12th Grade Exploration 4
Here is the Common Core standard for which you are seeking to aim (from Standard CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2):
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2f Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
YOUR GOAL FOR THIS EXPLORATION:
Write a conclusion that details your perspective on leadership and legacy, based upon what you learned in studying the poem “Ozymandias” and the life of your chosen ruler/leader/tyrant.
Learn it
1. Read the following link about writing strong conclusions:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/724/04/
What is the purpose of a conclusion paragraph?
Why is it important to focus on the significance of your topic in the conclusion?
Why is simplicity best and why do you want to avoid adding new information in your conclusion?
2. Watch the following video about writing a conclusion paragraph:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvs9IpA5O2s
Explain each of the three elements of an effective conclusion, (according to this teacher) in your own words:
1. Thesis:
2. Summarize:
3. Super So-What
3. Read the following link about writing effective conclusion paragraphs:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/conclusions/
What are you trying to achieve in your conclusion? This quote from the above source says it all:
Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader’s life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.
Under “Strategies for Writing an Effective Conclusion”, explain the purpose of playing the “So what” game:
List 3 other helpful strategies: (Note: you won’t be able to use all of these strategies in one concluding paragraph, but might find some of them helpful. The question “So what” is important in any conclusion as it forces you to think/write about the significance of your topic)
1.
2.
3.
This source describes four kinds of ineffective conclusions. In your own words, describe each one briefly:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Discover it
1. Read the essay titled “Fact vs. Fiction and all the Grey Space In Between” on Pages 89-91 of the following link:
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf
Pay special attention to the first two paragraphs (the introduction) and the last paragraph (the conclusion).
Does the conclusion paragraph follow the structure suggested in the video you watched? (Thesis, Summarize, Super So-what) Why/why not?
How does the writer tackle the “So What” question at the end of this essay? (What does he/she argue must happen in terms of book classification?)
2. Read the essay titled “In the Wake of the Spanish Lady: American Economic Resilience in the Aftermath of the Influenza Epidemic of 1918” on Pages 80-83 of the following link:
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf
Re-read the introduction (first two paragraphs) and write down what you think is the thesis of this essay:
Where is this thesis re-stated in the conclusion paragraph?
According to this writer, what is the significance of the Spanish Flu in terms of the United States’ economy at the time (the So-What)?
3. In Exploration 2, you read the following essay titled “Marching to His Own Beat” on Pages 70-71 of the following link:
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf
Think about the structure suggested in the video you watched. How does this student’s conclusion follow the structure suggested?
Re-state Thesis—
Summarize Main Points—
Super So-What (Significance of message)--
Employ it
Now that you have studied some tips on writing a strong conclusion as well as learned what to avoid, take time now to write the first draft of the conclusion of your essay below. Try to paraphrase (re-state) your thesis, summarize your main points and show your reader the significance of your conclusions about leadership and legacy. What do you want your reader to grasp as he/she exits your essay?