Synthesis is one of the distinguishing features of chemistry as a science. It is the synthetic chemist who uses their intimate understanding of molecular structure and properties to produce materials of great value to society. Thus, it is important for students of chemistry to study synthesis and acquire a working knowledge that enables them to address the following question: given a specific molecular target, how does one formulate a plan for its synthesis? This synthesis primer provides students who have taken introductory organic chemistry with a set of tools that can be used to plan a synthesis. It may be used in conjunction with a synthetic methods course, or it can stand alone.