Synthesis Research Essay OUTLINE
Paragraph #1: Introduction/Lead
Your Hook:
Your Research Question:
Paragraphs #2 -4 Summaries (each source is its own paragraph – they can be brief)
Introduce and summarize main ideas in your First Source:
Introduce and summarize main ideas in your Second Source:
Introduce and summarize main ideas in your Third Source:
Paragraph #5 Your Thesis Statement
Acknowledge the perspectives from each of your four sources and put forth your own argument/answer to your research question. This may be 1-3 sentences long.
Paragraphs #6 -8 Evidence and Support
First Source – Does it Support or Oppose Your Position? – Topic Sentence:
Direct References (Facts, Examples, Quotations, Statistics, and your own thoughts, analogies, and analysis):
Clinching Statement (Clarify, Reinforce):
Second Source – Does it Support or Oppose Your Position? – Topic Sentence:
Direct References (Facts, Examples, Quotations, Statistics, and your own thoughts, analogies, and analysis):
Clinching Statement (Clarify, Reinforce):
Third Source – Does it Support or Oppose Your Position? – Topic Sentence:
Direct References (Facts, Examples, Quotations, Statistics, and your own thoughts, analogies, and analysis):
Clinching Statement (Clarify, Reinforce):
OR – You can choose to organize your Evidence Paragraphs based on Arguments/Support
First Argument in Support of Your Position – Topic Sentence:
Backing From Your 3 sources (Facts, Examples, Quotations, Statistics, and your own thoughts, analogies, and analysis):
Acknowledging the Opposition (when necessary):
Clinching Statement (Clarify, Reinforce):
Second Argument in Support of Your Position – Topic Sentence:
Backing From Your 3 sources (Facts, Examples, Quotations, Statistics, and your own thoughts, analogies, and analysis):
Acknowledging the Opposition (when necessary):
Clinching Statement (Clarify, Reinforce):
Third Argument in Support of Your Position – Topic Sentence:
Backing From Your 3 sources (Facts, Examples, Quotations, Statistics, and your own thoughts, analogies, and analysis):
Acknowledging the Opposition (when necessary):
Clinching Statement (Clarify, Reinforce):
Paragraph #9 Conclusion
Restate Your Thesis (in new terms):
Tell the Reader Why Your Answer/Thesis is a Logical or Reasonable Solution:
Citizen in Your Community in 21st America
Introduction
The meaning of being an American citizen has raised a severe debate in the 21st century. The earlier notion was that citizenship is merely taking part in political events and participating in democratic exercises like voting. Furthermore, citizenship was understood to be the right of a person to live in a country legally. Looking at the many roles that good citizens play in their countries, the matter of democratic and political affairs besides lawfully living in a country does not meet the right definition of a citizen. Many do question if any other thing that people does for the good of the entire nation does not make them good citizens. Consequently, the redefinition of citizenship has a matter of discussion in America during the 21st century. In the process, citizenship has been termed has more of taking part in political and democratic events. Besides, citizenship has defined to bring about a deeper meaning than legal permission to leave in a nation. Therefore, this paper seeks to discuss what makes a good citizen in 21st America drawing evidence from my community.
What Makes a Good Citizen?
In the 21st century, citizenship in America has been defined as more than an abstract idea but the relationship that people have for their country. The relationship, in this case, is geared towards enhancing nationalism and personal duties and responsibilities that strive to achieve the better for the entire country. As a result, people have had their interpretation on what makes a good citizen.
Firstly, a good citizen is thought to be a person who respects the rights and opinions of the others. People have varying views which mostly are influenced by personal experiences. Furthermore, every opinion can be helpful in building the nation so long as it is under the constitution. In this context, the community takes those respecting the views of others as good citizens. For instance, listening to the opinions of others helps in learning new ideas and making better decisions. Besides, respecting the rights of the others ensures good relation in the country. Respecting the rights of others means doing what is not against the constitutional rights of the other citizens.
A good citizen is also understood to be a person who conserves the environment. The environment is one of the essential aspects of a country’s well-being. One of the responsibilities of a good citizen being to participate in activities aimed at enhancing the well-being of a country, conservation of the environment becomes an attribute of a good citizen. Due to the advanced technology and the resultant industrialization, the environment has been put into risk of harming human lives. A phenomenon like global warming, for instance, is a significant threat that the world is facing as a result of environmental degradation. Furthermore, there are killer diseases that are associated with environmental pollution. All these are threats to human life that should be fought against in the country. Therefore, a good citizen is that person who can and does participate in activities of environment conservation hence fighting the hazards associated with environmental degradation. For instance, a good citizen may engage in environmental conservation by promoting the nearby farmers market. By promoting a local farmer’s market, agricultural production goes high thus reducing the usage of natural resources like land. In the process, environmental pollution is cut at a significant margin thus creating a friendly environment for living.
In 21st America, a good citizen is understood to be a person who acts within the rules and laws of a country. For peaceful existence and to ensure justice for all, the government sets rules and laws that citizens should abide. These rules govern every action of a citizen to ensure that they are not against the rights of the other citizens or they do not diminish their value in any manner. Since every citizen is subject to the set rules and laws, a good citizen abides fully to them and even goes ahead to influence others respect and abide by the set rules and regulations. For example, a good citizen can decide to carry out civic education to educate people on the importance of abiding by the country’s rules and laws. Besides, public education may be based on necessary interpretation of what the rules and regulations require people to do and what not to do. Also, a good citizen reports cases of lawbreaking to the necessary authorities for correction actions. All these are actions of a good citizen which are aimed at creating a favorable society where each lives with no fear or tension. Therefore, by living within the limits of laws and rules, a person is understood to be a good citizen.
The person who volunteers to be an active member of the local community is also referred to be a good citizen. Before claiming to be active in the country affairs, good citizens should start with the affairs of the local communities where they come from. In this context, a good citizen is the one who volunteers to offer any contribution to the betterment of the community and the entire
country. The contribution, in this case, can be financial or even physical work that can improve the social condition and the local infrastructure. It is from the community level that a person goes ahead to fulfil the duties of a good citizen to the entire nation.
Furthermore, being an active member of the community can also mean assisting the needy in different ways like sponsoring needy children to pursue their education. For instance, in America, there are children’s homes that are set aside to assist the needy children both with basic needs and academically. When a person engages in any of the activities that uplift the standards of the others in the society in any manner, that person is worth being called a good citizen.
A good citizen is also understood to be a person who respects the property of others. Constitutionally, every citizen has a right to own legal property without the interference of any kind. Additionally, the constitution identifies citizens as the master of their property. In this case, nobody should destroy or take someone else’s property without explicit consent from the owner. In a situation where the properties of the others are not respected, a country may be unfriendly for a living since people will live by quarrels and misunderstandings. A good citizen, therefore, is that person who is always in the frontline of respecting the property of others.
In conclusion, a good citizen is more of participating in democratic activities and taking part in political affairs. The real meaning of a good citizen is guided by the actions that a person shows towards the community and the entire country. In general, a good citizen is that person who always shows actions which are favorable to the whole nation. Though this article has defined good citizenship as more than an abstract idea specifically clearing the notions that good citizenship means participating in voting, this should no divert citizens from their democratic roles. Instead, citizens should also participate in democratic and political affairs for better leadership which will in return uplift the standards of all citizens. Thanks for reading!