Scaffolding the Writing of
Synthesis through Students’
Home Literacies
Brooke Nicolls
Grant High School
Sacramento
Betsy Gilliland
School of Education
UC Davis
Area 3 Writing Project
Context

The course: pre-freshman composition at San
José State University
 The students:
• Recent immigrants and international students
• Generation 1.5 (all education in CA schools)
• Monolingual English speakers

The challenges:
 Academic reading and writing
 Summaries and argumentation
The assignment
 Service
Learning Project
 Introduction to the problem
 Professional views: synthesis
 Response to the literature: analysis
 Personal reflections: experience
 Solution to the problem: argumentation
My Question
 How
can I scaffold students’ writing
process so they are able to synthesize
readings from multiple sources in
support of a thesis question?
Synthesis: The Literature Review
Essential skill for college writing
 Rarely taught, but always expected
 Represents higher level critical thinking
 Advanced feature of language
 Needs to be broken down for students
 Teacher modeling of process essential

Reading to Write

Start with a Thesis Question
 Read for answers to the question(s),
highlighting key information and making
notes of relevant details
 Fill in the graphic organizer (handout p. 4) for
each article
Synthesis Reading Organizer
Is Sex All that
Matters?
Statistics about
teens having sex
Statistics about
teen pregnancy
Teen attitudes to
sex
Facts about sex
education
Author’s view on
sex ed.
Author’s view
on…
Other…
Keeping Teens
Ignorant
US Could Use
a Lecture
For Teens, the
Issue is Trust
My Views
From Notes to Paragraphs






Each line (or group of lines)
of the organizer becomes a 
paragraph
Begin with a topic sentence
stating the main idea of that
paragraph
Use reporting verbs to show
which author(s) wrote which
statements
Compare and contrast
different ideas
Use a variety of sentences to
convey information
Cite your sources!
Useful reporting verbs:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Agree (disagree)
Argue
Believe
Claim
Describe
Explain
Feel
Imply
Propose
Question
Recommend
Warn
Introducing Synthesis
to Students

Use well-constructed organizers
 Select appropriate organizer for texts to be read and written

Provide models of organizers used in context
 Talk students through creation and use
 Allow collaborative practice
“…the value is not in showing my students
the Grecian urn [a final polished model]; the
value is in showing them the process, step-bystep, that is used to construct the urn.”
--Kelly Gallagher, Teaching Adolescent Writers (p. 52)
Classroom Modifications:
Fathers
Song synthesis: “Father of Mine” and
“Dance with my Father”
 Categories to listen for
 Highlight key evidence in lyrics
 Pair share: fill in grid as you talk
 Share with group

Fathers: Student Work 1
Fathers: Student Paragraph 1
In both songs the artists have lost their
fathers in different ways. According to the song
“Dance with my Father” his dad passed away
and is showing grief. As he says in the song, he
wishes to get one more chance of being with
his father. Unlike “Father of Mine” the artists
believes his father just left without any closure.
Similar to the previous song, he wishes to see
his father again, but only to ask the questions
left unanswered. Even though both artists miss
their fathers in different ways, they felt secure
when they were with them.
Fathers: Student Work 2
Fathers: Student paragraph 2
Emotions can affect many people, some ways
good and in some ways bad. Similar to the
song “Dance with my Father,” “Father of Mine”
misses their father deeply. On the contrary in
“Father of Mine” the writer sounds as if he is
mad at his father for leaving him, where as in
“Dance with my Father” the writer sounds sad
and pray’s for his father to come back.
According to “Father of Mine” the Father use to
beat up his wife, but in “Dance with my Father”
the father loved his wife and she loved him.
Success: Survey and Synthesis
Gets kids out on campus, talking with
adults
 Doesn’t require much reading of
complex text

Success Model: Transitions
A)There are many different definitions
of what it means to be successful. Sean
says that it is being able to be an
example or role model. Similar to Ms.
Nicolls, Sean also believes that it’s
important to be responsible and work
hard. On the other hand, Ms.
Providence and Michael state that to be
successful is to live a happy life and to
be content.
Success Model: Attribution
B) There are many different opinions of
what it takes to be successful in today’s
world. Sean, a Grant High custodian,
says that to be successful it is important
to be an example or role model. Similar
to Ms. Nicolls, a teacher at Grant High,
Sean also believes that it’s important to
be responsible and to work hard. On the
other hand, Ms. Providence, another
Grant High teacher, and Michael, a
student at Grant High, state that to be
successful is to live a happy life and to be
content.
Problem-Solution Synthesis
Students talk with adults, other people
on campus to get answers to questions
 Groups compare answers, write up
paragraphs showing results

Problem on Campus: SW 1
Problem on Campus: SW 1
Problem on Campus: SW 1
There are a lot of problems on the campus of
Grant High. According to Andre, a campus
monitor, he says that one of the problems is
cutting class, disobeying rules, and trash. The
cause of that is that some students are badly
influenced and there’s a lack to campus
security. Similar to that, Mr. Jones, an
Administrator, says the students not on task and
skipping class due to lack of studies and the
integrety towards education. Ms Martin,
teacher, also states that the problem is cutting
class.
Problem on Campus: SW 1
Unlike the campus monitor, administrator, and
the teacher. Mr. Shepard believes that it’s the
tarties that’s the problem. On the other hand,
Mark, Kaysy, and Xue say that it’s drop-outs,
fights and the lunchline. The probability cause is
are: exit exam, gang affairs, and the entering ID
number while lunch is handed out.
Problem on campus: SW 2
Problem on campus: SW 2
Problem on campus: SW 2
A variety of problems come to mind to many
different people on school grounds. Whether its
students, teachers, campus monitors and even
Administrators. Andre agrees with Mr Sanchez
that one of the biggest problems on campus is
students being late to class. As for Mr. Purcell
and Mrs. Huynh they both agree that lack of
organization is a big problem for students on
Campus. One of the students that attend grant
say’s that drugs and Gang’s are the problem,
but as for Geraldo and Anthony, two other
students that attend grant, they state that
students are bad and teachers don’t know how
to teach.
Evaluation
Students can help evaluate each other’s
work
 Groups pass writing to other groups for
evaluation
 Teacher types up paragraphs for wholeclass evaluation and discussion

Extensions and Adaptations
Compare-contrast essays: graphic
organizer with just two articles/ideas
 Organizing results of surveys
 Keeping track of informational research
 Reading notes from textbook

Your feedback, please!
What is something new you learned in
this session?
 What will you commit to trying?
 What questions do you still have?

When you are finished, please stick your
post-its to the chart paper in the back of
the room.