6: 12 Angry Men- Conclusions- Lesson Plans and Activities

Conclusions

SLO: Establish a clear framework of essay and paragraph organization appropriate to the writing task and the thesis.

Summarize, analyze, and evaluate the arguments, counterarguments, and evidence in the writing of others

The instructor will replay the last three minutes of 12 Angry Men. 

https://archive.org/details/12AngryMen1957

After the viewing, the instructor will project/write these questions on the board:

• Even without the timestamp, how would the audience know this was the end of the film?

• What feeling does the filmmaker leave the audience with?

• What imagery is showcased at the end of the film?

• What are the last few lines of dialogue exchanged in the film? Why do you think the writer/director included them? What does it say about the rest of the film?

Instructor will ask students to write down their answers and share them after ten minutes. 

Instructor will then segue into a lecture about conclusion paragraphs, going over the basic structure:

• Restated Thesis Statement

• Brief Summary of Body Paragraphs

• End Hook/Memorable Statement

  • Quote

  • Statistic

  • Call to Action- Suggestion about what action the readers can take about the essay’s topic

  • Prediction- What might happen in the future related to topic, possibly using “If. . . then. . .” statements. 

Instructor will also share this information from Integrated Reading and Writing

https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Evergreen_Valley_College/Integrated_Reading_and_Writing/03%3A_Building_the_Academic_Essay/3.05%3A_Conclusions

“Strategies for Writing a Good Conclusion

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion.

Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that question and answer it. Here’s how it might go:

You: Basically, I’m just saying that education was important to Douglass.

Friend: So what?

You: Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen.

Friend: Why should anybody care?

You: That’s important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally.

You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself “So What?” as you develop your ideas or your draft.

Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.

Synthesize, don’t summarize: Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.

Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.

Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help her to apply your info and ideas to her own life or to see the broader implications.

Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.”

Teacher will also model this example:

“Technology surely isn't going anywhere. If anything, we will become more and more dependent on the capabilities of our smartphones and other devices in the future. However, we have to make sure that this dependence on technology isn't making us lazier or less curious about the world around us. With more knowledge available than ever before with today's technology, people are less discerning about what kind of materials they read and whether or not those materials are factual. People are also less likely to make a personal connection with someone while they're out in the world, which can increase levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Ultimately, we have to learn how to co-exist with technology in a way that is both healthful and constructive.”