Options for Organizing the Synthesis Essay
Pick one (or more) of the following forms to organize your essay.
Sample Essential Question to Consider:
To what extent do age and experience influence or shape us?
1. Series of personal experiences that trace how you have evolved or how your view
changed….
i.e. …elementary school, middle school, now…
i.e….lived in Miami, Piedmont, and Livingston….
i.e. …first friend, in-groups, new best friend….
i.e. Thesis: I have learned that facing difficult experiences in life is important to
discovering your true self.
2. Series of incidents that you have observed but not been a part of…
(same as above except now you are an outside observer)
3. Process (how something happens or how something works in a particular sequence that
that reflects how the process goes)
i.e. Thesis: Understanding the meaning of one’s experiences is a process of reflecting on
one’s experiences, accepting one’s experiences, and transforming one’s experiences into
a purpose for living.
4. Classification (types or categories…)
i.e. Thesis: Experiences can be classified as emotional, reflective, or rational.
5. Causes and/or effects
i.e. Thesis: Experiences of loss can either break us emotionally, reinforce our distrust of
the world, or strengthen our determination to survive.
6. Problem and/or solutions….
i.e. Thesis: In order to teach young adults to be more responsible, schools must provide
experiences where students learn to deal with the real problems facing society.
7. Argue…I say/They Say…Three reasons for or against…consider counterargument/rebuttal
a. Essay of judgment/evaluation (determine criteria or standards for you
judgment/evaluation) Freshman
b. Essay of policy (necessity for a particular rule, law, etc) Sophomores
i.e. Thesis: Some people say that older people are wiser than young people. I
say that wisdom comes from the quality of one’s experiences not the amount
of time one has lived.
8. Definition Essay
i.e. Thesis: Age and experience are important to understand in how one’s personality is
shaped. But, not all experiences are equal. Experiences that meaningfully shape one’s
experiences must shift one’s perspective on life, impact on a person emotionally, and
help the person to understand himself more deeply.
9. Literary Essay…what have you learned from literature about a particular idea, issue, or
concept….
i.e.Thesis: The struggles that are faced by the characters in House on Mango Street, The
Catcher in the Rye, and “Red Dress” shape their hopes for the future.