Crafting effective conclusions

 How can we effectively conclude our writing?

 Students commonly leave out a conclusion or write an ending that says very little  Out of 48 students in foreign language classes, 70% indicated difficulty with writing conclusions  The majority of students who indicated they do like writing are those who chose creative writing as their favorite type of writing…why not use more creative styles to conclude our pieces

 What is your initial reaction when you find out you have a writing assignment? “Please shoot me” “Oh great. Writing is not fun” “Stressed because I feel writing is one of my most underdeveloped skills” “Ticked off. I hate writing.”

 Types of Writing ◦ Write persuasive pieces. ◦ Organize ideas and appeals in a sustained and effective fashion. ◦ Use specific rhetorical devices to support assertions, such as appealing to logic through reasoning; appealing to emotion or ethical belief; or relating a personal anecdote, case study, or analogy. ◦ Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence.  Quality of Writing ◦ Include an effective introduction and conclusion ◦ Create tone and voice through the use of precise language.

 Now for my lesson…imagine that you are a high school student in an English classroom. You have been writing an essay and now we’re getting ready to tackle the concluding paragraph.

Crafting effective conclusions

 A closing argument is just that…a closing and an argument, not a complete summation of the entire piece.  A closing argument is not about how clever we are. A closing argument is about how effectively we can connect and communicate with our audience.  Examples: “A Time To Kill,” “A Few Good Men” and “Rocky”A Time To KillA Few Good MenRocky

 Closing arguments should finish the development of the themes suggested in the introduction and body of the work.

 Focus your argument on what the readers need to “vote” your way: ◦ You need intellectual and emotional components ◦ Give your audience reasons to believe you and do what you want We are not necessarily trying to convince our audience to make a life-altering decision, just get them to do what we want on this one occasion.

Take a few SIPS and get ready; your closing should have three basic components plus one test 1. Summary statement 2. Insight 3. Provocation 4. “So What”

Use a summary statement rather than phrases like “In summary...," "To conclude...," "To summarize...," or "In closing...." These are too obvious and vague to be effective. Use a transitional phrase which summarizes a point in your essay instead. Example: "As we have seen, poverty is a known contributor to crime; therefore, it should not be discounted when considering ways to prevent crime.”

 By definition, insight is the act or outcome of grasping the inward or hidden nature of things or of perceiving in an intuitive manner.  Your closing is your last chance to help your audience fully appreciate or grasp the meaning or importance of your argument or information.  You must find a way to connect your audience with the evidence, give them the insight to value the information in that same way that you do.

 Possible questions to determine if your paper gives readers insight: ◦ What are some real world applications of this paper's argument? ◦ Why is what I am writing about important? ◦ What are some of the questions that this paper's argument raises? ◦ What are the implications of this paper's argument?

 Something that provokes, arouses or stimulates  You want your audience to continue thinking long after they have finished reading your essay?  Question, quote, statement or image  Call to action  Warning  Comparison to other situations  Suggested results or consequences

 Add the “so what” test to the process (now SIPS) to make sure your conclusion is saying something new or interesting  How it works: 1.Pair up 2.Read a statement from your conclusion and ask your partner to respond with “so what?” or “why should anyone care?” 3.Think about the question and answer it. 4.Make sure the answer is in the paper!

 Barney vs Sesame Street Barney vs Sesame Street  Read the introduction and body of a sample essay  Work as a group to craft the SIP or closing argument Essay borrowed from

 University Costs University Costs  Used Car Business Used Car Business  Teen Smoking Teen Smoking  Internet Censorship Internet Censorship  Life is But a Choice Life is But a Choice  Youth Pressures Youth Pressures  Directions: 1. Read the introduction and body of the essay 2. Work as a group to write an effective SIP 3. Pair with someone from another group and use “so what” strategy Essays borrowed from

 Utilize the SIPS process to write an effective closing argument to your own piece

 Provide timelines for tasks associated with long-term assignments  Use computers  Writer’s studio (location)  Student-centered model  Allow partial participation  Utilize graphic organizers  Parallel instruction  Purposeful activities  Scribe or write for the student