Which instructional activity is most suitable for developing students' synthesis skills?

Developing synthesis skills involves the ability to combine information from multiple sources to form a coherent understanding or to create new insights. Identifying key similarities and differences requires students to examine various texts critically, drawing connections between ideas and themes. This process encourages them to engage with the content on a deeper level, as they must analyze and compare multiple texts to synthesize information effectively.

By focusing on similarities and differences, students are nudged toward recognizing patterns and relationships across the materials they study. This aspect of synthesis is crucial, as it lays the groundwork for them to integrate these insights into new understandings or arguments. Connecting different ideas helps students to develop a more comprehensive grasp of the subjects at hand, ultimately enhancing their ability to synthesize information in broader contexts.