Today is rung 5 of 12 on this topic
Synthesising several sources into one understanding
Can do: Reads three or four sources and builds a single account that handles their disagreements.
Why it matters
Research at high school and beyond is synthesis, not collection. It's also how any complicated real question gets answered.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Produces a summary of each source in sequence rather than an integrated understanding.
⏱️ Two-minute check
After three sources: "What's the overall picture, and where do they conflict?"
Solid looks like: One integrated account, with the conflict named and handled.
The full activity for this topic · 30 minutes
One Page, Four Sources
- 1Write the question at the top.
- 2Note each source's key claims in a shared table organised by sub-question, not by source.
- 3Mark where sources agree and where they conflict.
- 4For each conflict, work out why — different data, date, method, or motive.
- 5Write a one-page answer that cites more than one source per paragraph.
If it's too hard
Two sources, one sub-question.
If it's too easy
Include a source you judge unreliable and explain why it's excluded.
Say this
"Don't tell me what each one said. Tell me what's true, and where they disagree about it."