4.3 Synthesizing Sources

Lesson Objectives

Students will

• Understand how a matrix can help them to organize sources
• Practice creating a paragraph with source integration from a matrix
•  Create their own matrix and understand how to transfer sources to their papers.

Warm-Up: Small Group Review (10-15 min)
I will be giving you a REVIEW HANDOUT that covers some of the content from the last class. Please complete it in small groups. I will also be giving you a handout on Transitions for Contrast and Connecting Clauses as we had some concerns over this last time.

Part I: Source Synthesis Definition (10 min)

Go through SOURCE SYNTHESIS PPT to review the concept and elicit function and vocabulary common to source synthesis. Remind students that they need a minimum of five sources in their paper
SOURCE SYNTHESIS  LANGUAGE (review from 500)

Part II: Source Synthesis Practice
Please click on the following link to access the materials for this activity. I will have you work in pairs to complete the matrix. You can then write your paragraphs into your notebooks.
SOURCE SYNTHESIS PRACTICE

Part III: Create Our Own Matrix (10 min)

By this point you all have at least four sources collected for your final paper. I will be giving you time now to consider how you will organize your sources into your paper. You are to open a clean BLANK MATRIX chart and begin to add your points and sources.  I will be circulating for assistance. Students who finish early should work to transfer their matrix points to their papers. They can create topic sentences based on the points.  

Part IV: Transferring Matrix to Papers (20 min)

Using what you have completed from the matrix (it is okay if you haven’t finished yet), begin to build topic sentence in your paper that are based on your points. Build rough drafts of your topic sentences and place your matrix notes below each topic sentence. Review the language for source integration and begin to smooth out your paragraphs by adding transitions, comparisons, and other appropriate language. Continue building and refining your body paragraphs. I will be circulating for assistance.

Lesson Materials:
 REVIEW HANDOUT

SOURCE SYNTHESIS PPT
SOURCE SYNTHESIS  LANGUAGE 

SOURCE SYNTHESIS PRACTICE

BLANK MATRIX

Supplemental:

IMRD article related to Obesity in Children

Source Synthesis Practice (30 min)

To gain practice in integrating as well as comparing sources, we will practice with a topic that all can understand: “childhood obesity.” I will be giving you four sources that are related to this topic. The sources are summarized or just have an abstract. You are to imagine that you are writing a paragraph about the role of exercise in obesity. Complete these steps:

1)    Read the SOURCES

2)    Complete the MATRIX

3)    Use the maxtrix to create a paragraph

                                          i.    Don’t forget to use appropriate source integration language

4)    Share your paragraph with another person

You can create a paragraph that addresses the role of obesity in exercise or that looks to exercise as a possible solution to the problem of obesity. To create your paragraph, you need to have a clear topic sentence and use some or all of the sources as supporting points in your paragraph. You may or may not need to have a closing sentence at the end of your paragraph to reminds the reader of the connection between your points and your topic setnence.

Writer’s Help Resources:
Quick Help: Synthesizing sources
Quick Help: Placing sources in conversation
Quick Help: Considering how sources relate to your argument