Teaching the 5 Paragraph Essay Conclusion-Part 6 Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6
The All Important Bun – The Conclusion Paragraph-Part 6
Teaching the Five Paragraph Essay Conclusion. This is where we wrap it up.
Here’s what they don’t tell you at the restaurant, the bottom bun is the same as the top bun. It tastes the same, but looks slightly different. This also applies to the conclusion of a one paragraph essay. The conclusion is the last sentence of your essay. It ties everything together, and makes the paragraph a completion. Regardless if you have chosen the Simple topic sentence, or the Detailed topic sentence. The result is the same; the conclusion is a rewording of your introduction (topic sentence).
Don’t Let It All Fall Apart
In my experience, students have the most trouble with writing a conclusion. Either it is because they are racing to finish, or they really can’t think of what to write. That is why it is easiest to teach students that the conclusion is just the topic sentence, but in different words. By teaching this idea, and practicing it, you will relieve much of the stress students feel when writing a one paragraph essay.
The following are examples of topic sentences rewritten with conclusions:
Topic Sentence: My favorite holiday is Christmas.
Conclusion: I love Christmas with my family.
Topic Sentence: Taiwan is famous for several amazing natural features.
Conclusion: These three amazing features make Taiwan a famous place to live.
Feel free to use the following worksheet to teach your students to practice topic sentences and rewriting them as conclusions.
Some Main Idea Suggestions:
Facebook Christmas New Clothes iPhones
Basketball Food Grandparents Animals
Internet Bullies Friends Family
Directions: Choose six main ideas and write a topic sentence and a conclusion for each.
- _____________________________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________________________
- _____________________________________________________________________________
Finishing Touches
By now you should be confident in your students’ writing abilities. They should be able to write Topic Sentences with Details to Support them and Conclusions to tie everything together. Now it is time to give them a prompt, or a main idea of your choosing and have them build that burger. Remember, it is ok for the first paragraph to be bland, since you are looking for structure, transition, and flow at this point.
Only when you and your students are confident, and have lost the taste for Mickey D’s should you move one and start adding juicier details into your paragraph.
Good Luck, Good Eating, and Good Writing!
