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ABI LF - Global challenge synthesis

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ABI LF - Global challenge synthesis

Mini-description: You connect unfamiliar written, visual, audio-visual and data-based materials into one coherent global-challenge argument. You practise summary, analysis, synthesis and evidence-based writing at Leistungsfach level without receiving a model essay to copy.

Target group: English as a continued foreign language, Kursstufe Baden-Württemberg, Leistungsfach. English comes first. German support is only a last scaffold after context, word formation, visualisation, an English explanation and a monolingual dictionary have been used.

Media starter – 60 seconds: Without searching, note three links you can make between the image, one current global challenge and one possible conflict of interests. Then formulate one cautious hypothesis: The image may suggest that ... because ...

Fast viewing: Watch once without pausing. Write one sentence that explains why a global challenge rarely fits into only one category.

I-can goals

I can synthesise information from several unfamiliar materials instead of treating each source separately.
I can summarise main ideas concisely and without inserting my own judgement.
I can analyse purpose, perspective, language, visuals, data choices and effects.
I can evaluate evidence by checking relevance, source, date, method and limitations.
I can write a differentiated argument with claims, evidence, reasoning, qualification and links between materials.
I can speak coherently in a short monologue and respond flexibly in a discussion.
I can verify AI-generated claims against traceable original sources and use AI only as a support, not as a substitute author.

Official BW alignment: Abitur 2027

Checked on 3 October 2026. The current official reference point used here is the Abitur cohort 2027. The Baden-Württemberg guide states that the Abitur examination in modern foreign languages combines a written part with a communication examination; the written result is weighted threefold and the communication examination once. The communication examination takes place in the fourth course semester and lasts about 15 minutes per student; candidates may be examined individually or in pairs.

The Leistungsfach curriculum requires work on globalisation as both opportunity and challenge, current issues, structured and differentiated writing, analysis of written and visual/discontinuous materials, and independent source and copyright checking.

Official sources:

Abi rule: Before the real exam, re-check the cohort-specific current Fach-Erlass and school information. This aiMOOC trains transferable competence and does not reproduce complete compulsory texts or unauthorised film sequences.

Activate prior knowledge

Use a blank page. Put GLOBAL CHALLENGE in the centre and connect it to five nodes: causes – stakeholders – unequal impacts – responses – trade-offs. Add one example to each node.

Quick diagnostic:

If you mainly list facts, practise synthesis.
If you mainly name stylistic devices, practise effect and purpose.
If you make strong claims from one figure, practise qualification and source limits.
If your paragraph has evidence but no reasoning, practise because / therefore / however logic.

Media entry: seeing connections

Notice – infer – question: Describe only what is visible first. Then infer a trend. Finally write one question the graphic alone cannot answer.

Compare: What different kind of evidence does this map provide? Write one sentence beginning with Whereas the first visual emphasises ..., the second foregrounds ...

Visual literacy: Separate what the photograph documents from what a viewer might infer. Do not assume causes, motives or identities that the image itself does not establish.

The synthesis move

A strong synthesis is not Material A says ..., Material B says ..., Material C says .... It connects materials around a shared analytical question.

Core pattern: Claim → Evidence A → Evidence B → relationship → qualification → implication

Example frame: Both materials point to unequal exposure to risk, but they operate at different scales. While Source A visualises a long-term global trend, Source B reveals spatial inequality. Together they support the claim that a global challenge can be shared globally yet experienced unevenly. However, neither source by itself proves why the inequality exists.

Context vocabulary before translation

When an unknown word blocks comprehension, use this order:

Step	What you do	Example question
Context	Read the sentence before and after.	Is the word describing a cause, effect, actor or judgement?
Word formation	Identify prefix, root and suffix.	Does -tion, -ive, inter-, dis- or -ity reveal the word family?
Visualise	Sketch a relation or place the word in a concept map.	What is connected to what?
English explanation	Paraphrase in simple English.	Can I explain it without translating?
Dictionary	Check a monolingual learner dictionary and collocations.	Which meaning fits this context?
German help	Use a short German gloss only if the concept is still unclear.	Welche knappe Bedeutung passt genau hier?

Word-family drill: migrate → migration → migrant → migratory; sustain → sustainable → sustainability; equal → unequal → inequality; displace → displacement → displaced.

Listening and Viewing

Source: United Nations, SDG progress report video, 2025.

First viewing – gist: Write a 15-word maximum summary.

Second viewing – evidence: Note two data-based claims and one evaluative phrase. Mark each as fact/data, interpretation or call to action.

Third viewing – source awareness: Ask: Who produced the video? What is its communicative purpose? Which claim would you verify in the underlying report before using it in an essay?

Transfer viewing: Identify the proposed process for turning broad goals into action. Then explain which step would require the strongest evidence before a policy or project decision.

Reading: unfamiliar material set

All following practice data and organisations are fictional. They are designed for analysis and do not describe a real place.

Material A – short report

Bayhaven, a coastal city, expanded flood barriers after repeated storm damage. Two years later, insurance costs fell in the protected business district, while rents rose in nearby higher-ground neighbourhoods. A local housing group reports that some lower-income households moved farther inland, increasing commuting time.

Task: Summarise the development in no more than 35 words. Do not evaluate.

Material B – fictional data

Indicator	2026	2030
Households in mapped high-risk zone	24,000	19,500
Average monthly rent in higher-ground district	900 units	1,180 units
Public transport travel time from inland relocation area	34 min	51 min
Local jobs inside protected business district	38,000	43,500

Task: Write two observations and one limitation. Remember: correlation is not automatically causation.

Material C – stakeholder statement

A fictional youth housing coalition argues that climate adaptation should be judged not only by the property it protects but also by whether residents can still afford to live near jobs, schools and public transport.

Task: Identify claim, value assumption and intended audience.

Reading synthesis challenge

Write a 120–160 word synthesis answering:

How can climate adaptation reduce one risk while intensifying another?

Use all three fictional materials. Your response must contain:

one overarching claim,
at least two cross-material links,
one limitation or qualification,
no invented facts.

Data and visual analysis

AFB II prompt: Analyse how framing, visible detail and absence of context influence the viewer's understanding of the problem. Distinguish description from interpretation.

AFB III prompt: Explain why an image of a technological solution cannot by itself demonstrate that a transition is socially fair, economically viable or environmentally sufficient. Name the additional evidence you would need.

Analysis toolbox

Use function rather than device hunting.

Focus	Ask	Useful language
Purpose	What response does the producer seek?	aims to frame / legitimise / warn / mobilise / inform
Selection	What is included, excluded or foregrounded?	foregrounds / omits / narrows attention to
Language	How do wording and register shape meaning?	loaded wording / technical register / inclusive pronouns / modality
Visuals	How do angle, scale, colour, composition or symbols guide attention?	positions the viewer / creates salience / contrasts
Data	What do scale, categories, date and denominator allow us to conclude?	suggests / indicates / cannot establish / is limited by
Perspective	Whose interests or experiences are represented?	centres / marginalises / gives authority to

Rule: Never stop at The author uses .... Continue with ... which matters because ...

Speaking: Kommunikationsprüfung skills

Train the official format separately from essay writing. A useful practice frame is 15 minutes preparation, a short monologue and a longer dialogue phase.

Monologue card: Explain how two materials could be connected to the same global challenge. Evaluate which additional evidence would make the connection more convincing.

Dialogue card: Your school has funding for one student-led global-challenge project. Discuss criteria for choosing a project, compare possible approaches and agree on a justified decision.

Speaking moves:

The strongest connection I see is ...
I would qualify that because ...
Can we separate short-term impact from long-term impact?
What evidence would change your view?
I agree with the concern, but I interpret the material differently because ...

Privacy: Recording yourself is optional. Keep recordings private unless you explicitly choose to share them. Do not upload classmates' voices or personal data without consent.

Writing: summary, analysis, evidence-based argument

Summary: main point + key development + relevant relationship; no personal opinion.

Analysis: method/choice + evidence + effect + purpose/context.

Evidence-based writing: claim + precise evidence + reasoning + qualification + link to another material.

Synthesis sentence frames:

Taken together, Sources A and C suggest ...
Source B complicates this view by showing ...
This evidence is consistent with ..., although it does not prove ...
At a structural level ..., whereas at an individual level ...
The materials converge on ..., but differ in their explanation of ...

Writing workshop: one paragraph, not a model essay

Write one paragraph of 140–180 words on this claim:

Responses to global challenges should be evaluated by both effectiveness and distributional impact.

Requirements:

refer to at least two materials,
explain the relationship between them,
include one counterpoint or limitation,
use one cautious evidence verb such as suggests, indicates or is consistent with,
end with an implication, not a slogan.

No full sample paragraph is provided. The aim is independent writing.

Mediation, if required

Imagine a German school partner sends a short German notice about a local sustainability project. Your English-speaking exchange partner needs only the information relevant to participation.

Do not translate sentence by sentence. Select, restructure and explain culture-specific information for the target audience.

Mediation check: relevance – audience – register – intercultural clarity – no added claims.

Help ladder and differentiation

Use help in this order:

Level 1 – Challenge: work without support and add a limitation to every major claim.
Level 2 – Structure: use the synthesis pattern and analysis toolbox.
Level 3 – Language: use the sentence frames and word-family table.
Level 4 – Meaning: use a monolingual dictionary and an English explanation.
Level 5 – German help: use a brief German gloss only where meaning still blocks the task.

Leistungsfach extension: Add breadth, depth and text complexity: reconcile conflicting evidence, compare source logic, distinguish mechanism from correlation, and produce more AFB II/III reasoning.

Feedback and error analysis

After writing, label one sentence from your own text with each code:

Code	Check
C	Claim is clear and arguable.
E	Evidence is specific and traceable.
R	Reasoning explains why the evidence matters.
S	Synthesis connects at least two materials.
Q	Qualification shows limits or conditions.
L	Language is precise, cohesive and appropriate.

Error log: Do not merely correct a sentence. Record the error type, your corrected version and the rule or strategy that will prevent the same mistake next time.

AI and source literacy

AI output is not evidence. If AI suggests a fact, statistic, quotation or source:

trace it to the original source,
check author, institution, date and context,
confirm that the source actually supports the claim,
reject invented or unverifiable references,
document AI use when your school or task requires it.

Do not ask AI for a replacement essay. Use it, if permitted, for questions such as vocabulary alternatives, counterarguments to test, or feedback prompts. Do not upload copyrighted compulsory texts, private recordings, personal data or classmates' work to external AI services without explicit permission.

Abi-Check

Written examination focus:

Can you summarise selectively?
Can you analyse function and effect?
Can you connect several materials instead of writing separate mini-analyses?
Can you use evidence without overstating it?
Can you produce a coherent independent text under time pressure?

Communication examination focus:

Can you structure a short monologue?
Can you respond spontaneously rather than recite a memorised essay?
Can you invite, challenge, clarify and negotiate in dialogue?
Can you use evidence orally and react to another interpretation?

Important: The communication examination and the written examination test overlapping language competence but require different performance strategies.

Transfer gallery

Energy transition: Build a three-source pack with one visual, one short factual source and one stakeholder perspective. Ask one question about trade-offs.

Plastic pollution: Design a synthesis question that cannot be answered by the photograph alone.

Drought and resilience: List what evidence would be needed before connecting one drought image to migration, food prices or political instability.

Follow-up course

Continue with ABI LF - Evidence-based global challenge writing: longer timed synthesis, source evaluation, counterargument and self-editing.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What is synthesis? (Connecting evidence from several materials around one argument) (!Summarising each material separately in order) (!Listing as many facts as possible) (!Translating every source into German)

What belongs in a strong analytical sentence? (A choice or feature linked to its effect and purpose) (!A stylistic device named without explanation) (!A personal opinion without evidence) (!A plot summary only)

What should you do before using an AI-generated factual claim? (Check it against a traceable original source) (!Assume it is correct if it sounds academic) (!Use it without a date) (!Replace the source with the AI answer)

What is the safest conclusion from a correlation in a small data table? (It may indicate a relationship but does not by itself prove causation) (!It proves the first factor caused the second) (!It proves the trend will continue forever) (!It makes source context unnecessary)

Which phrase signals useful qualification? (This suggests a link although it does not establish causation) (!This definitely proves everything) (!There can be no other explanation) (!The source is obviously unbiased)

What is the purpose of a summary? (To condense the relevant main ideas without personal evaluation) (!To analyse every rhetorical device) (!To argue for your own position) (!To reproduce the source wording)

What should come before German translation in the help ladder? (Context, word formation, visualisation and English support) (!Immediate machine translation) (!A complete German version of the text) (!Skipping the unknown word)

What does evidence-based writing require? (A claim supported by relevant evidence and explained reasoning) (!A claim repeated several times) (!A quotation without explanation) (!A long introduction without sources)

What is a key difference between written and communication exam training? (The communication exam requires spontaneous monologic and dialogic speaking) (!The communication exam is a written essay) (!The written exam contains no analysis) (!Speaking requires no structure)

Which action best demonstrates source literacy? (Checking author, date, method, purpose and limitations) (!Counting only the number of views) (!Choosing the most emotional source) (!Using the first search result automatically)

Memory

Synthesis	Connects several materials around one idea
Summary	Condenses relevant main ideas
Analysis	Explains how choices create meaning or effect
Evidence	Provides specific source-based support
Context	Frames the circumstances of a source
Register	Matches language to audience and purpose
Mediation	Transfers relevant meaning across languages
Qualification	Limits or nuances a claim

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Claim	Arguable central statement
Evidence	Specific support from a source
Reasoning	Explanation of why support matters
Synthesis	Connection across materials
Qualification	Limitation or condition of a claim

Kreuzworträtsel

Synthesis	What skill connects several materials into one line of argument?
Evidence	What supports a claim with source-based detail?
Context	What helps you interpret when, where and why a source was produced?
Register	What describes language adapted to audience and situation?
Coherence	What makes ideas form a logically connected whole?
Mediation	What transfers relevant meaning appropriately between languages?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

One-image briefing: Choose one Commons image from this course and record or present a 60-second English explanation separating description from inference.
Word-family map: Build a visual family for five key academic words such as migrate, sustain, equal, respond and regulate.
Source triangle: Find one visual, one statistic and one short factual source on the same issue and write one sentence about how their evidence differs.
Caption audit: Write two captions for the same image, one neutral and one deliberately persuasive, then mark the language that changes the framing.

Standard

Mini synthesis: Connect one climate visual with one inequality source in 150 words and include one limitation.
Stakeholder map: Create a stakeholder diagram for a migration-related challenge and identify where interests overlap or conflict.
Evidence ladder: Rank five pieces of evidence you found by relevance, traceability and limitation, then justify your criteria without giving a simplistic overall truth score.
Mediation card: Mediate a short German school notice into English for an exchange partner, selecting only information relevant to the recipient.

Schwer

Conflicting sources: Select two credible sources that frame the same global challenge differently and analyse the difference in data, purpose, assumptions and omissions.
Tandem simulation: With a partner, prepare separately, give short monologues and then negotiate a joint response to a global-challenge task. Recording is optional and private.
Timed writing: Build a four-source pack and write an evidence-based response under a self-chosen exam-style time limit. Add an error log after revision.
AI verification audit: Ask an approved AI tool for three factual claims only if your teacher permits it, then verify every claim against original sources and document any error, missing context or invented reference. Do not request or submit a replacement essay.

Lernkontrolle

Cross-source reasoning: Given an unfamiliar graph, photograph and short article, formulate one thesis that can integrate all three and explain what each source contributes that the others cannot.
Evidence limits: Identify one claim that the material set supports and one stronger claim it does not support. Explain the boundary.
Function over feature: Select one linguistic or visual feature and show how its effect changes when audience or context changes.
Counterevidence: Add a new piece of evidence that weakens your original conclusion and revise the conclusion without abandoning the whole argument.
New challenge: Transfer the synthesis method from climate adaptation to another issue such as energy transition, global health or plastic pollution.
Oral transfer: Turn your written thesis into a two-minute monologue, then respond to two spontaneous follow-up questions without reading a script.