Activities

1. Make a Frayer model for the term concluding section.
   
   
2. Make a mnemonic study guide to assist in remembering what should be in a conclusion.

3. Given several claims, rewrite the claims using different words while retaining the same meaning.
   
   
4. Given a well-written concluding paragraph, identify the claim and examples or supporting details given in the paper. 

5. Given two body paragraphs from an essay, summarize the main ideas in one to two sentences.
   
   
6. Given an opinion piece without a conclusion, write the concluding paragraph.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Make a Frayer model for the term concluding section.  Student understands that the concluding section of an opinion/argumentative text should remind the reader of the claim, supporting details and give the reader something to think about.

• Definition - The last paragraph of an essay that reminds the reader of the claim, main points of the essay, and gives the reader something to think about.
• Example - Restates claim in different words.   Summarizes the points in the body paragraphs, and leaves the reader with something to think about.  The example is several sentences in length.
  • Computers of the future will be different from computers today (Restated claim).  Your keyboard of the future may be a glove called Thumbcode and your monitor may be in a special pair of glasses (Summary of points in the body).  Technology is changing rapidly making computers more portable, smaller and easier to use.  And most importantly, computers are helping people stay connected to each other (Leaving the reader something to think about).    
• Non-Example - Introduces new ideas or information not in the body, or contains the same words as the claim or introduction.  Starts with In conclusion or ends with The End.  The example is stated in only one sentence.

2. Make a mnemonic study guide to assist in remembering what should be in a conclusion.  Student successfully creates a mnemonic study guide to remember what should be in the conclusion.
   Student’s mnemonic has the following ideas about concluding sections:

• Claim is restated in different words, but retains the original meaning.
• Conclusion summarizes the points in the body paragraphs,
• Conclusion leaves the reader with something to think about.

3. Given several claims, student rewrites the claims using different words while retaining the same meaning.  Student understands one method of writing a conclusion calls for restating the claim using slightly different words.  Student closely reads the claims and uses some type of strategy to reword the claim. 

• One strategy is to highlight key words in the claim.  The student substitutes synonyms for key words.  Student rereads the claims and ensures that the new words used retain the same meaning. 
• Another strategy is to change the voice of the claim.  If the claim is written in active voice, write it in passive voice.  For example, Soda cans and bottles should have warning labels (active voice-the subject is performing the action).  Warning labels should be on soda cans and bottles (passive voice-the subject of the sentence is receiving the action).
• The student may reorder the words in the sentence and change some key words with synonyms to change the claim wording, while retaining the original meaning.

4. Given a well-written concluding paragraph, student identifies the claim and examples or supporting details given in the paper.  Student correctly identifies the claim in the concluding paragraph. Student correctly identifies the examples or supporting details in the conclusion.  Student understands a conclusion has the claim and a summary of the examples or supporting details.  Student understands the claim will be an opinion and the main point of the paper.  Student understands the examples or supporting details support the claim.
   
   
5. Given two body paragraphs from an essay, student summarizes the main ideas in one to two sentences.  Student understands that in a concluding paragraph, the reader should be reminded of the main points made in the essay.  Student closely reads the body paragraphs.
   Student uses one or more or a combination of the following strategies to summarize the two body paragraphs:

• Identify and combine the two body paragraph topic sentences using a conjunction, forming a compound sentence.
• Reword the two body paragraph topic sentences using synonyms, while retaining the same meaning.
• Rewrite the two body paragraph topic sentences in an active or passive voice so that the sentences retain the same meaning.
• Rearrange the words in the topic sentences and substitute some key words with synonyms to change the wording, while retaining the original meaning. 

6. Given an opinion piece without a conclusion, student writes the concluding paragraph.  Student correctly restates the claim and body paragraph in new words, while giving the reader something to think about.  Student gives the reader something to think about in the conclusion by asking a question, restating what was learned in a new way, or supplying a relevant quote.  Student does not add new information to the conclusion. 
   Student uses one or more or a combination of the following strategies to rewrite the claim:

• Student identifies the claim of the opinion piece from the introduction. 
• Student highlights key words in the claim and replaces those words with synonyms, ensuring that the new words used do not change the intended meaning. 
• Student changes the voice of the claim.  If the claim is written in active voice, rewrite it in passive voice.  For example, Soda cans and bottles should have warning labels (active voice-the subject is performing the action).  Warning labels should be on soda cans and bottles (passive voice-the subject of the sentence is receiving the action).
• Student rearranges words in the claim while maintaining the original meaning. 
• Student rearranges words in the claim and replaces some key words with synonyms to change the claim wording, while retaining the original meaning. 

Student correctly restates the examples or supporting details in the conclusion by using one or more of the following strategies to summarize the body paragraphs:

• Student closely reads all body paragraphs to determine the main ideas.
• Student identifies and combines the body paragraph topic sentences using a conjunction, to form a compound sentence.
• Student rewords the body paragraph topic sentences using synonyms, while retaining the same meaning.
• Student rewrites the two body paragraph topic sentences in an active or passive voice so that the sentences retain the same meaning.
• Student rearranges words in the topic sentences, while maintaining the original meaning.