Learning Objective: Students will identify a concluding paragraph that summarizes the points.

Writing Strategies Standard: 1.2 .4

What are we Identifying today?

Concluding paragraphs that summarize the main ideas.

The Importance of identifying a concluding paragraph

Good readers and writers use a variety of strategies to help them comprehend that a concluding paragraph summarizes the main

ideas from the text.

Share with your partner…

• How do you know when a story has ended?

Concluding Paragraphs Should:

• Summarize main ideas (points)• Reveal the story’s meaning• Leave the reader with a reflection or opinion

(something to think about) a hope, wish or dream

Conclusions do not introduce new information!

Introductions vs. Conclusions

Introductions• Gets reader’s attention• Introduces the topic• Includes main points• No details

Conclusions• Nothing new is introduced• restates main points• Few details• reflection

IDENTIFY WHY IT IS A CONCLUDING PARGRAPH

1. My grandfather calls them non skid pancakes. Most people call them just plain delicious. But their real name is waffles.

2 Waffles soon became very popular in Europe. People in England even threw waffle

parties. Waffles come in two shapes –round and square. In 1789, Thomas Jefferson brought a new, long-handled waffle iron from Europe to the United States. Waffles have been an American favorite ever since.

3. From Breakfast to midnight snack, waffles are good any time of day. They have been a

favorite since their creation. They have been satisfying hungry eaters over hundreds of years. I think I will have one now!

4. The first waffle was probably made over a thousand years ago. Before that, batters and

breads were cooked on a flat surface then some unknown genius had the idea of making a special pan that looked like a honey comb. Breads baked on this pan had little peaks and valleys. Which Paragraph would most likely be the concluding

paragraph? And why?

StepsLook for the paragraph that..

• Summarizes main ideas• Provides a reflective ending or opinion• If it’s a narrative it ends a story

The Real McCoy1 (1) When people want the best, they ask for "the real McCoy." (2) But did you know that

McCoy was a real person? (3) Elijah McCoy was an African-American inventor whose name became part of a common expression like "haste makes waste" or other old-fashioned sayings.

2 (4) Elijah was born in 1843 in Ontario, Canada. (5) After the end of the Civil War, the family moved to Michigan. (6) Elijah attended school and worked in a machine shop. (7) He was a bright student who liked to build things with his hands. (8) He wanted to go to engineering school, but no school in the United States would accept him. (9) His parents managed to save enough money to send him to a school in Scotland.

3 (10) When he returned to Michigan, Elijah got a job with the railroad. (11) His parents were runaway slaves. (12) One of his jobs was to keep the engines oiled. (13) He noticed that the train had to stop before the engine could be oiled. (14) He thought there must be a way to oil the train engine while it was still running. (15) This would save time and money.

4 (16) After two years, he came up with a new invention. (17) His automatic lubricating (oiling) device made it possible to oil large engines while they were being used. (18) His new invention was made by the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company in Detroit. (19) After a while, other companies began making automatic oilers too. (20) But none of them were as good as Elijah's. (21) So before buying one of these products, customers asked, "Is it the real McCoy?"

5 (22) Today, we remember that if we want the best, we should ask for the real McCoy. (23)Everybody wants the best, of course. (24) But few of us remember that there was a human behind this old saying, and his name was Elijah McCoy.

Which of these sentences best fits at the end of the passage, after sentence 24? And why?

(a) We don’t remember what he invented, either.(b) So think of him the next time you ask for “the real McCoy.”(c) Elijah McCoy also invented over fifty mechanical devices.(d) If it weren’t for him, there would be no trains.

(22) Today, we remember that if we want the best, we should ask for the real McCoy. (23)Everybody wants the best, of course. (24) But few of us remember that there was a human behind this old saying, and his name was Elijah McCoy.

Rememberconcluding paragraphs..

• Summarizes main ideas• Provides a reflective ending or

opinion• If it’s a narrative it ends a story

Closure

Which paragraph would be the best concluding paragraph

A. Early humans knew that objects in the sky could be used to measure time on Earth. Today astronomers continue to build upon this ancient knowledge

B. The Aztecs were also skilled astronomers. They lived thousands of years ago. They are able to measure time using their natural resources.

C. Living in the past must have been exciting. I wish I could have lived back then.

D. You can learn a lot about astronomy by going to the observatory. At the observatory they have a huge telescope.