Combining information

Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson, students
should be able to :
Analyze the steps to create a basic
synthesis.
Develop a simple synthesis.

What is a synthesis ?

A combination of ideas and information

from several sources.
Academic research involves
synthesizing i.e. the ability to select
information from more than one source
and blend it smoothly into a unified,
coherent entity.

SYNTHESIS

Example

1: Switzerland

STEP 1:

As you read select only the most important,

relevant information:
Select the most important information from
Source A

Source A:
Switzerland is a great example of linguistic diversity
because there are three different national languages.
People in the central and northern areas speak
German. People in the western area speak French.
People in the southeastern area speak Italian. Most
Swiss can speak more than one language. One
interesting fact is that the name of the country on its
coins and stamps is not any of these languages.
Instead, Helvetia, the Latin name for this country, is
used.

Claudio Acevedo, Argentina

The main ideas from Source A:

Geographical areas of the country speak 3
different languages
German = Central and Northern region
French = West
Italian = Southeast
Helvetia (Latin : Switzerland) used on coins
and stamps

Source B:
You might think that most people in Switzerland speak
the same language because it is rather a small
country. However, you would be wrong. Yes, the
country is tiny, but there are four national languages.
German is spoken by more people than any other
language. The second most commonly spoken
language is French, and Italian is third. A very small
percentage of the people speak Romansch.
Najmuddin bin Faisal, Malaysia

The main ideas from Source B:

Small country with 4 national languages

German
= majority of population
French
= 2nd most common language
Italian
= 3rd language spoken
Romansch = spoken by very small % of
the population

STEP 2:
Find a unifying theme i.e. an idea that connects
the two texts,
What is it?
Several languages are spoken in Switzerland

STEP 3:
Using your paraphrasing skills, combine
the ideas from each source into
sentences e.g.

German is the most widely-spoken

language in Northern and Central
regions.

STEP 4:
Organize the sentences into a logical
paragraph, using transitional
expressions. Make sure there is:

An Introduction

A body

A conclusion

and include any original ideas you may

have.

Synthesized text regarding

Switzerland taken from Source A & B:
Although Switzerland is a small country, it has four
national languages. German, which is used in the
Central and Northern regions, has the highest
percentage of speakers. French, used in the west,
is the second most-widely spoken language. The
third language, Italian, is spoken in the southeast.
Switzerlands least-used language, Romansch, is
thought to have a Latin origin. This may explain
why Helvetia, the Latin name for the country, is
used on coins and stamps.

SYNTHESIS

Example

2: Fire Triangle

Step 1: Select from Source A

The Fire Triangle or Combustion Triangle is a
simple model from the science of firefighting, to
understand the components necessary for most
fires. The triangle illustrates the rule that in order
to ignite and burn, a fire requires 3 elements:
heat, fuel and an oxidizing agent, usually
oxygen. The fire is prevented or extinguished by
removing any one of them. A fire naturally occurs
when the elements are combined in the right
mixture e.g. more heat is needed for igniting
some fuels, unless there is concentrated oxygen.

Source A main points:

Fire Triangle is a teaching tool
Symbol illustrates 3 elements required to
produce fire: Fuel, Heat, Oxygen or other
oxidizing agent
Removal of one element prevents or
extinguishes fire

Select from Source B:

For many years the concept of fire was symbolized by
the Triangle of Combustion and represented fuel, heat
and oxygen. Further fire research determined that a
fourth element, a chemical chain reaction, was also a
necessary component of fire. The Fire Triangle was
changed to a Tetrahedron to reflect this fourth
element. A tetrahedron can be described as a pyramid
which is a solid having four plane faces. Essentially all
four elements must be present for fire to occur: fuel,
heat, oxygen and a chemical chain reaction. Removal
of any one of these elements will result in the fire
being extinguished.

Source B main points:

Fire Tetrahedron replaced Triangle.
Symbol became pyramid or solid with 4
plane faces
Recognition of 4th component a
chemical chain reaction
All elements must be present for fire to
occur

Step 2 - Identify
Find a unifying theme or an idea that
connects the 2 texts,
What is it?
Symbols illustrate the concept of fire

Step 3 - Combine
Using your paraphrasing skills, combine the
ideas from each source into sentences e.g.

The symbols reflect the number of elements

present to create a fire.

STEP 4:
Organize the sentences into a logical
paragraph, using transitional
expressions. Make sure there is:

An Introduction

A body

A conclusion

and include any original ideas you may

have.

A synthesis of the Fire Triangle taken

from Source A & B:
For a number of years symbols have illustrated
the concept of fire. Previously, the Fire
Triangle conveyed the idea that three
elements: fuel, heat and oxygen, produced
fire. The Fire Tetrahedron, a solid with four
plane faces, replaced the triangle with the
recognition that a chemical reaction is the
fourth component of a fire. The elimination of
one of these elements prevents or
extinguishes a fire.

Review

What are the steps to create a basic

synthesis ?

A review of a basic synthesis

Select important ideas from each source as
you read
Identify a unifying theme that connects the
two texts (sources)
Combine ideas that are linked and support
each other into sentences
Organize these sentences into a logical order
using transition words

Thank you