Do students lose depth in digital reading? by naomi baron, pp. 253-256.

Synthesis Assignment Guide
Description
A Synthesis Essay examines articles with a similar topic critically, states a personal
claim, supports that claim, refutes potential points made by the opposition side, and
effectively persuades others. For this assignment you will evaluate writings related
to social media and journalism. The essay will begin with an introductory
paragraph which introduces the overall topic and ends with a thesis statement. In
the body of the essay there will be two summary paragraphs, one for each article,
followed by an analysis of the connections (similarities and differences) between
them. Your own opinion in regards to the topic should be stated and supported, and
possible points of contention refuted. A conclusion paragraph will review the main
points from the body of the essay before restating your opinion or proposed
solution.
The synthesis essay can be based off of three articles, choose two out of the three
articles to compose your essay:
1. Skim Reading Is the New Normal by Maryanne Wolf, pp. 246-249.
2. Do We Read Differently on Paper Than on a Screen, pp. 249-253.
3. Do Students Lose Depth in Digital Reading? by Naomi Baron, pp. 253-256.
Develop your draft into paragraphs with each paragraph being about 200 words
and total essay about 1,200 words.
• Introduction/Thesis Announcement Paragraph (Paragraph 1)
• State what broad topic discussed
• State which 2 articles will be used
• State your opinion/proposal
• Summary Paragraphs
• Summary of article1 (Paragraph 2)
• Summary of article 2 (Paragraph 3)
• Synthesis Paragraph (Paragraph 4)
• Major similarities between the articles
• Similarity 1
• Similarity 2
• Major differences between the articles
• Difference 1
• Difference 2
• Points/Issues from the articles you agree with
• Points/Issues from the articles you disagree with
• Statement, Opinion or Solution Paragraph (Paragraph 5)
• State your opinion or proposed solution
• State your support
• Support 1
• Support 2
• Conclusion Paragraph (Paragraph 6)
• Restate your opinion or proposal
• Summarize your support
• Conclude with a conclusion sentence which ties together with the end
of the introduction paragraph
Requirements
1. Length Requirement: 1,000 -1,200 words (around 4-5 pages)
2. Follow MLA formatting and citation rules (cite the 2 articles)
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
3. Use one-inch margins, Times New Roman font, 12 size text; double
spaced and have page numbers
4. Have introduction sentences for the two articles including the titles,
sources and dates of publication, names of authors, and main ideas of