1. Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.
Conclusions
These materials were prepared by teachers from Washington state to help students improve their writing skills.
Version 2
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

2. What are the purposes of conclusions? Why are conclusions important?
Students should discuss the purposes and importance of conclusions. Students’ ideas should be charted and then compared to the purposes listed on the following slide that are taken from the Conclusion Scoring Guide. With some teacher guidance and prompting, the purposes from the students and those from the Scoring Guide will match (although the language may be different).
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

3. Purposes for Conclusions
The ending/conclusion
clearly connects introduction and body of the paper with insightful comments or analysis.
wraps up the writing and gives the reader something to think about.
In a persuasive essay there is a call to action.
Students need to discuss the purposes for introductions and be aware of why they are important. This slide is taken from the Conclusion Scoring Guide. Students should have come up with these purposes during the previous discussion. Discuss any purposes that they named differently than on the scoring guide. If they have missed something, that purpose should be discussed.
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

4. Ineffective Conclusions
I hope you enjoyed reading my…
In this essay/letter you have learned…
In conclusion,…
As you can see/tell…
I just told you about (exact thesis)…
Students use the above phrases when they don’t know strategies for effective conclusions.
Discuss why the above phrases are ineffective.
Discuss the ineffectiveness of over-used or clichéd phrases, such as “in conclusion,…”
This list is not all-inclusive, nor a set of rules. This is a set of discussion points. Add to the list throughout the year.
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

5. What are some effective ways that we might conclude
a piece of writing?
Brainstorm possibilities for conclusions. If students have trouble getting started, go back to the purposes. Ask, “What might wrap up the writing and give the reader something to think about?”
Student answers should be charted. Compare their answers to the following slide that lists strategies from the Conclusion Scoring Guide (found in the Document Folder).
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

6. Conclusion Strategies
A writer may end with
an echo from the introduction
a quotation or dialogue
an anecdote or scenario
an interesting fact
a prediction
a question
a call to action
a generalization from given information
a self-reflection
a response to a “so what?” question
a combination from this list
Discuss each of the strategies listed.
Focus on 3-4 strategies at a time depending on what your students brainstormed .
This list is not all-inclusive. Add more strategies throughout the year.
A WORD version of this slide (Concl Strategies)can be found in the Document Folder.
Conclusion Strategies Definitions
an echo from the beginning of the piece – further developing an image, phrase, metaphor, etc. from the introduction of the essay into the conclusion (not a repetition!)
a quotation or dialogue – the exact words of an expert or a conversation
an anecdote or scenario – a short narrative or hypothetical situation that reiterates or illustrates an idea/argument
an interesting fact – a carefully selected piece of information that emphasizes an idea/argument
a prediction – a statement of possible results that might follow the situation discussed in the writing
a question –a question used to stimulate further thought from the reader
a call to action – asking the reader to take an action
a generalization from given information – drawing conclusions from points made in the paper that can be applied to other situations
a self-reflection – self-examination to connect the reader to the ideas
a response to a “so what?” question – an explanation of why the ideas/arguments made are important
a combination of the above list – Writers use a combination of strategies to increase impact.
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

7. Analyzing Conclusions
How does the conclusion connect to the introduction and the middle of the essay?
Does the conclusion provide a satisfying ending?
Is there a call to action?
Use these guiding questions when analyzing conclusions with your students.
You may want to duplicate the questions to use during the discussion of various models of introductions and conclusions. In addition, the Introduction and Conclusion Scoring Guides might be useful as a reference as the students are analyzing the writing.
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

8. Rain Forest Destruction Conclusion
Many trees every day are cut down in the rainforest due to logging. Every day more people are born and new houses built. In only a few years many species may become extinct forever. The deforestation causes the earth to get warmer which can effect all species on the earth. People are helping to stop it, but rainforest destruction still continues. The traditional people of the rainforest lose their culture and homes. Eight percent of the rainforest is gone and more is on its way to vanishing forever.
Read the model conclusion to students and discuss strategies used OR reproduce the slide and have students work in groups to highlight and identify strategies.
In the Rain Forest conclusion:
Prediction - (In only a few years many species may become extinct forever…
Statistic and generalization - (Eight percent of the rainforest is gone and more is on its way to vanishing forever.)
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

9. Animal Testing Conclusion
Animal testing must be stopped. Both humans and animals will benefit greatly if laws are made to abolish this inhumane action. Many steps need to be taken to stop animal testing. By becoming involved and changing your buying habits, we all can be one step closer to the goal of ending animal testing.
Read the model conclusion to students and discuss strategies used OR reproduce the slide and have students work in groups to highlight and identify strategies.
In the Animal Testing conclusion:
Call to action- By becoming involved and changing your buying habits, we all can be one step closer to the goal of ending animal testing.
Generalization- Many steps need to be taken to stop animal testing.
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

10. Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.
Less TV Conclusion
If your life isn’t interesting enough, make it more interesting. Don’t just sit on the sidelines and watch TV, do something with your friends; have some fun. If you want to waste your time, I can’t stop you, but I can ask you to at least consider some better ways to use your time.
Read the model conclusion to students and discuss strategies used OR reproduce the slide and have students work in groups to highlight and identify strategies.
In the Less TV conclusion:
Call to action - Don’t just sit on the sidelines and watch TV, do something with your friends, have some fun.
Answer to “so what” question - If you want to waste your time, I can’t stop you, but I can ask you to at least consider some better ways to use your time.
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

11. Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.
Sample 1
Introduction: “All you have to do is that!” screamed the new seventh-grade teacher across the hall angrily. “Wow, I thought to myself, “what a scary teacher! I hope I don’t have him.”
Seventh grade is pretty new and scary for the kids who are experiencing it for the first time. What is even more frightening, however, is all of the new teachers. When the seventh graders arrive, they are bombarded with six new and different teachers, and they are overwhelmed with excitement and fright. What would help out a lot is if all new seventh-grade teachers know how to be patient, gave enough time to work in class, and demonstrated things that the class were constructing.
Conclusion: All new seventh grade teachers can work their way up to the number one place on the charts simply by being patient, giving enough time to work in class, and by giving demonstrations of many class projects and class art work. If all of the world’s teachers taught by these criteria, there would be happiness ringing down all of the halls at every school. Seventh grade would, for sure, be more fun for the teachers and the students. Now who wouldn’t want that?
Use these WASL samples for practice scoring.
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

12. Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.
Sample 1
Introduction:
A nine year old and his best friends are proudly walking down a dirt trail to the pond to catch tadpoles. It’s a beautiful, quiet spring day. The woods are alive with birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. There’s hardly any crime and everybody seems to be happy.
You must think that’s a perfect community for a teen to grow up in. Over 2,000 people must have thought that because they decided to move right in. The beautiful pond with frogs and tadpoles is now just a dried-up rock bed. The forest, alive with deer and animals, is now thousands of luxurious houses with a development name…
Conclusion:
Seeing more developments and more houses pop up concerns everyone. When communities become overcrowded they are not good places for a teen to grow up in. The crime rate has tripled. The noise pollution is unbelievable. On top of all that, no one has fun any more. No one is smiling. This is not a good place for a teen to live.
Use these WASL samples for practice scoring.
A copy of this sample can be found in the Document Folder as HS WASL pers2.doc.
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

13. High School Conclusion Example
Post
If school ended two hours later, Phil would fall asleep in first period after staying out past midnight the night before. The schools must realize that the answer of changing school times is a no-brainer: leave school times the way they have been for years. The school should go along with the old saying, “Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Pre
Starting and ending school two hours later is an exceedingly bad idea. When all of the pros and cons are found, the cons effortlessly outnumber every pro. I agree with sleeping longer, but I would rather be released from school earlier. I believe that the verdict over school times is a no-brainer; Leave school times the way that they are and have been for years.
Use the annotations to guide students in scoring the pre/post examples.
Pre:
Surface level connection with the introduction and body
Minimal attempt at call to action strategy ( “leave school times the way they are”)
Weak wrap up of the text
Score of 2
Post Sample
Adequately connects with the introduction and the body
Effectively uses the strategies of call to action (Leave school times the way they are) quotation (Early to bed…”), and echo. (Phil would…)
Wraps up the writing
Score of 3
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

14. High School Conclusion Example
Post Please don’t shirk your duties in education. Allow us this one area to let our imaginations shine!! Ways to express our individuality are few, so please let us keep the ability to show our personality. We urge you pick up your pens and vote down the uniform policy.
Pre
Thank you for listening to our petition and for your willingness to support us. We wait anxiously for your reply and hope that you make the right decision.
The Pre-Lesson example
Surface level connection with the introduction and body of the paper
Minimal attempt at call to action (…make the right decision)
Weak wrap up of text
Score of 2
Post-Lesson Example
Clearly connects with introduction and body
Effectively uses call to action (Please don’t shirk…Allow us…We urge you…)
Wraps up the writing with a specific request for action
Score of 4
Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.