English Language Arts · 6th Grade

Active learning ideas

Writing Argumentative Conclusions

Active learning helps students move beyond passive reading of model conclusions by requiring them to analyze, revise, and create in real time. When students engage with weak conclusions and rewrite them, they internalize the difference between restating and synthesizing more effectively than listening to a lecture alone.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1.e

• 20–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Does This Conclusion Earn It?

Read two versions of a conclusion aloud: one that only restates and one that synthesizes and offers a broader implication. Students individually write which is stronger and one specific reason why. Partners compare their reasoning, then the class votes and discusses what made the difference.

How does a strong conclusion reinforce the main points of an argument without being repetitive?

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share, set a timer so students have just 30 seconds to share their initial reaction to each conclusion, preventing over-explanation.

What to look for

Students exchange drafts of their argumentative essays. Using a checklist, they evaluate their partner's conclusion: Does it restate the claim in new words? Does it briefly synthesize the main points? Does it offer a final thought? They provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Conclusion Surgery

Groups receive a weak conclusion printed on paper and a set of revision cards: rephrase the claim, add a 'so what' sentence, vary the sentence structure, and cut repetition. Each group applies the revision cards to produce an improved version, then shares it with another group for feedback.

Design a concluding statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Facilitation Tip

For Conclusion Surgery, provide colored pencils so students can visually mark where evidence is restated versus synthesized in their peer’s draft.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, weak conclusion. Ask them to rewrite it to include a stronger synthesis of points and a more impactful final thought. They should also identify the original claim it was meant to conclude.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Individual

Individual Writing: The Closing Thought Challenge

Students draft only the final sentence of their conclusion, the one that leaves the reader with something to think about. They share the sentence with a partner who identifies whether it extends the argument's significance or simply repeats it. Students then revise based on feedback before drafting the full conclusion.

Evaluate the effectiveness of a conclusion in persuading the audience.

Facilitation Tip

In The Closing Thought Challenge, instruct students to draft their final thought first, then build the rest of the conclusion to support it, reversing the usual order.

What to look for

Present students with three different concluding paragraphs for the same argumentative prompt. Ask them to rank the conclusions from most to least effective and write one sentence explaining their top choice.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often start by modeling how to turn a list of main points into a single synthesis sentence. Avoid teaching conclusions as a formula; instead, focus on the purpose of each element. Research suggests that students improve most when they compare their own drafts to strong mentor texts and their peers’ work side by side.

Students will move from identifying parts of a conclusion to crafting their own that synthesize evidence, restate the claim in fresh language, and extend the argument’s significance. By the end of these activities, they should be able to explain why their closing thought matters beyond the essay itself.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Think-Pair-Share, watch for students who assume any sentence starting with 'In conclusion' automatically earns a point.

  Use the provided checklist to have partners mark whether each conclusion restates the claim in new words or simply copies the introduction, guiding students to revise weak openings like 'In conclusion, my topic is...' into stronger synthesis.

• During Conclusion Surgery, watch for students who focus only on adding 'better words' to the conclusion rather than reorganizing ideas.

  Have students physically cut apart the conclusion and rearrange the sentences to create a logical flow from synthesis to closing thought, using tape to rebuild it, which makes gaps in structure obvious.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Inquiry Circle