Synthesizing
Educator Definition:
Readers create original insights, perspectives and understandings by reflecting on text(s) and merging elements from text and existing schema.
Readers create original insights, perspectives and understandings by reflecting on text(s) and merging elements from text and existing schema.
Student Definition:
Put the pieces together to see them in a new way.
In this activity, students must synthesize their learning about a famous person to create a movie poster. Students combine their prior knowledge with information provided in several
different formats (timeline, biography, photograph or painting) to create the advertising poster for a biopic about the chosen individual.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
This activity meets the following grade 3 Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts:
Print Version (PDF)
Foundational Skills
Phonics and Word Recognition
3.RF.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
- Decode multisyllable words.
Fluency
3.RF.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
- Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
- Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
Literature
Craft and Structure
3.RL.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
3.RL.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
3.RI.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
Craft and Structure
3.RI.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
3.RI.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
3.RI.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Writing
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
3.W.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
3.L.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
3.L.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
- Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
3.SL.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
As a scaffold for understanding synthesizing while reading, students practice synthesizing using visual cues. Students first choose a picture of a subject and write a brief story
about it; this becomes their first piece of information. Next, they choose a picture of a setting and write about it: this becomes their second piece of information. The two images are then combined,
providing students the opportunity to synthesize the two pieces of information to change their understanding. In the final stage of the activity, students synthesize a third piece of information—an
audio track.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
This activity meets the following grade 3 Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts:
Print Version (PDF)
Literature
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
3.RL.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
Informational Text
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
3.RI.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Writing
Production and Distribution of Writing
3.W.6
With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
3.L.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
3.L.5
Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
- Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
- Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration
3.SL.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Download these short, lesson plans to practice the strategy.
Creating a Play (PDF)
Mrs. Pingel's Synthesizing Activity (PDF)
Hat Graphic Organizer (PDF)
Side-by-side Conferencing (PDF)
Three Little Pigs (PDF)
Mrs. Pingel's Synthesizing Activity (PDF)
Hat Graphic Organizer (PDF)
Side-by-side Conferencing (PDF)
Three Little Pigs (PDF)
Synthesizing Booklist
Casanova, Mary. The Hunter: A Chinese Folktale. Illustrated by Ed Young. Atheneum, 2000. 32 pages
Diakité Baba Wagué. The Magic Gourd. Scholastic Press, 2003. 32 pages
Falwell, Cathryn. David's Drawing. Lee & Low, 2001. 32 pages
Hooks, Bell. skin again. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Hyperion, 2004. 32 pages
Jiménez, Francisco. La Mariposa. Illustrtated by Simón Silva. Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 40 pages
McDonald, Megan. Judy Moody Saves the World. Illustrated by Peter Reynolds. Candlewick Press, 2002. 144 pages
Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. The Water Gift and the Pig of the Pig. Illustrated by Linda Wingerter. Houghton Mifflin, 2003. 32 pages
Muth, Jon J. Stone Soup. Scholastic Press, 2003. 32 pages
Rumford, James. Calabash Cat and His Amazing Journey. Houghton Mifflin, 2003. 32 pages
Ormerod, Jan. Who's Whose? Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1998. 32 pages
Paterson, Katherine. The Smallest Cow in the World. Illustrated by Jane Clark Brown. HarperCollins, 1991. 64 pages
Raschka, Chris. John Coltrane's Giant Steps. Atheneum, 2002. 32 pages
Reiser, Lynn. The Surprise Family. Greenwillow, 1994. 32 pages
Wong, Janet S. Apple Pie 4th of July. Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Harcourt, 2002. 32 pages
Into the Book has nine 15-minute educational videos that help teach children how to use eight different reading strategies.
In this episode, Mrs. Pingel's students enjoy learning to synthesize while reading the back of a candy bar wrapper. During independent reading, the new strategy pulls Kamilah into the poem Casey at the Bat, where she develops a new perspective on the poem that she later demonstrates in a puppet show. She is also able to synthesize her knowledge of baseball and her town into a winning mascot for her local team.
Watch the Full Video
Video Clips
Learn about Synthesizing
Practice Synthesizing
Apply the Strategy