Education Synthesis Essay

Due TBA (Tentatively Monday, November 7)

Considering several of the pieces we have read in this unit – as well as your personal reading, observation, and research – write an argument that explores ONE of the following questions: 1) What is the value of education? or 2) What is the best way to learn?

Typed. Double Spaced. Twelve point. No blank lines between paragraphs, except to indicate a major shift in tone or setting. Three – six pages. Don’t forget a title. Don’t forget your header.

Required:

·      Include at least one sentence that employs parallelism, used to create a specific effect. Underline your parallel structures.

·      Support from a minimum of three classroom sources.

·      Support from a minimum of one additional source from the Gale database.

·      At least two “synthesis” paragraphs.

·      Properly formatted Works Cited Page.

Suggested: End with a plan of action for the future. Employ anaphora in your conclusion.

Audience: 1) The editor of a nationally published magazine. 2) The well-educated readers of that magazine. 3) Yourself.

Purpose: 1) To explore contemporary issues regarding the way people learn and the way we teach 2) To evaluate the current state of education in America or the world at large. 3) To suggest a plan of action for the future.

How to approach this paper:

·      Develop an opinion on this subject.

·      Gather evidence (from our texts and from research) to support your opinion. This is an argument; therefore, personal experience is valid evidence and first person is an acceptable POV.

·      Create clear, defensible topic sentences.

·      Draft paragraphs with two quotations to support your topic sentences.

·      Draft paragraphs with an eye towards ethos, pathos, and logos.

·      Proofread to ensure your quotations are properly formatted and cited. For this essay, “you will need to include the author’s name in your parenthetical citation” (Kline 1).

·      Create your Works Cited page.