(Below I included step by step instructions/information for what is required to make the writing process more understandable) / (Additionally I included 2 of 3 sources needed, therefore please find a third source that is in the same topic with the other sources that will allow you to synthesize the articles)
Introduction:
This second major assignment will ask you to find two other sources/voices participating in this conversation and to synthesize these three articles in an essay that maps out the various points of view within your chosen conversation. In other words, you will write an essay that analyzes closely your three sources and explains how they relate to each other. This is the next step in the process of writing an academic research paper: finding other sources that participate in the conversation you are exploring and understanding how they “speak to” each other. Most research projects will require more than three sources, but in order for us to practice and hone our synthesis skills, we will focus only on three. Mapping out the conversation (i.e. figuring out what writers are currently saying about this issue surrounding Pixar films) will help to set you up to figure out your own point of view and how you will situate your ideas into this larger conversation.
Instructions:
Task 1: Conduct research to find two other sources/articles that participate in the conversation around Pixar films that you have chosen. These sources should offer different points of view on the conversation from the source you used in MA1, so that you can demonstrate the different “sides” or “perspectives” writers have on this issue.
Task Two: Synthesize your sources. Once you have found your two new sources, it is time to think about them in relation to your reading from MA1 and map out the conversation they represent about Pixar films. Mapping out the conversation means identifying the important points of agreement and disagreement among your sources. Your synthesis essay will not make an argument or support your own opinion on this conversation. Instead, it should show that you’ve become familiar with the different responses that credible writers have had to this conversation about Pixar films and that you’ve analyzed their arguments carefully enough to identify points of agreement and disagreement among them. We will talk extensively in class about how to identify points of agreement and disagreement among readings, but in general you should focus on discussing agreements and disagreements among the readings that help demonstrate the major concerns of the conversation and that point to places with other voices might join/participate. Sometimes, these points of connections will be explicit, though often they are implied. Task Three: Draft and organize your synthesis essay. Your essay should include the following components:
1. Introduction Paragraph [1 paragraph]: What is the conversation around Pixar that you are focusing on and what motivated you to pursue it? What are the main synthesis claims (points of agreement and disagreement) you will support and develop in your essay? Why are these points of view important to consider (i.e. why should readers care?)
2. Synthesizing the Conversation [4 paragraphs at least]: Present your synthesis of the conversation. Analyze the different points of view of the conversation by demonstrating the important agreements/disagreements among your sources. Your goal is to show how sources relate to one another, not what they mean on their own. You should identify four synthesis claims to develop. Make sure that paragraphs focus on the connections among sources — avoid creating a separate paragraph for each source. Make sure to introduce a source fully when referencing it for the first time — indicate author name, their credentials/expertise, and article title; provide a very brief (1-2 sentence) summary of their argument before quoting directly or discussing how they relate to another source.
3. Assessing the Conversation [1-2 paragraph(s) at least]: After carefully synthesizing these sources and presenting the relationships among them, explain what you think is missing from this conversation. What problems, questions, or kinds of evidence would you propose investigating further? What points of view would you explore further? Why? What are the benefits or drawbacks of the different arguments or points of connection among your sources?
4. Conclusion: Reflecting on where you’ll go [1 paragraph at least]: This is where you determine how you will participate in the conversation you’ve laid out (the focus of Major Assignment 3). Now that you’ve had a chance to look closely at what writers are saying about this issue, what do you think? How will you join this conversation? What is something new that you can add to the discussion? What film(s) or other primary evidence might you analyze to help you participate in this conversation? Why is your addition to this conversation important?
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