Informational TextSynthesizing Sources: Main Ideas and Supporting Evidence

Informational Text

Connecting to the Literature

Introducing the Informational Text

Vocabulary

Informational Reading Focus: Synthesizing

Synthesizing

Steps for Synthesizing

Assignment

Feature Menu

At the end of “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket,” Tom has decided to spend more time with his wife instead of overworking. In the articles “Double Daddy,” “Diary of a Mad Blender,” and “The Child’s View of Working Parents,” different people comment on the difficulties of balancing time at work with time at home in today’s busy world.

Connecting to the Literature

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“Double Daddy”

Introducing the Informational Text

“Diary of a Mad Blender”

“The Child’s View of Working Parents”

“Double Daddy”

What happens when fathers realize that their work causes them to miss out on their families?

Introducing the Informational Text

To find out how one dad tried mixing work and family, read “Double Daddy.”

“Diary of a Mad Blender”

Can trying to be efficient actually make you more disorganized and your family more upset?

Introducing the Informational Text

To learn about one mother’s attempts to juggle work and family, read “Diary of a Mad Blender.”

“The Child’s View of Working Parents”

What do kids really think when their parents leave for work?

Introducing the Informational Text

To find out what one researcher learned about children’s attitudes toward parents who work, read “The Child’s View of Working Parents.”

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Vocabulary Development

phenomenon n.: observable event, fact, or circumstance.

chronic adj.: constant; habitual.

trekked v.: journeyed.

splicing v.: used as n.: joining by inserting and binding together.

integrate v.: combine, unify.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Development

colleague n.: fellow worker.

conviction n.: strong belief.

maximizes v.: increases as much as possible.

autonomy n.: independence.

poignant adj.: emotionally moving; touching.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct Word Bank words.

1. Perhaps if Paul bought a watch, he wouldn’t suffer from __________ lateness.

2. During our visit to the Grand Canyon, we __________ from the North Rim to the South Rim.

3. Sharing the workload __________ productivity, so Jody and her __________ worked on the project together.

4. The __________ story made me cry.

Vocabulary

chronic

trekked

poignant

colleague

chronic colleague poignant trekked maximizes

maximizes

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Synthesizing is a lot like cooking: You take different materials and put them together to make something new.

Synthesizing

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Synthesizing means putting together all the ideas from different sources to gain a better understanding of the whole subject.

Synthesizing

Synthesisyour understanding of the whole subject

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Magazinearticle

Newspaperarticle

Televisionnews story

Internetresearch

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1. Determine the message.

Steps for Synthesizing

• Identify each writer’s main idea.

• Take notes on important passages.

• Paraphrase difficult passages.

Quick CheckWhat is the main idea in this paragraph?

Steps for Synthesizing

We asked parents, “How often have you been in a good mood at work because of your children?” Seventy-one percent said that they’d been in a good mood either often or very often at work because of their children. If you look at the people who say they’ve been in a good mood at home because of their work, it’s 37 percent. In fact, kids really energize us for work.

from “The Child’s View of Working Parents” by Cora Daniels (from Fortune, November 8, 1999)

2. Look for supporting evidence.

Steps for Synthesizing

• facts

• statistics

• examples

• anecdotes, or brief stories

• quotations

Quick Check

Steps for Synthesizing

What supporting evidence does the author provide?

We asked parents, “How often have you been in a good mood at work because of your children?” Seventy-one percent said that they’d been in a good mood either often or very often at work because of their children. If you look at the people who say they’ve been in a good mood at home because of their work, it’s 37 percent. In fact, kids really energize us for work.

from “The Child’s View of Working Parents” by Cora Daniels (from Fortune, November 8, 1999)

3. Compare and contrast.

Steps for Synthesizing

“Double Daddy”

“Diary of a Mad Blender”

“The Child’s View . . .”

Similarities

Differences

Note the similarities and differences among sources using a chart like this one.

4. Make connections.

Steps for Synthesizing

Connect what you read in the different sources with other works you’ve read.

All three passages suggest that parents are struggling to balance work and family.

Synthesize all that you’ve learned about your topic by writing one of the following:

Steps for Synthesizing

• a research report

• an editorial

• a speech

• a letter

5. Put it all together.

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As you read “Double Daddy,” “Diary of a Mad Blender,” and “The Child’s View of Working Parents,” take notes about each article. Then, synthesize what you’ve learned in a written report.

Assignment

Steps for Synthesizing

Determine the message.

Look for supporting evidence.

Compare and contrast.

Make connections.

Put it all together.

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The End