War Synthesis Essay
Essay
due: Friday, April 5, 2013
Write a paper that synthesizes classroom sources and your
own knowledge, experiences, and research to answer the question “Is there such
a thing as a just war?” Remember that definition is an important element of
argument. Remember that a synthesis paragraph begins with your own opinion/topic
sentence, which is supported by quotations from two different sources. Not all
of your body paragraphs need to be synthesis paragraphs.
Minimums:
1) Three
synthesis paragraphs.
2) Three sources from the classroom.
-
“The Declaration of Independence,” by Thomas
Jefferson (from 50 Essays, 2nd
Edition)
-
Octavian
Nothing, by M.T. Anderson (you can find the necessary bibliographical info
for your Works Cited on Wikipedia)
-
“The Gettysburg Address,” by Abraham Lincoln
(from 50 Essays, 1st Edition)
-
Henry V,
Part I, by William Shakespeare (http://www.bartleby.com/70/2931.html)
-
“The Prince,” by Niccolo Machiavelli (from 50 Essays, 1st Edition)
-
Johnny Got
His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo
3) Additional sources from your own research, including one
source from Gale. Be sure your
internet sources are reliable. You will need to work hard to establish these
sources. You may consider:
-
Historical conflicts, large and small
-
Contemporary conflicts, such as wars in Africa
and the Middle East
-
Contemporary and classical literature
-
Readings from Everything’s an Argument
-
Modern films
-
Popular songs
-
Personal experience
-
Something interesting that I haven’t thought of
yet
4) An element of visual rhetoric. This could be an editorial
cartoon or an image. Your image should be included in the body of the paper.
You should explain how this image helps you argue that there is or isn’t a just
war. Be sure to cite the source of your image.
5) Evidence against your thesis, soundly refuted by your
laser sharp logic.
6) A properly formatted Works Cited page. If your internet
sources aren’t from Gale, you’ll need
to include the link. For your convenience, I’ve googled “How to Cite a Song”
for you:
Songwriter's
last name, first name. "Title
of Song." Lyrics. Title
of Album. Name of Publishing
Company, Year Recorded. Format.
De Sela, Lhasa.
"La Frontera."
Lyrics. The Living Road. Netwerk, 2004.
CD.
If the song is being sung by someone other than the
songwriter, here is how that would look:
Dylan,
Bob. "Like a Rolling
Stone." Lyrics. Perf. The
Drive-By Truckers. Highway 61 Revisited. Uncut/Ignite!, 2005. mp3.
so, for this essay would a encyclopedia be a reliable source? Would I establish it as well, because I don't really know how to, I looked it up to see what I could find and I really didn't find anything. If for my Gale source I did use an encyclopedia just to define some things (like the requirements for a just war) would that be a good sturdy way to use a source? Also, happy end to spring break >:)
ReplyDeleteSome encyclopedias are reliable and some aren't. The *Gale* encyclopedias are pretty solid; the point of going through *Gale* is to ensure that your sources are good.
DeleteHappy end of spring break to you as well! I'm well rested and looking forward to getting back to work. (Of course, I didn't have any calc homework to do.)
Hi Mr. kline!
ReplyDeleteSo my photo that I am using is from someone's profile on buzznet (no idea what that is). But how would I cite that since its her profile on website... Also for one of the three personal references, which mine includes gale,a song, and king henry the fifth. Is that a problem to include King Hentry the fifth as one of my personal references because I already have three other classroom references? Thanks!
Images are really tricky to cite. If you can bring the link to class tomorrow, we could look at the source as a class and talk about it; that might answer a lot of questions for your classmates.
DeleteAs for the sources, you need three classroom sources and any number of additional sources. So long as you use three from class plus one from *Gale*, anything else is gravy.
Ok so my computer is really dysfunctional and is only allowing me to reply, not create a comment of my own; this is it's own comment.
DeleteI am using a quote from and ancient Roman historian, who should I cite as the author if I found it on a webpage? I don't have any of his original works and cannot find the original source online.
Nevermind, after some searching I found an internet archive ebook of the original text!
DeleteIt's always nice when questions answer themselves.
DeleteHey thanks Mr. Kline! Another question though, if I'm quoting the extra bit to Octavian Nothing (what's the extra bit at the end called?) where the page number is i would that be what I put in my in text citation.
ReplyDeleteBasically, would it look like ( Anderson i)?
That is correct (though you have a superfluous space after the opening parenthesis).
DeleteAAAh, one more question connected to that. if it's the extra bit in the back where he quotes a lady who saw a tar and feathering happen, would Anderson be the "author" or would Anne Hulton? If it is Anne Hulton, do I need to establish her?
ReplyDeleteAnderson is the author. You don't need to "establish" Hulton, though you would mention her when you explained the context of your quotation. Do you see the difference?
DeleteSo since the overall question for this essay is whether or not there is such a thing as a just war, is it ok for me to base my three synthesis essays off three smaller questions inside the main overall question?
ReplyDeleteYup. (I imagine you mean three synthesis paragraphs instead of essays.)
DeleteThis might be a stupid question, but how do you include two pieces of evidence in a paragraph without it being a synthesis paragraph?
ReplyDeleteIf both pieces of evidence come from the same source, you haven't synthesized two different sources. You've probably written a thorough, thoughtful, well-developed paragraph, but you haven't written a synthesis paragraph.
DeleteSo I am using the *I Have a Dream* speech does that count as a classroom source since we read it in class? Or are we limited to the list provided in the post? I think this is what I wanted to ask in class but couldn't remember.
ReplyDelete"I Have a Dream" is a classroom source.
DeleteOk thanks :)
DeleteOh and shocking, Gale worked tonight.
ReplyDeleteSo I cannot for the life of me find an image that I can actually find the artist or photographer of the image. Is there anything someone could suggest to help me? I don't even know how to find the artist unless there is some sort of signature at the bottom. PLEASE???
ReplyDelete