Check point! It is time to assess your progress. You will need to organize and evaluate your research findings. 

• Have you taken sufficient notes to answer all of your questions in detail? 
• Can you throw away material which is not useful, is repetitive, or does not answer your questions? 
• Do you need to rearrange the information in different categories? 
• Can you condense or combine the information? 
• Do you need to develop new questions to adequately cover your topic? 

You are looking for insight.

• What have you learned so far? 
• What pieces are missing? 
• Where do you lack detail? 
• What more do you need to gather? 

You are trying to "tease" meaning out of fragments. Synthesis requires rearranging pieces of information until a new version emerges that will lead to your product.

Remember the compelling question guiding your research:

What essential information should you communicate to the representatives about FRACTALS? 

Have you gathered sufficient details about Fractals to convince the selection committee that you should be a summer intern?

Evaluate your work thus far

Have you given any thought to what Fractal you will use for you CD cover?

Be sure to plan ahead for your presentation to a parent or relative

• who?
• when?