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Lesson 5

We will determine the overall message of our writing and will draft an introduction and conclusion to our Culminating Task.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I revisit, refine, and revise my understanding, knowledge, and work based on discussions with others and feedback and review by myself and others?

  • Can I develop and clearly communicate a meaningful and defensible claim that represents a valid, evidence-based analysis?

  • Can I sequence and group sentences and paragraphs and use devices, techniques, descriptions, reasoning, evidence, and visual elements to establish coherent, logical, and well-developed narratives, explanations, and arguments?

Texts

Core

  • Digital Access
    • “Ending the Essay: Conclusions,” Pat Bellanca, The Writing Center at Harvard University, 1998

Materials

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Write

We will analyze what we have written in order to make revisions.

Review the paragraphs you wrote in order to prepare for the peer review. What do you tell your readers about your community?

As you reread your paragraphs, analyze how well you do the following:

  • communicate the essential elements of your community

  • explain the values of your community

  • communicate the legitimacy of your community

  • detail the "rules" of your community: how are members determined, and what are their responsibilities to one another?

Respond to the following questions:

  1. How effective is your writing?

  2. What do you need to do to make your writing more effective?

Activity 2: Read – Discuss – Listen

We will share our writing and discuss the controlling idea or message in what we have written.

Exchange papers with your writing partner. While reading, remember that your partner’s writing needs to accomplish the following:

  • communicate the essential elements of their community

  • explain the values of their community

  • communicate the legitimacy of their community

  • detail the "rules" of their community: how are members determined, and what are their responsibilities to one another?

Discuss the presence of these elements in your partner’s writing. If elements are missing or could be strengthened, offer suggestions for how those issues can be rectified.

Finally, communicate to your partner what message you feel they are attempting to communicate. If that differs from their intended message, offer suggestions for how they can refocus their message.

Activity 3: Write

We will revise our writing based on peer feedback.

Revise your writing based on the feedback you received from your partner. Remember that you are writing about a community of your choosing and, just as the authors read in this unit, you have a responsibility to communicate that information accurately and effectively.

Activity 4: Write

We will draft an introduction and concluding thoughts.

Return to the beginning of your writing. Consider the following questions:

  1. What is the best way to introduce this piece to your reader?

  2. How can you include a thesis that communicates your central message or lesson?

  3. Is your controlling message or lesson implicitly stated (understood by reading your writing without being directly stated)?

  4. Does your writing need an introductory paragraph to determine its focus?

  5. If your piece is more creative in nature (a poem or other medium), would your reader benefit from a preface?

Your responses to these questions can help you determine your next steps. Remember that an introduction does exactly that—it introduces your reader to the topic. For this task, there is not one preferred model for how this should appear.

Draft an introduction to your piece, using your responses to the questions above to guide its creation.

Activity 5: Write

We will draft concluding thoughts for our writing.

Regardless of its formal structure, all writing needs a conclusion—a final message to send your reader. Respond to the following question:

  1. How do you want your reader to "leave" your writing?

For ideas, review how the authors you have studied in this unit conclude their respective pieces. For additional ideas, consider reviewing "Ending the Essay: Conclusions."

Brainstorm ideas for how you want your writer to leave your writing. What do you want your reader to think, feel, imagine, or believe?

Draft a conclusion for your piece, using your response to the question above to guide its creation.

Activity 6: Read – Write

We will review and revise our entire piece.

Reread your writing in its entirety, aloud if possible, and consider a final question:

  1. To what extent have you communicated what you wanted to about your community?

Make additional revisions as needed, using your response to the above question as a guide.