Week 4: Synthesis; MEA(L) Paragraphs and Quote Sandwiches; Signal Phrases
Week of Mon, Sep 7 · week closes Fri, Sep 11
This week's items
Exact due times are in Canvas. Late out-of-class assignments accepted up to one week past the original due date. In-class process work and Discussion Board assignments cannot be made up.
Know these cold
- Synthesis means weaving together ideas from two or more sources to develop your own point. You are not just reporting what each source says — you are putting them in conversation with each other.
- The MEA(L) paragraph structure: Main idea sentence (topic sentence stating your point), Evidence (the integrated source), Analysis (your explanation of what the evidence means and why it matters), Link (optional: a sentence that connects back to the thesis or forward to the next paragraph).
- A quote sandwich has three parts: introduction (who said it and why you are using it), the quotation itself (exact words, quotation marks, in-text citation), and analysis (your explanation of what the quotation means for your argument).
- Avoid inserting a quotation at the beginning of a paragraph. The first sentence of every paragraph must be your own claim, not the source's words. You introduce the source to support your claim, not to replace it.
- Signal phrases use attribution verbs to show how an author presents an idea: asserts, argues, claims, contends, maintains (strong positions); suggests, implies, notes (softer positions); questions, challenges, disputes (disagreement).
- Vary your signal phrases. Repeating 'says' in every sentence weakens your writing. Choose verbs that accurately describe what the author is doing: a scientist 'demonstrates,' a critic 'argues,' a narrator 'reveals.'
- Synthesis differs from summary: synthesis adds your own analytical lens to make a point that goes beyond any single source. After presenting two sources, you must explain how they relate and what that relationship means for your argument.
- Transitions between sources signal the relationship: 'Similarly, Jones finds...' (agreement), 'In contrast, Smith argues...' (disagreement), 'Building on this, Chen demonstrates...' (extension).
Discussion and forum — how to show up
Discussion post
- Write a MEA(L) paragraph on a topic of your choice using at least one quotation from a source we have read. Bring it to class on Thursday.
- What does a writer gain by putting two sources in conversation rather than summarizing them one at a time?
Netiquette from the syllabus: address ideas, not people. Complete sentences, correct spelling. Personal matters go to email, never the board.
Meerk's quiz — open the Week 4 gate
10 questions, no time limit. 85% on your first attempt in a 24-hour window opens the gate. Retakes inside the window are practice — they help you learn, they don't count. Work alone; the point is to know it, not to have seen it.
Dinner Table Question
Ask at home: If two writers disagree about the same topic, how can you present both views in a single paragraph without taking a side prematurely?
En español: Si dos escritores no están de acuerdo sobre el mismo tema, ¿cómo puedes presentar ambas perspectivas en un solo párrafo sin tomar partido prematuramente?