Conclusions 101

Learn to write powerful essay conclusions using the TSS method!

Directions The following worksheet is designed to help you improve your writing, specifically conclusions. My personal goal is for you to learn the information presented here, therefore, please take your time in completing this activity. By the end of the lesson, it is my hope that you will be able to: - Know the elements that comprise a concluding paragraph. - Know what elements a concluding paragraph should not have. - Know what TSS stands for. - Write a concluding paragraph according to current best practices.Some of the questions have audio components to them, so when you come across a question that does, please listen to the audio. How to Write a Conclusion in 4 Minutes What is a conclusion made up of? Since a conclusion is the last thing a reader reads it should remind the reader of your thesis statement, your evidence, and include a "so what?" statement. In your conclusion, your thesis statement should be worded differently than from your opening paragraph and you should briefly summarize the evidence given in the entire essay, in one or two sentences.Thesis -Summarize - Super So WhatTEACHER TIP: Given a five page essay, a reader should be able to look at just the concluding paragraph and be able to INFERwhat the author's argument was and their evidence. FIll in the blanks. To remember what to include in a conclusion paragraph, just remember TSS. The "T" stands for thesis, and it should be rewritten. The first "S" stands for summarize the evidence, and the last "S" stands for super so what. What elements should a conclusion paragraph contain? Your exact thesis statement, a summary of your evidence, and a "so what?" statement A reworded thesis statement and a "so what?" statement A reworded thesis statement, a summary of your evidence, and a "so what?" statement Example 1 (Read Example 1 then listen to audio) What is the "so what?" statement's purpose? To show the reader why you are right and everyone else is wrong. To show the reader why they should care about your topic To make yourself feel better after writing for a long time. How many sentences should the evidence summary be when writing the conclusion paragraph? 1-2 0 3-4 The entire paragraph Example #2 Label the parts of this conclusion paragraph according to the components of TSS. (Click on THE NUMBER you want to label, then type in the label. Each number corresponds to the sentence before it.) Super so what Thesis Summarize Summarize What you SHOULD NOT do in a conclusion paragraph (Listen to audio first) There are several things you should not do when writing your conclusion.You SHOULD NOT repeat the same thesis statement used in the opening paragraph.You SHOULD NOT add new information.You SHOULD NOT summarize your entire essay.You SHOULD NOT be apologetic towards your audience. Put the following conclusion writing rules into the appropriate category. Should Do Rewrite the thesis statement Briefly summarize the evidence in 1-2 sentences Add a "so what?" statement Avoid apologizing to the reader Should Not Do Summarize the entire essay Write the exact thesis statement as in the opening paragraph Add new information Further explain the evidence Read the following opening and concluding paragraphs and then answer the questions that follow. Example Opening Paragraph Did you know that the food chain depends on Orcas eating blue fish in the wild to contain the blue fish population? Did you know that SeaWorld captures Orcas in the wild and then keeps them contained in a small enclosure for the rest of the animals’ lives which makes Orcas feel anxiety and stress? SeaWorld should be closed down because it is not humane to keep giant ocean mammals contained in a small space for the rest of their lives Example Conclusion Paragraph SeaWorld should be closed down because it is not humane to keep giant ocean mammals contained in a small space for the rest of their lives. The blue fish population can not be as effectively contained if the Orcas are taken out of the wild. Right now, Orcas are the species being captured, but if no one tells SeaWorld to stop, then who knows what other mammals may be next. Is the above conclusion paragraph acceptable based on the above opening paragraph? If not, briefly explain how it could be fixed. Use textual support and what you have just learned to write at least three sentences explaining your answer. Example Conclusion Paragraph 2 Many people would consider keeping a lion inside of a cage for the rest of its life inhumane, so why should SeaWorld be allowed to keep Orcas inside of a tank? By purposefully taking Orcas from their natural habitat and surrounding them with see-through plastic for the rest of their lives, the natural food chain is disrupted, undue stressed is brought on the Orcas, and the evolutionary process that Orcas go through is negatively disrupted. If Orcas are being bred in captivity, then they will eventually become conditioned to rely on humans for food, which will alter their natural behavioral instincts thus making them vulnerable to predators they should not be vulnerable to. It is not right for one company to have control over an entire species of mammals and a vast influence over the Blue fish.Right now, Orcas are the species being captured, but if no one tells SeaWorld to stop, then who knows what other mammals may be next. Is conclusion paragraph 2 an appropriate conclusion to the opening paragraph? If not, briefly explain how it could be fixed. Use textual support and what you have just learned to write at least three sentences explaining your answer. Practice! The following is a sample argumentative essay about Orcas and SeaWorld, but it is missing the concluding paragraph. Read the sample essay and then write a possible conclusion paragraph. If you need to scroll up the page to refer to the previous information, please do so. Remember TSS!_Did you know that the food chain depends on Orcas eating blue fish in the wild to contain the blue fish population? Did you know that SeaWorld captures Orcas in the wild and then keeps them contained in a small enclosure for the rest of the animals’ lives which makes Orcas feel anxiety and stress? SeaWorld should be closed down because it is not humane to keep giant ocean mammals contained in a small space for the rest of their lives. Animals can feel emotions just like humans can, and that includes the emotion of anger and the feeling of anxiety that usually accompanies it. When put into an unfamiliar situation, the stress levels in Orcas sky-rocket and they then become aggressive and agitated. The Orcas then soon become sick because they are distraught and not eating properly. The presence of loud noise levels in SeaWorld only increase the Orca’s discomfort as the Orcas are not accustomed to the decibels that humans create through the use of machines (cars operating, sirens, loud music playing on speakers). It is not humane to put a wild animal through that, so why do we let SeaWorld continue to do so?The effects that humans have on the wellbeing of Orcas is not the only concerning thing that SeaWorld ignores. The blue fish population is a species that hunts other smaller fish to feed itself such as salmon and kise fish. The Orcas control the blue fish population naturally when it feeds on the blue fish. If Orcas continue to be taken from the wild, then the blue fish would suddenly have one less predator after them. Resulting from this would be an overpopulation of blue fish and a decrease in the salmon and kise fish populations. As a result, salmon prices would increase and so would the kise fish prices. Not to mention that the food chain itself would crumble from the top down. To mark a word click its first letter then click its last. INFORMATIONAL CALLTOACTION INFORMATION CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE SUMMARIZE CONCLUDE EXPLAIN THESIS ADVICE REPEAT ESSAY