High School Prompts Archives - Page 4 of 21 - Writing with Sharon Watson-Easy-to-use Homeschool Writing and Literature Curriculum

Give the Gift of Yourself This Christmas

SHARON’S BLOG
Do your children and teens wish they could communicate better with the special people in their lives? Sometimes it’s hard to talk or to come up with something brilliant to say. Other times they may have trouble connecting with family members.

At this time of year, they may be wondering what to give that special family member or friend. But do they know that once in a while, the family member doesn’t want a new item? What they really would value is something personal from your child.

The following pages allow your children and teens to jot down their thoughts and ideas and then share them with others. Their gift now becomes personal and meaningful.

Each prompt comes with a free, colorful page you can print out for them and they can write on. Collect them all and begin a journal, if you wish. If your children plan to give them as gifts, they can give certain pages as presents or gather all the pages into one gift.

These prompts are suitable for people in grades 5 – 12.

Ready? Let’s do this . . .

Thanksgiving Prompts—Good for the Soul

SHARON’S BLOG

We want our students and our children to develop attitudes of gratefulness, to say thank you without being prompted, and to appreciate any worldly goods and advantages they have.

Use these four Thanksgiving prompts to get them thinking about their blessings and how they can bless others.

3 Prompts to Celebrate the Olympics

SHARON’S BLOG

Celebrate the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics with us. Here are three prompts and one BONUS prompt for your 5th-12th graders to enjoy as the festivities get underway! Some are light and fun. Others involve controversies and get your students thinking. Be sure to download the colorful worksheet in #1.

On your mark . . . get set . . .

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1. Let’s Pack

You’re packing to go to Paris, France, for the 2024 Summer Olympics, but you can pack only 26 things. It’s a good thing there are 26 letters in the alphabet because you are going to pack one item for every letter in it. What will you pack that begins with “A”? With “B”? With “Z”???

Download this colorful worksheet to help you pack. >>

New Tutorials to Document Sources

SHARON’S BLOG

Okay. I’ll admit it. I abhor the nit-picky rules about citing sources and making a works-cited page. The rules are tedious. They’re boring. And they’re nerve wracking.

So, if it is hard for adults (which I like to think I am), what must our children and teens think of it? After all, writing a report is hard enough without all the “extra” stuff about citing sources.

On top of that, the rules change! About a year after The Power in Your Hands was published, with its lessons on citing sources and documenting a report, the Modern Language Association changed their rules.

What is a student to do?

Fun with Outlines. No, Really.

SHARON’S BLOG

Could your students use a little help organizing their ideas? And what does a bowl of salad have to do with outlines?

Many students make their outlines after they have written their essay. This is fairly common.

But is a formal outline necessary? Not exactly. You can read about my sticky-note method here.

What is important, though, is organizing the material, and that is where students have trouble. They do not want to take the time to organize their thoughts, ideas, or material before they write.

Personally, I benefit from even a casual outline. That way, I don’t have to start with the introduction and work my way down to the conclusion; I have the pleasure of beginning wherever I like, where I feel the most comfortable. Then I can fill in the rest of my article later by using the organized points in my informal outline.

Whether your students use sticky notes or a more formal outline, they’ll benefit from these familiar outline ideas.

Conversation Starters

SHARON’S BLOG
Do your students ever have a hard time knowing what to say to people? Is small talk difficult? Is it easier for them to turn to an electronic device than to a real person?

Join us this week as we explore conversation starters, small talk, and communication.

Great for students in grades 5-12.

To print these prompts, click the Print icon at the bottom of this page.

7 Prompts on Wisdom

SHARON’S BLOG
Let’s use a quote from Confucius and a passage from Proverbs to get your students thinking about wisdom.

In this bundle of writing prompts centered around wisdom, your students will encounter these types of writing: opinion, personification, parallel construction, definition, and more.

These prompts are just right for students in grades 5 – 12.

So, what did Confucius have to say about wisdom? And do your students agree with him?

By the Beach

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Is it too early to dream about the beach? I think not!

This week’s fun prompts are beach themed and are great for your 5th – 12th graders.

The first set of prompts is from a recent news article that caught my imagination, and the second is from a goofy song by Phil Harris recorded in 1950. Well, maybe it wasn’t so goofy. It became so popular that it hit #1 on the Billboard charts soon after he released it.

Ready? Dive in!

Saint Patrick’s Day Prompts

SHARON’S BLOG
Saint Patrick’s Day is a great time to encourage the thinking process in your students, and these two prompts are here to help.

Younger students will enjoy the categorizing and attention to words in this prompt. A free printable is included.

Older students will read of two examples and then use something concrete to explain a spiritual truth, just as Saint Patrick did. Find this thought-provoking prompt for 7th – 12th graders here. >>

Yours for more vibrant writing and literature experiences,