AP English Language and CompositionSynthesis Project

Goals:

  • To become familiar with the Synthesis question format
  • To see connections between relevant primary documents of both written and visual texts
  • To develop critical thinking and research skills

Requirements:

  1. A carefully written prompt, which includes
  2. A critical question or statement about your topic, plus any follow up questions that may be required. Your prompt should be worded to include one of the following:
  3. defend, challenge, or qualify
  4. evaluate
  5. analyze
  6. 6 documents related to your assigned topic, clearly labeled A-F and including any necessary introductory information
  7. One document must be visual
  8. You MAY NOT USE ALL INTERNET SOURCES
  9. Select the most important excerpt for longer sources.
  10. Write the introduction and bibliographic information for each using MLA Formatting
  11. Annotated bibliography, which will include the correctly cited source material for each of your documents, as well as a brief (3-5 sentence) rationale explaining how each document might be used in response to the prompt. Use MLA formatting. The rationale must also include a note on which document is meant to be used as the visual component.
  12. Then each student will write a sample essay response to his/her prompt or choose to write to another student’s prompt.
  13. Use the AP synthesis format (language, length of excerpts, boxes, and so on) as a template for your final product. Format your project exactly as if it were from the College Board.
  14. The whole package neatly put together in the following order on the due date:
  15. Cover page with your topic and name
  16. Prompt with directions,
  17. Documents A-F
  18. Annotated bibliography
  19. Response to prompt written in class after due date.
  20. The topics (must be approved by teacher):

Consider the follow general categories to get you started if you are struggling

  • Media
  • Sports
  • Health and Technology
  • Education
  • Social and Political Issues

Synthesis Project Scoring Guide

Area of Assessment / A / B / C / D
Prompt
(20 points possible) / Clear, precise, and thoughtful; demonstrates outstanding critical thinking; either significant factor or defend, refute, qualify / Clear, precise and thoughtful; demonstrates strong critical thinking; either significant factor or defend, refute, qualify / Adequate; may need to be more precise and/or thoughtful; demonstrates some critical thinking; either significant factor or defend, refute, qualify / Inadequate; unclear and imprecise; demonstrates weak critical thinking; does NOT follow CB guideline for either significant factor or defend, refute, qualify
Documents selection and rationale in annotated bibliography points possible)
(60 points) /
  • Includes at least one visual
  • Rationales in the annotated bibliography demonstrate outstanding critical thinking; connections between each document and the prompt are highly insightful
  • Selection of sources and excerpts are quality credible sources for question
/
  • Includes at least one visual source
  • Rationales in the annotated bibliography demonstrate critical thinking; connections between each document and the prompt are insightful
  • Selection of sources and excerpts are quality credible sources for question
/
  • Includes at least one visual source
  • Rationales in the annotated bibliography demonstrate competent critical thinking; connections between each document and the prompt may be predictable
  • Selection of most sources and excerpts are quality credible sources for question
/
  • May be missing a visual source
  • Rationales in the annotated bibliography demonstrate weak critical thinking; connections between each document and the prompt are inadequate and very predictable
  • Source selection and excerpts are not quality sources for topic question

Introductory Information in italics above each source
(30 points)
5 per source /
  • Relevant introductory info is included; it is clear and concise and is in italics above source
/
  • Relevant introductory info is included and is in italics above source
/
  • Some relevant introductory info is included—may need to be more clear or elaborated and is in italics above source
/
  • Needs further introductory info for documents in italics above source

MLA Citation
(60 points)
2 points per error – not to exceed 60 points total /
  • MLA citation is followed perfectly in source text boxes and on annotated bibliography
/
  • MLA citation is followed with minor errors in source text boxes and on annotated bibliography
/
  • MLA citation may have several errors in source text boxes and on annotated bibliography
/
  • MLA citation is incorrect or missing in source text boxes and on annotated bibliography

Scavenger Hunt
Questions
(30 points)
5 points per source /
  • Questions are well developed where student cannot just Google the answer; accompanied by key; students can locate accurate answers with ease due to correct MLA citation
/
  • Most questions are well developed where student cannot just Google the answer; accompanied by key; students can locate accurate answers with some ease due to correct MLA citation
/
  • Few questions are well developed where student cannot just Google the answer; accompanied by partial key; students can locate accurate answers with some difficulty due to correct MLA citation
/
  • Questions are NOT well developed; student can just Google the answer; accompanied by no or a partial key; students cannot locate accurate answers with ease due to correct MLA citation

Presentation/
Formatting (10 points possible) /
  • Project is put together in a highly professional, clearly organized manner.
/
  • Project is put together in a professional, organized manner.
/
  • Project is generally organized.
/
  • Project is poorly organized.

_____/20 prompt

_____/50 documents and rationale

_____/30 points introductory material to each source

_____/60 points MLA citation

_____/30 scavenger hunt questions

_____/10 presentation/formatting

_____/200

Synthesis Essay Rubric

AP / Description
8-9
97-100 /
  • Effectively develops a position.
  • Appropriate and convincing evidence.
  • Impressive control of language

6-7
90-96 /
  • Adequately develops a position.
  • Appropriate evidence.
  • Generally clear prose

5
80-89 /
  • Develops a position
  • Evidence and/or explanations may be uneven, inconsistent, or limited
  • Some lapses in diction/syntax, but usually conveys student’s ideas

4-3
70-79 /
  • Inadequately develops a position
  • Insufficient evidence
  • Immature control of writing

2-1
69 and below /
  • Little success in developing a position
  • May misunderstand prompt or respond to prompt with unrelated, inaccurate, or inappropriate evidence
  • Consistent weaknesses in writing

100 point grade for synthesis