1. Conclusions The Basics
Grade 5
Copyright © 2014 Write Score LLC

2. Conclusions or Endings
We are going to work on writing the conclusion or ending of a piece of writing.
When working on our conclusions, we want to:
provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion, information, or explanation presented.
provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
leave the reader feeling satisfied.

3. Getting Started
One way to end an opinion essay, informational essay, or narrative story is by making a list.
This is called Making a List ending because it means ending with a list of key ideas, facts, words, or phrases connected to what you have already written followed by a summary statement or section.

4. Getting Started
To show you what I mean, we are going to read an narrative story together.
ideas
facts
Notice key ideas, facts, words, or phrases you think are important.
phrases
words

5. The Dare
It was a normal hot and sticky summer day. I was about eight years old and living with my mom and dad in the suburbs north of New York City. The blacktop that coated the surface of our street was melting under the strain of the sun's piercing rays. It oozed thick, black tar and caused the soles of my brand new tennis shoes to stick to the ground and squeak a bit with each step I took. It was that kind of day. Hot. Sticky. A bit squeaky. So maybe that is why I had agreed to participate in something very dangerous and risky. My best friend, Cathy, dared me to play a game with her. It involved riding our bikes as fast as we could toward one another. The idea was to see who would chicken out and turn away before crashing into the other person. It wasn’t a very smart thing to do.

6. The Dare (continued)
When the time came to meet the dare, I was nervous and ready at the same time. Cathy started at one end of the street. I started from the other. When she screamed, “GO!”, we both took off on our two-wheelers. We peddled as fast as our feet would go. Whoosh! Whoosh! The wheels on my Schwinn were spinning faster and faster and faster. I pedaled with such force, that I was no longer sitting on the seat. Instead, I was standing on the pedals. I stared straight ahead. I was afraid to take my eyes off Cathy for even a second. My hair whipped across my face.

7. The Dare (continued)
Closer. Closer. Closer we came to one another. I thought, "I won't be the one to 'chicken out' I just know Cathy will swerve away any second, and I will be the winner.“ At that moment that was all I cared about - winning. But Cathy didn’t swerve and neither did I. We crashed. Head on. Our bikes scraped together and crumpled. Our heads banged into one another and blood began to spurt. I guess in the end, neither of us could be called "chicken“. But I knew neither of us felt like winners. We hugged one another made a promise to never play that or any other game like it ever again.

8. Key Ideas, Facts, Words, or Phrases
Here’s what I noticed in the narrative story :
It was dangerous
It was risky
A dare
Bikes
Chicken game
It was not very smart
We were scared
Crash
Hurt
Sorry
Never again

9. Key Ideas, Facts, Words, or Phrases
Now I am going to choose three significant ideas, facts, words, or phrases from my list to use for a different ending in the narrative story.
Which ones would you choose?

10. Using My Choices to Write a Make a List Ending
Here are the three significant ideas, facts, words, or phrases from my list I am going to use for writing a different conclusion or ending in my essay:
It was dangerous
It was risky
It wasn’t very smart

11. Using My Choices to Write a Make a List Ending
I’m going to use these three details to write a Make a List ending:
Dangerous. Risky. Not very smart. After we crashed neither of us felt like winners. We hugged one another and made a promise to never play the chicken game or anything else that was dangerous or risky and not very smart.

12. Take Note
Did you notice how I chose three significant ideas, facts, words or phrases to use for my ending?
It was dangerous
It was risky
It was not very smart
Dangerous
Risky
Not very smart
Becomes
Becomes
Becomes
Did you notice how I followed my list of three with a summary statement about those three things?
After we crashed, neither of us felt like winners. We hugged one another and made a promise to never play the chicken game or anything else that was dangerous or risky and not very smart.

13. Your Turn to Try
You are going to do what I just did. Open to a clean page in your writers’ notebooks.
Choose three different key ideas, facts, words, or phrases from the list I made to create a different Make a List ending for this narrative story.
It was dangerous
It was risky
A dare
Bikes
Chicken game
It was not very smart
We were scared
Crash
Hurt
Sorry
Never again
Remember to include a summary statement after your list.

14. On Your Own
After you finish your conclusion or ending, return to a completed piece of your writing. It can be an opinion essay, an explanatory essay, or a narrative story.
Make a list of key ideas, facts, words, or phrases.
Use your list to write one or more Make a List endings for your writing.