For your third writing assignment, you will be writing an argument thesis using at least three of the sources provided in thePursuing Happiness text. Additionally, you will be incorporating at least 3 additional academic sources from the Cerro Coso Library (catalog and/or databases). This assignment will draw heavily upon the summary and critique skills you have developed in previous assignments.

An argument synthesis draws upon evidence from a variety of sources in an attempt to persuade others of the truth or validity of a debatable claim. As such, your synthesis will be based around a clearly defined thesis statement. Remember, "The thesis is a claim about which reasonable people could disagree. It is a claim with whichgiven the right argumentsyour audience might be persuaded to agree" (83).

Even though, you are writing an argument synthesis, it should be based squarely on the techniques of the explanatory synthesis. Rely on the "Guidelines for Writing Syntheses" box (80-82). Be sure to also review the sample student argument synthesis by David Harrison (114-120).

You will make the synthesis writing challenge much more manageable if, after you gather your sources and study them, a formal literature review grid with research question and possible answer as described in the supplementary synthesis lesson by T.B. Henning: "Literature Review: Synthesizing Multiple Sources." For this reason I highly recommend studying Henning's piece and creating a grid.

Be sure you write topically rather than by one-source-at-a-time. Your goal is to synthesize multiple sources in each chunk or topical section of your paper. Avoid the essay which covers one source completely and then moves onto the next source. Such a structure tends to lack unity and coherence and does not exhibit synthesis.

SOURCE REQUIREMENTS

You are required to use at least six full-text academic sources: three from the "Pursuing Happiness" text and three from the Cerro Coso Library Catalog and Databases - www.cerrocoso.edu/library. Be sure to review the Library Orientation for information on accessing and using the library catalog and databases from the Library's website.