Writing with Sharon Watson-Easy-to-use Homeschool Writing and Literature Curriculum

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Do We Spend Too Much on Our Pets?


MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

petsYou see this sweet puppy in the window of the pet store, and you can’t resist. You want to buy him. When you do, he leaps into your arms and licks your face. This little fellow is so happy—and so are you.

Now he’s a friend for life. You do everything together. He’s even considered a member of your family. But what happens if he becomes ill?

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What Treasure Do You Want to Find?


MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Find treasureSo you’re out walking your dog one day, and you look down and see a rusty can partially buried under an old tree you’ve walked by hundreds of times. “Hmmm,” you say. “What’s up with that?”

When you investigate, you find not one but eight rusted cans filled with mint-condition coins from 1847-1894, neatly piled in each can according to their dates. Turns out, even though the coins themselves are only worth about $28,000, the value of the coins today is over $10 million. Eureka!

This scenario is exactly what happened to

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Advertise Your Product


MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

 AdvertiseA garbage bag that deters rats? A taco with the spices on the outside? Luggage you can ride on?

It seems we humans have a great amount of imagination when it comes to cooking up new products. But are those real or just someone’s dream?

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How Do You Make Friends?


MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

how to make a friendYou have friends. What did you do to make them? You are a friend, but how did you become one?

Have you ever thought of how to make friends? It is as simple as smiling when someone is sad, giving a genuine compliment, or being a good listener?

Or making a friend could be a process with many steps, beginning with step one and ending with step five (or as many steps as you like).

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The Enumerative Essay: Parking Spaces and Baseball

The Enumerative Essay: Parking Spaces and Baseball

SHARON’S BLOG

My husband Terry gave me the idea for this writing prompt though he didn’t know it at the time.

A love of lists

Last summer we drove to our local grocery store, and as Terry pulled into a spot, he said, “I like to park here because . . . ,” and he listed four reasons why he likes to park in that particular place. Now that you know how exciting our lives are, you’ll be happy to know that his love of lists surfaced yet again—at the ball park.

We were watching the Indianapolis Indians play the Rochester Redwings when one of the Indians smacked a ball and headed toward first. Terry leaned over to me and said, “There are nine ways to get to first safely.” Or was it seven?

Terry was halfway to writing an enumerative essay because he began with a number (four or nine) and had a secure idea of a list.

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Wanted: Cowboy Poets

Wanted: Cowboy Poets

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Heifers. Cowpokes. Cottonwoods. Hullabaloo.

What do these words have in common? Well, if you were a cowboy poet, you would know!

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is held in Elko, Nevada, each year. Singers and poets compete, attend workshops, and dance. Watch Randy Rieman recite his humorous poem about being “throwed” from a bronco here.

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When Is a Sweet Pea Not a Sweet Pea?

When Is a Sweet Pea Not a Sweet Pea?

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Gardeners love to receive their new seed catalogs in the middle of winter. It gives them something to dream about and plan for. Not only are the photos of flowers and vegetables beautiful and inspiring but their descriptions are as well.

Here’s the description of the Erewhon Sweet Pea from a Burpee catalog:

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Opinion Writing: Professional Matchmakers

Opinion Writing: Professional Matchmakers

SHARON’S BLOG

Students who have a hard time writing about wars, politics, gender issues, and other heavy topics really warm up to writing opinions, so let’s give them something engaging to write about. After all, everyone has opinions.

It’s Just Lunch is a dating service for businessmen and businesswomen. According to their Website, they’ve provided over two million dates in major cities in the United States since 1991.

This is how it works:

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