4. STUDENT GUIDE TO  SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION

USEFUL VERBS: Create, Invent, Predict, Construct, Design, Formulate, Develop, Judge, Select, Choose, Decide, Justify, Debate, Verify, Recommend, Argue, Assess, Rate, Priorities, Determine

SAMPLE QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES:

These questions can be used as activities class or in Response to Stimulus tests

* Which of the Documents would be of most use to:
 Somebody new to the subject?
 Somebody interested in an overview of the topic?
* Highlight the facts in each of the following statements
* Highlight the part of each of the following statements which is opinion
* Which author offers the solution to the problem which is easiest to implement?  least costly?  most socially just?  most likely to be adopted?  Why?
* Which of these authors do you most agree with?  Why?
* What recommendations offered here do you think should be amended?  Why?
* Draw upon all pieces of evidence to develop an Hypothesis which sums up your response to the question "..."
* How would a Christian/Muslim/Hindu by most likely to respond to the ideas in Document A?
* Which of these authors is most likely to be female?  Indigenous?  Poor?
* For what audience do you think Author A was writing?
* Would Extract A be likely to have been written by ...?  published in ...?
* How do you think each of these authors would vote on the question of ...?
* Which document is a synthesis of the ideas presented in each of the others?
* Would this collection of sources give an Historian a fair representation of ...?
* What aspects of the author’s background would cause you to question the value of Extract A as a valid and reliable source?
* Are the views of all interest groups represented here?  Whose opinions would you like to see included?
* What aspects of the original place of publication of this extract would cause you to question its value as a valid and reliable source?
* What evidence represented in these sources could not be used to support the following hypothesis   "..."
* If you could only use one of these sources as evidence, which would you select?
* Does Author A provide, in your opinion, sufficient evidence to conclude "   " ?
* What concerns would you have about accepting Author A’s account of "..." ?
* Who was the author of this document?  Using both prior knowledge and the ideas contained in the document, assess this Author A’s credibility as a source of historical evidence
* What problems exist for the Historian in accepting these sources as valid and reliable evidence of ...?  What steps would you, as an Historian, take to resolve these problems?
* Is the view of ... presented in this evidence consistent with the view you have developed during your study of ...?
* Examine the hypothesis which follows "..."  Select three pieces of evidence which support and three pieces which refute this hypothesis.  Note the source of each and, in a sentence, explain how each supports or refutes the hypothesis
* Construct an essay plan in response to the following question using only the evidence provided in these sources.  Begin by developing a clear hypothesis in response to the question.  Next, identify paragraph themes and, under each, note the quotations you would include to explore each these and the source of the quotation
* In sentences explain the expectations of ... which underlie ...
* Explain using quotations the values which are reflected in ...
* What attitude towards ... does the Author reveal in Document A ?
* Construct a chart in which you compare and contrast the weaknesses and strengths of each of the sources presented here.  Conclude which is most valid and reliable source based upon the results of your comparison

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