Unit Checkpoint

Synthesis means combining information from multiple sources to create a new understanding or argument. It goes beyond summarizing each source separately; instead, you weave sources together to show connections, patterns, and relationships.

Complementary. Both sources address video games but focus on different aspects - one on benefits, one on risks. They do not directly contradict; they provide different perspectives on the same topic.

1. Introduction (context/setup), 2. Quote (with citation), 3. Explanation (analysis of how it supports your point).

Fixed: Reading is important. Researcher Anderson found that "reading 20 minutes a day exposes students to 1.8 million words per year." This massive word exposure explains why daily reading dramatically improves vocabulary.

You should NOT ignore one source because you prefer the other. Present both perspectives fairly, analyze the evidence each provides, and then evaluate which argument is stronger and why.

Summary restates what each source says individually. Synthesis shows how sources connect to each other and to your argument. Synthesis creates new meaning by combining ideas; summary just reports existing ideas.

Similarly, likewise, in the same way, also, additionally, furthermore, along the same lines, supporting this view.

However, in contrast, on the other hand, conversely, nevertheless, although, while, whereas, despite this, critics argue.

It is weak because there is no explanation after the quote. The quote is introduced but not analyzed. A reader does not know what "exercise is medicine" means in context or how it supports the writer's argument.

Organize by theme or point, not by source. Group sources that address the same aspect of your topic together. This creates a unified argument rather than a disconnected series of source summaries.