Strategies for kick-butt writing Mic-Drop Conclusions Strategies for kick-butt writing

Does this look & sound familiar? “BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!” tell them what you’re about to say, say it, then remind them what you just told them.

Does this look & sound familiar? How many of you have written a conclusion that sounds A LOT like this? “So, in conclusion, you can see that I’ve told you (A, B, and C). Thank you for listening.”

Time to drop the mic on your reader! Conclusions are an essential, but we typically throw them in as a lame afterthought. Don’t just REGURGITATE your into. BORING! Also gross.

Time to drop the mic on your reader! Conclusions, of course, summarize ideas, but there’s much more to them; they have the potential to inspire. If you are not able to imagine dropping the mic after the last sentence in your essay, your conclusion needs to be stronger.

Mic-Drop Conclusions REMEMBER: you conclusion is your last word; Your final opportunity to impress Your last chance to keep them thinking about your subject well after they finish reading. 

Mic-Drop Conclusions REMEMBER Loretta Lee’s last words to Max?

Mic-Drop Conclusions BOOM! MIC- DROP, BABY!

Use other people’s words! SO HOW DO WE DO IT THEN? Use other people’s words! PRECEPTS = rules that manage how people behave and think.  As Mr. Browne (teacher in Wonder) tells his students, precepts are rules about really important things that speak to deep human truths, ultimately revealing who we are. In other words, precepts are words to live by, and perfect tools writers can use to connect with their readers.

SO HOW DO WE DO IT THEN? EXAMPLES OF PRECEPTS: It’s better to be nice than be liked. Do…or do not. There is no try. No man is an island. Never judge a book by its cover. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but 3 lefts do. The world is changed by examples, not by opinions.

SO HOW DO WE DO IT? Step 1: RESTATE the central idea; your thesis Adding PRECEPTS to conclusions: Reflect on why the ideas you wrote about are important and the reason your readers should care about what you wrote. This step helps you to distill everything down to the big, or most essential, idea of your essay. Step 1: RESTATE the central idea; your thesis Step 2: ask “so what?” Step 3: pick a precept that connects to your big idea.

Mic-Drops work with all kinds of writing: -Narrative essay- precepts can remind readers of important lessons a story’s characters or subjects learned -Persuasive essay- provide one final emotional appeal -Expository essay-encourage a reader to think about a topic in a new and interesting way.

MIC-DROP CONCLUSION TO THE MIC-DROP CONCLUSION As a conclusion to a post on conclusions, Check out an example from a student who clearly knows how to drop the mic! A student of mine recently wrote about the origins of acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine. Instead of a dry summary of facts, she decided instead to use a precept in her conclusion. She wrote:

“Ancient Chinese acupuncturists understood the importance of restoring balance and order, and that, as in the words of Joseph Campbell, ‘The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.’” She summed up her ideas in a way that gave me pause and made me think. With nothing else left to add, she dropped the mic!

9 OTHER WAYS TO END “in conclusion” “in summary” “in closing” DO THIS… …NOT THIS  Raise a new, related question Surprise the reader End with a scene or comment that suggests “more to come” End with a quotation or dialogue that connects to main message Sum- if you can do it without being redundant Suggest a conclusion you hope your reader drew Tell something you learned about the world/yourself Tell one thing you’ll always remember Tell something that surprised, startled, disappointed, or pleased you Echo Life challenge Think globally “in conclusion” “in summary” “in closing” “as shown in the essay”

An outline for your conclusion paragraph Conclusion outline Topic sentence Fresh rephrasing of thesis statement Supporting sentences Summarize or wrap up the main points in the body of the essay Explain how ideas fit together Closing sentence Final words Connects (circles) back to the introduction Provides a sense of closure

EXAMPLES & Resources Check out the doc “mic-drop examples” Try it: use the template for precepts…see doc “mic-drop conclusion graphic organizer” Check out some cool precepts…see doc “