Grade 5 Copyright © 2014 Write Score LLC

Conclusions or Endings  We are going to work on writing the conclusion or ending of a piece of opinion writing.  When working on our conclusions, we want to: provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented. provide a sense of closure. leave the reader feeling satisfied.

Getting Started  One way to end an opinion essay is by writing a Question Times Three ending. This is called a Question Times Three ending because you end by asking three questions you want readers to consider based on your opinion already presented.  To show you what I mean, we are going to read an opinion essay together.  Notice the writer’s opinion and main reasons or points.

Say “No” to Year-Round School Some schools around the country are having classes all year long. I believe this is a terrible idea for more reasons than I can write about today. Schools should continue using the school days calendar they have always used and not a year-round schedule. Having school for twelve months has no positive effects on student learning, it costs a lot of money, and it ruins families’ plans for summer vacations. Year-round schooling has no positive impact on learning. Most year- round schedules aren’t really year-round anyway. You go to school for 45 days and get 15 days off. Then the schedule repeats itself. Those 15 days off cause students to forget what they have learned more often. This means that teachers end up teaching the same things over and over the entire year. It’s obvious that changing to a year-round school schedule causes more problems than it solves.

Keeping school open all year means lots more money goes to things like teachers’ salaries, electrical costs, food costs, and so much more. Keeping school open in the middle of summer requires using more air conditioning, and that adds a lot to the school’s budgets. Some school districts are already struggling just to supply kids with paper and pencils. There is no way they could afford to keep all of their schools open all year long. Summertime is usually the only time families can spend any time together. That time is usually spent going on a vacation. Even if the vacation is close to home or at home, it means families can enjoy each other at the same time. It would be very difficult for all family members to get the same 15 days off their students might get in a year-round schedule. Students wouldn’t have any time to relax or play the sports or go to the camps they’re used to enjoying in the summer time.

Reasons or Points Did you notice these reasons and points?  Having school for twelve months has no positive effects on student learning.  It costs a lot of money.  It ruins families’ plans for summer vacations.

Question Times Three Endings Now…I am going to make a list of questions related to the different reasons or points. o Can we afford to have students forget valuable learning? o Is having school year-round worth students forgetting what they learned? o Can we afford to spend dollars we can’t afford? o Can schools truly afford this? o Is year-round learning worth the loss of family time? o Isn’t family time together more important than year-round schooling?

Using My Choices to Write a Make a Question Times Three Ending Here are the questions I chose: 1. Can we afford to have students forget valuable learning? 2. Can we afford to spend dollars we can’t afford? 3. Is year-round learning worth the loss of family time? I’m going to use these questions and then add a final statement to create my ending: Can we afford to have students forget valuable learning? Can we afford to spend dollars we can’t afford? Is year-round learning worth the loss of family time? I don’t believe so.

Take Note Did you notice that I followed the steps for writing a Question Times Three ending? 1. I read back over the reasons or points. 2. I wrote a list of questions about those reasons or points. 3. I chose three I liked best. (each one did address a different reason or point.) 4. I wrote each question in the same order in which those reasons or points were presented. 5. I wrote a final answer or statement about my three questions.

Your Turn to Try You are going to do what I just did!  Reread the essay identifying the main reasons or points.  Make a list of questions related to those reasons or points.  Choose the three YOU like best that are also related to the different reasons or points followed by an answer or statement sentence.  Follow the steps for Writing Question Times Three ending  Remember to include a summary statement after your list.

On Your Own  After you finish your conclusion or ending, return to a completed piece of opinion writing.  Reread the steps for writing a Question Times Three ending.  Follow the steps to write one or more Question Times Three endings for your writing.