Serving Up Synthesis Set
Item: 196

Serving Up Synthesis Set

ISBN: SM196

by Smekens Education

The synthesizing process is like baking a cake. Readers have to add multiple ingredients (additional thoughts) to the powdered cake mix (the original text) in order to produce a cake (achieve a new understanding or realization). Teach this process explicitly.

1. Introduce the six “ingredients” to consider when reading any text— background knowledge, setting/context, emotional reaction, other viewpoints, genre considerations, lingering questions. Represent each type of thought with a labeled spoon.
2. Read a powerful excerpt/text.
3. Holding up one spoon at a time, ask questions from the color-coordinated recipe cards.
4. Using the seventh recipe card, show students how to add up their thoughts, thinking beyond the text’s meaning and considering why it matters. The seventh recipe card includes “baking time” questions to help students achieve a culminating synthesis.

This set includes 6 labeled spoons and 7 recipe cards.

Watch this video where Smekens Education Remote Coach Bridget Longmeier explains how to use this resource in your classroom.