E
JERICHO
HIGH
SCHOOL
NAME
__________________________
PERIOD ___________
DATE
___________
MRS. FISCHER
ENGLISH II
SYNTHESIS ESSAY
Synthesis Essay
Directions: Carefully read each of the three texts provided and write an evidence-based essay on the topic
below.
ESSAY TOPIC: How does discrimination affect society?
Your Task: Carefully read each of the three texts provided. Then, using evidence from all three texts, write a
well-developed argument (essay) regarding how discrimination affects society.
Clearly establish your claim about how discrimination affects society in your introduction paragraph. Write
one body paragraph for each text (three body paragraphs total). Use specific and relevant evidence (details
and direct quotations) from the texts to develop your argument. In your conclusion, synthesize [blend] the
information from the body paragraphs and clearly address the essay topic.
Do not simply summarize each text. Analyze them.
GUIDELINES:
Be sure to:
Establish your claim regarding how discrimination affects society.
Use specific, relevant, and sufficient evidence from all three of the texts to develop your argument.
Identify the source that you reference by text name or number i.e. Text #1.
Organize your ideas in a cohesive and coherent manner.
Maintain a formal style of writing.
Follow the conventions of standard written English.
Text 1 -Text 2 -Text 3 --
Texts:
“Lynching in America”
“Strange Fruit” by Abe Meeropol
excerpt from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
OUTLINING THE ESSAY:
Introduction Paragraph:
• Introduce the idea of the effect of discrimination on society.
• Introduce all three texts.
• End with a thesis statement about the topic of discrimination. You will prove the truth of this
statement throughout the rest of your essay.
Body Paragraph #1 / Text # ___ (it doesn’t matter in which order you address the texts)
• Begin with a topic sentence that introduces the text you will discuss in the paragraph and the
main idea that you will discuss.
• Focus on specific evidence (detail or quotation) from the text. This evidence should support
your thesis. If you quote, use in-text parenthetical citation which looks like this:
If quoting from the lynching article (which comes from a nonfiction source that doesn’t
have an individual author) simply write Text #1 or the title (“Lynching in America”).
You don’t need to indicate line number or page number for the article.
“The concept of taking the law into one's own hands to punish a criminal
almost certainly predates recorded history” (Text #1).
or
“The concept of taking the law into one's own hands to punish a criminal
almost certainly predates recorded history” (“Lynching in America”).
If quoting from the poem include the author (Meeropol) and line number. If quoting
more than one line put a slash ( / ) to indicate the line break.
“Southern trees bear a strange fruit / Blood on the leaves and blood at the
root” (Meeropl, lines 1-2).
If quoting from To Kill a Mockingbird include the author (Lee) and the page number.
The end punctuation goes after the parentheses not inside the quotation.
“The full meaning of the night’s events hit me and I began crying” (Lee 156).
If quoting a line of dialogue from the novel, the quotation marks turn into apostrophe
marks.
In To Kill a Mockingbird Scout says, “ ‘I thought Mr. Cunningham was a friend of
ours. You told me a long time ago he was’ “ (Lee 157).
•
•
•
•
Explain how the specific evidence (detail or quotation) relates to the essay topic
(discrimination in society).
Provide another example from the text. Include quotation or detail. Note: there should be at
least one quotation per body paragraph. There should not be more than two quotations.
Most of the paragraph should be your own words.
Explain the second example.
Conclude with a closing sentence.
Body Paragraph #2 / Text # ___
• Begin with a topic sentence that introduces the text you will discuss in the paragraph and the
main idea that you will discuss. You may want to start this topic sentence off with a
transitional word or phrase.
• Follow steps for body paragraph #1:
o For example [quote or detail]
o Explanation
o Another example [quote or detail]
o Explanation
• Closing sentence
Body Paragraph #3 / Text # ___
• Begin with a topic sentence that introduces the text you will discuss in the paragraph and the
main idea that you will discuss. You may want to start this topic sentence off with a
transitional word or phrase.
• Follow steps for body paragraph #1:
o For example [quote or detail]
o Explanation
o Another example [quote or detail]
o Explanation
• Closing sentence
Conclusion Paragraph
• Restate your thesis statement and central argument regarding discrimination in society.
• Write one sentence for each body paragraph essentially restating the main argument you
made in each paragraph.
• Write another sentence or two synthesizing all three texts—in other words, showing the
connection between the texts.
• Conclude with a meaningful thought about discrimination in society.