1. Strengthening Your Conclusion
Grade 9
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2. A Strong Conclusion Should...
reinforce your thesis
give the essay a sense of completeness and closure
leave an impression on the reader
Your conclusion should reflect why the reader should care about your topic. What is the significance of your thesis?
Why is it important to you? What information should you
or the reader take away from this?

3. Conclusion – WHAT NOT TO DO
DO NOT simply summarize what has already been said— especially in shorter essays. Synthesize YES, Summarize NO. DO NOT simply rephrase the thesis. DO NOT introduce a new piece of evidence or subtopic.

4. Conclusion Techniques
Circle back to the introduction. Conclude by linking the last paragraph to the first, perhaps by reiterating a word or phrase you used at the beginning.
Introduction:
Hundreds of students at Prospect High School set aside their smartphones and tablets in favor of the glossy pages in their yearbooks.
Conclusion:
At Prospect High, junior Brady Schwartz was all smiles as he picked up his yearbook. “It’s always exciting to see your pictures in the yearbook,” he said. “And when the yearbooks are handed out, you know it’s that much closer to the end of the school year.”
Chicago Tribune

5. Ideas for The Final Act Great Ways to End Your Essay: A call to action
Leave the reader with a “ZINGER”
Make the reader think

6. You are asking your reader to do something.
You are trying to persuade them to think differently after reading your essay.
You are motivating your reader to think beyond what you have written.

7. You are asking your reader to do something.
A Call to Action
You are asking your reader to do something.
Contact your local political representative.

8. A Call to Action
You are trying to persuade them to think differently after reading your essay.
Perhaps you will now think of worms and their usefulness in a different way.

9. You are motivating your reader to think beyond what you have written.
A Call to Action
You are motivating your reader to think beyond what you have written.
Try reading another book on this same topic that I discussed.

10. Conclusion Techniques
Conclusion Techniques
Call for Action- Ask readers to do something
Example: Recycling
Across America the Zero Waste movement is becoming a frontrunner in the war against pollution. Today, national parks, theme parks, corporations, and schools are beginning to focus on producing less waste. It is time for individuals to join the Zero Waste movement. Recycle or compost whatever you can!

11. Leave the reader with a “ZINGER”
Shock your reader
Surprise your reader
Affect your reader’s emotions

12. Leave the reader with a “ZINGER”
your reader
You may have tried this drug, but your next try might be your last.

13. Leave the reader with a “ZINGER”
your reader
I know about the affects of this disease because I have it. I live with it every day.

14. Leave the reader with a “ZINGER”
Your Reader’s Emotions
Affect
Perhaps if I had behaved differently, my brother would be alive to talk about it today.

15. Conclusion Techniques
Conclusion Techniques
Ask a Provocative Question
Example: Against School Uniforms
In today’s world, it is important for students to learn to tolerate and embrace diversity. Yet, in many schools, expressing one’s diversity is prohibited. School uniforms promote conformity and submission. Like the uniforms in prison, school uniforms attempt to eliminate individuality and disruption. If schools are allowed to mandate conformity in clothing, what is to stop them from mandating conformity in thoughts, beliefs, and actions?

16. Make the Reader Think Make the reader think about their own actions.
Leave the reader with an open-ended idea.

17. Make the reader think about their own actions.
Consider the community’s impact on this new land development before you approve the building permit.

18. Leave the reader with an open-ended idea.
Make the Reader Think
Leave the reader with an open-ended idea.
If you give it a try, you may enjoy a whole new experience.

19. Conclusion Techniques
A look to the future based on your argument
Example: Endangered Animals
In today’s world, there are thousands of animals in need of protection. Rather than trying to save a single species, it is time for governments to focus on the larger picture. By setting aside large regions of species-rich areas of land, we can ensure the survival of both wide-ranging large species and the smaller species that share their habitat. This ecosystem method is a guaranteed way to protect the world’s endangered species and ensure their survival.

20. Conclusion Techniques
Conclusion Techniques
Evoke a Vivid Image
Example: Fast Food
Our nation is quickly becoming a fast food nation. Today, more than 35 percent of adults and 18 percent of children in America are considered obese. Although fast food may be more convenient for busy families, its side effects are detrimental to long term health. Frequent consumption of fast food increases the likelihood for health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. By eliminating fast food from their diets, Americans may not save time in the present, but they will add years of healthy living to their future.

21. Conclusion Techniques
Conclusion Techniques
Compare to other Situations
Example: Developing Positive Self-Image
Helping young girls develop positive self-images that focus on ability rather than appearance has always been a challenge for parents. In the past, television and magazines were responsible for the bulk of unattainable images of body and style. Today, however, young girls face unrealistic images of perfection everywhere. The use of social media by young girls makes it virtually impossible for them to escape these potentially harmful images. In today’s culture, more than in previous generations, it is important for parents to discuss self-image and insecurities openly in order to shift attention from appearance to achievement and intelligence.