1 Session 1 Conclusions Content by Loretta Comfort. Graphics and layout by Michelle Sekulich, Curriculum and Assessment

2 Purpose To help students develop more effective conclusions for any piece of writing

3 What do you think? On the index card provided, write your expectations for writing conclusions for the grade level you teach.

4 Share Responses Partner with a colleague who teaches the same grade level. Take a minute to discuss your responses.

5 Share with the whole group In chronological order, have one person share the expectations for writing a conclusion, starting with kindergarten and progressing through fifth grade.

6 Compare… …your expectations with the writing GLEs on the next slide.

7 Alignment with GLEs-Writing Kindergarten Organizes ideas on one topic orally Writes a story in pictures and words following a pattern from literature

8 Alignment with GLEs-Writing Grades 1 & 2– Organizes multiple sentences on one topic, showing beginning, middle, and ending Writes to show organization of a mentor text (Grade 1) Organizes writing sequentially (Grade 2)

9 Alignment with GLEs-Writing Grade 3 Organizes writing with a beginning, middle and end Writes a variety of endings (e.g., ends with something new to think about or a cliffhanger)

10 Alignment with GLEs-Writing Grade 4 Organizes writing using a logical organizational structure Constructs a recognizable conclusion

11 Alignment with GLEs-Writing Grade 5 Develops an effective ending that goes beyond a repetition of the introduction (e.g., summary, prediction). Varies leads and endings in narrative writing.

12 Turn to a person near you… Do you think the GLEs for conclusions are realistic? Are they more basic than your expectations for your grade level? Are they beyond your expectations for your grade level?

13 Conclusions and the WASL The best conclusions are directly related to high scores on the Content, Organization and Style portion of the WASL. The best writing has effective conclusions that do more than repeat what was previously written.

14 Conclusions and the WASL Conclusions and the WASL Conclusions reinforce the response’s wholeness and completeness.

15 Purpose of the Conclusion or Ending Remind the reader of the main idea Summarize the main points Tie up the loose ends Keep your reader thinking about the topic

16 Strategies There are numerous strategies to choose. Focus on one or two of the following techniques at the primary level and add more strategies as students become more proficient.

17 Conclusion Strategies –An echo from the beginning of the piece –Quotation or dialogue –A prediction –An interesting fact –A story or anecdote

18 Additional Conclusion Strategies –Question –Call to action –Generalization –Mystery –Hint of things to come –Summary

19 Remember… …each strategy by associating it with the visual next to it.

20 ECHO Hello… hello… hello… hello

21 QUOTATION OR DIALOGUE

22 STORY OR ANECDOTE

23 INTERESTING FACT As I was saying…

24 PREDICTION

25 MYSTERY OR HINT OF THINGS TO COME

26 SUMMARY + E

27 CALL TO ACTION

28 GENERALIZATION In essence, all teachers are brilliant!

29 QUESTION

30 End of Session 1 Don’t forget to bring students’ work for Session 2