PowerPoints March 26 th -March 31 st

Opening Task  Find a seat and be preparing for your book talk.

I Can ◦ I can present a Book Talk on my Independent Reading book.

Today  We will present our book talks.  If time permits we will get new library books.

Book Talk Rubric  I will add the points for your notes.

Opening Task  Free Write  Why is the conclusion the hardest part of an essay to write?

I Can ◦ I can use conclusion writing strategies to write an effective conclusion.

Today  We will learn about writing effective conclusions.  We will analyze a prompt.  We will use effective conclusion writing strategies.

A Good Conclusion Stress the importance of the thesis statement, Give the essay a sense of completeness, and Leave a final impression on the reader.

Suggestions for Conclusions  Answer the question "So What?“  Synthesize, don't summarize  Redirect your readers  Create a new meaning

“So What?”  Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful.

Synthesis Don’t Summarize  Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together.

Redirect your Readers  Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.

Create a New Meaning  You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.

Strategies for Writing Effective Conclusions  Echoing the introduction  Challenging the reader  Looking toward the future  Posing questions

Echoing the Introduction  Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding.

Example Introduction From the parking lot, I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing stately against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even higher. From the left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I entered the gate, Main Street stretched before me with its quaint shops evoking an old-fashioned small town so charming it could never have existed. I was entranced. Disneyland may have been built for children, but it brings out the child in adults. Conclusion I thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time, leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year- old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.

Challenging the Reader By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives. ◦ Example  Though serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America's attempt to be a free and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges us to be interested and responsible citizens.

Looking to the Future Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally. ◦ Example  Without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.

Posing Questions Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning. ◦ Example  Campaign advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications and positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what a boob or knave the opposing candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a family person or God-fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating an informed electorate or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and soap?

Task You are to use two of the conclusion strategies we have learned about to write an effective conclusion. You will receive a prompt and the three main point made in an essay.

Prompt  Situation: In an effort to increase time in class and avoid problems with students in the halls, your principal has announced the following policy: “All travel times between classes will be decreased by two minutes from this time forward.”  Writing Task: Write letter to your principal explaining your opinion of this plan.

Your Argument Thesis: Decreasing travel time by two minutes in between classes does not allow students enough time to effectively do what they need to do in between classes. ◦ Reason One: It does not allow one enough time get from your previous class to your locker, and then to your next class without rushing. ◦ Reason Two: It does not allow for enough time for you to use the bathroom, especially if there is a long wait. ◦ Reason Three: It does not allow you time to socialize with students in between classes before returning to the classroom.

Class Closing  Read over your conclusions  Choose the one that is most effective and explain why it is the most effective in a few sentences.

Opening Task  Free Write  “Why is organization important?”  Put this on a scratch sheet of paper.

I Can I can organize my writing so that it is appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.

Today  We will learn about tools to help us organize our writing.  We will complete example with both tools.  We will be introduced to our final essay for this unit.

Organization Tools  There are two tools we are going to work with today to help organize our writing.  On-Demand Writing Plan  Writing Task Sheet

Demonstration I want to give you guys a quick demonstration of these two items. You do not have to write this information down. Just help me come up with it.

Prompt  Situation: What do you find yourself doing in your spare time? Do you spend most your evening playing video games?  Writing Task: Write an editorial explaining why parents should or should not limit the amount of time spent playing video games every day.

Article  You are receiving the article, “Schools Open Their Doors to Advertising.” I want you to read the article and we will discuss this article in four minutes.

Task Writing Situation: Due to the cut of funds in our district, the school board is holding an open forum on whether or not the schools should allow advertising in the school and they want the opinion of students in the district. Writing Task: Write a letter to your school board discussing your opinion on advertisement in the schools. ◦ You are to complete the On-Demand Writing Plan and Writing Task Sheet for this prompt. ◦ Use information you have receive from the article to help you come up with points.

Class Closing  Turn in your On-Demand Plan and Writing Task Sheet.  We will use these tomorrow.  Also return the article.

Opening Task  Free Write  “Is it appropriate for schools to allow advertisers into the schools?”  Do this on a scratch sheet of paper or on the prompt for the essay.

I can  I can write an argument based on my analysis of a topic that uses valid reasoning and is supported with relevant and sufficient evidence.

Today  We will complete and work with our On- Demand Writing Plans and our Writing Task Sheets.  We will review the rubric for our final essay.  We will write our final essay.

Writing Prompt  Writing Situation: Due to the cut of funds in our district, the school board is holding an open forum on whether or not the schools should allow advertising in the school and they want the opinion of students in the district.  Writing Task: Write a letter to your school board discussing your opinion advertisement in the schools.

Rubric Advertisement Essay Writer provides an introduction that introduces the topic providing information to inform the readers about the topic. 10 Writer provides a thesis that is for or against the practice of advertisement in schools. 10 Writer provides three claims to support their thesis and provides counterclaims to help strengthen their argument. 15 Writer has body paragraphs with information from outside sources to help support claims made in the paper with reliable evidence, providing attributive tags, quoting or paraphrasing of the information, and an explanation why this information is important to the argument. 20 Writer’s paper is organized and has an appropriate style for the task.10 Writer’s establishes a tone that is appropriate for the audience of the writing and maintains that tone. 10 Writer uses appropriate words to link together the parts of their writing. 10 Writer provides a conclusion that fits the paper and supports the argument made in the essay. 15 Total100

Task  The period is yours to work on your essay.  This essay is worth a large number of points and that means we need an environment to ensure successful writing.  Use the information within the article.

Class Closing  Turn in your essay if you are finished.  If not you will have some time to work on it tomorrow.

Opening Task  Free Write  Is Pendleton County home to any famous people?

I can  I can write an argument based on my analysis of a topic that uses valid reasoning and is supported with relevant and sufficient evidence.

Today  We will finish essays if you need additional time.  We will learn about the king of the bootleggers.  We will complete comprehension questions.

Your Time  You are to work on your essays.  If you finished yesterday get one of the articles and begin the questions on back of the free write sheet.

Class Closing  Turn in your questions for the article.  Turn in the essay.  Have a nice weekend.