Required Word Count: 1000-1500 Words
A synthesis essay analyzes two or more sources and constructs an argument about how they are related to each other. A synthesis will also explain how reading the texts together provides a better understanding of the topic they both address. Your task for this assignment is to review Nicolas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, and then select the following reading to synthesize with Carr’s:
- Kevin Kelly’s “Better Than Human: Why Robots Will—and Must—Take Our Jobs”
Your essay should include the following components:
- An introductory paragraph that establishes the main idea of your synthesis and includes a clear thesis statement about how your two texts are related to each other. Use the following questions as guides for developing a thesis:
- Do your sources agree/disagree with each other?
- Do your sources both agree and disagree with each other?
- How do your sources contribute to a better understanding of the topic?
- Do your sources present similar kinds of evidence?
- Do your sources address similar contexts?
- How are your sources similar? How are they different?
- Evidence paragraphs with clear topic sentences. You should introduce only one major claim or idea per paragraph, and you should always support your claims with evidence from one or both of your sources.
- A concluding paragraph in which you reiterate what you think the most important main idea of your synthesis is.
Drafting Requirements:
Your paper should be double-spaced, written in 12-point font (in Calibri, Ariel, or Times New Roman), with 1-inch-margins and page numbers. Give your paper an original title, and be sure to include the following information in the upper-left-hand corner of the first page: your name, the instructor’s name, the class number and section, the due date, and the word count.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/