

For example, if your thesis is “integrity should have the greatest influence on our choices because we never know when we may have to rely on other people,” a supporting reason for this could be “most people must cooperate with others to receive services like education, sanitation, and health care.” Your quotes, from any of your sources, would illustrate this point in that paragraph. The next paragraph would focus on a different supporting reason, and use other, relevant evidence from your sources. Etc.

Planning: List 2-4 supporting reasons for your thesis that your evidence could illustrate, with at least one source of evidence for each.

_____ REASON A Evidence 1(source title and page no.):

Evidence 2 (source title and page no):

_____ REASON B Evidence 1(source title and page no.):

Evidence 2 (source title and page no):

_____ REASON C Evidence 1(source title and page no.):

Evidence 2 (source title and page no):

_____ REASON D Evidence 1(source title and page no.):

Evidence 2 (source title and page no):

Plan to write 3-4 body paragraphs. Next to each supporting reason above, write the number(s) of the paragraph(s) in which you will develop it.

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

This paragraph condenses your argument and supporting evidence to:

A restatement (in slightly different wording) of your thesis

A summary of supporting reasons for your thesis

Exegesis: a few comments on why this topic matters—not just to your English teacher, but to all of humanity

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