Bee Synthesis Sample Paragraph
Bees and the practice of beekeeping have been important for society throughout history due to the positive impact they have the production of foods and goods. Bees, whether in a natural or artificial environment, both produce food and cause other foods to grow. Even as long ago as the Stone Ages “{people} ate honey they stole from the hives of wild bees,” (Heinrich) and today beekeeping is still the source in which honey is made to sell at supermarkets (“A Sweet Find”). In addition to honey, bees are important because they cause other crops to grow by pollination: “Bees, via pollination, are responsible for 15 to 30 percent of the food U.S. consumers eat” (Roach). John Roach, in an article from National Geographic News, reports that a decrease in wild bee populations could even cause “many fruits and vegetables {to} disappear from the food supply.” Therefore, bees and beekeeping are important because without them, there could be a drastic decrease in the availability of foods, including honey and other products. Aside from food production, bees and beekeeping, through the use of beeswax, have also been a source of other goods production. For example, in ancient years, beeswax was used for metal molds and to create “writing slates” (“A Sweet Find”). Modern uses of beeswax range greatly, from cosmetic products like lipstick to waterproofing compounds (Heinrich). These examples show how beeswax can help to generate a variety of other goods, causing a positive impact on society. In conclusion, bees and beekeeping have been irreplaceable providers of food sources and creators of other desired goods and will most likely continue to be important for society in the future.
Works Cited
“A Sweet Find.” 10 Oct. 2007. Achieve 3000. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
Heinrich, Bernd. "Bee." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
Roach, John. “Bee Decline May Spell End of Some Fruits, Vegetables.” National Geographic News. 5 Oct. 2004. Web. 12. Nov. 2012.
1. What are the main points from the topic sentence that are proven in the rest of the paragraph?
2. What do you notice about the content of each “supporting idea,” or mini-claim? Where did those words come from?
3. What do you notice about the content of the “support” that helps to prove the claim? Where did those words come from?
4. Why are there brackets around the words people and to within the quoted material?
5. Look at the use of quotes in this example. What do you notice about the parenthetical citations?
Even as long ago as the Stone Ages “{people} ate honey they stole from the hives of wild bees,” (Heinrich) and today beekeeping is still the source in which honey is made to sell at supermarkets (“A Sweet Find”).
6. Underline all the transition words or phrases and then list the below.
7. Look at the works cited page. Explain the reason for why they are listed in the order that they are.
8. In the paragraph, next to the correct sentence, label the parts of the paragraph according to appropriate number. You may need to use some numbers more than once:
1) Topic Sentence
2) Supporting Idea
3) Support
4) Conclusion