Susan's Responses in WyzAnt Answers

I view the conclusion not as a time to restate what you've already said but rather as your last chance to convince your reader of the value of your point of view. By high school, students should be taught to use the conclusion to their advantage.

People reading your essay about why it's wrong to own slaves, for example, don't need you to tell them that you said what you came to say and proved that it's wrong, so there.  Instead, wind up your essay by telling them something they might not have considered.  "Even if the South had won the Civil War, slavery would likely have withered as an institution within a few years simply because of the increased mechanization of farming; it would have ceased to be the economic boon it once was for slave holders. Thus, the morality of slave ownership would have become moot, ceding instead to harsh economic reality. Either way, slave ownership would still have proved to be wrong." 

Please let me know if you need further guidance.