Instructions: 4 pages, MLA format, double spaced Use 2 articles and 1 TED talk attached in reference files Synthesis is the process we use to combine information from two or more sources and infer relationships among them. Use at least three essays (or two essays and the TED talk) from this unit to form an argument of your own based on the connection of these sources. This assignment is neither a critique, nor a summary. You will employ your analytical skills to find the sources' arguments and themes, the connections between these ideas, and the significance of these connections to the issues at hand. You may focus your argument around two of the essays that we read for this unit, bringing in the third source as supplementary. Procedure Your goal is to create a strong, well-supported argument that explores relationship between at least two sources and the significance of this relationship. This is not a rhetorical analysis like Paper 1, so while it is important that you understand a source's craft, your task is not to explain how the author composes his or her argument, but to compose one of your own. What can be gathered from the overlap between the sources? What do we learn about the topic and theme when we place the two sources together? Don't evaluate either source. Your analysis comes from making connections and gathering what these connections imply. For example, what drives social media dependence and what does this say about our new, digital world? Maybe take the topic from one or more angle-economic, legal (human rights, robot rights), technological, class-based. (Remember that without support, argument reads as opinion. We all have opinions, but your argument must be based on reasoning from evidence. And while the authors you're examining may make emotional appeals, you cannot. In fact, the words 'right', 'wrong', 'good', and 'bad' should be avoided in your essay as the terms are subjective, vague, and invariably lead to opinion.) Make sure your thesis is not a rehash of the author's argument. The way to avoid this is to focus on the themes in addressing the prompt. Don't just make connections, but use these connections to analyze what the connections show about our world and us. This is where your insight can really shine. Do not organize your body paragraphs by source. In other words, don't discuss one essay for half your paper and the other for the other half because this prevents synthesis and deeper analysis. Instead, organize by subtopics that help prove your thesis where multiple sources come in to play. Important Points: Your introductory paragraph should address the major questions at hand: What are the authors' arguments? How do they relate? What is the significance of this relationship to their shared themes, and why does this connection matter to all of us? What are we learning here, as we take in this information? Instead of linearly stepping through your sources, I suggest selecting aspects of theme or topic as your subtopics. This way you can avoid summary and move back and forth between your sources to develop your argument. You must include a clear, coherent thesis statement that will most likely be more than one sentence. Your conclusion should make a closing case for your argument and emphasize the importance of the theme that connects the sources. Avoid personal examples and other anecdotal data. Consider the counter-argument as this will lend support to your own points. This is not a rhetorical analysis like Paper 1. Example Thesis Statements: Both articles show that not all our information is safe on the internet and we think it is. Data mining and ad targeting are instances where information in a person's search history is used to focus specifically on them. While this thesis mentions two sources, it makes a weak connection based on the topic, not the larger implications, so the significance of a connection cannot be explored. Notice that the last sentence presents a definition, not a larger argument. Both articles relate because when technology becomes a necessary part of life, people feel helpless trying to live without it. The result of this is that people then become increasingly trusting and attached to technology, making them susceptible to a loss of privacy. In addition, this increased usage of personal devices creates an illusion of privacy to users, while their data is still unsecure. Here we have an interesting connection and the significance of this connection. We get the sense that the author asked him or herself questions away from the page like 'what does this show?' and 'what does this say about us and our relationship to the internet?' Audience Assume that your reader has not read the essays. You should avoid summarizing in this essay, and instead focus on providing evidence for analysis. Avoid using, "you," "we," and, "I."