Middle School Prompts Archives - Page 3 of 18 - Writing with Sharon Watson-Easy-to-use Homeschool Writing and Literature Curriculum

Composition: Let’s Make it Easier

You’ve just read the title of this post and are laughing uncontrollably. I get it. Writing is hard. My students confirm this, and so do yours.

Many moms report that their students have ideas in their heads but can’t get them on paper. Let’s start fixing that today.

What creates this strange head-to-hand disconnect? One major reason is that students don’t organize their thoughts or plan their papers. Big mistake. They think it’s a time waster; but you know otherwise.

The following is a short activity on opinion writing, devised for success. Practice these four steps to writing with your students. They won’t actually be writing this essay, which is one of the reasons this activity works so well.

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?

SHARON’S BLOG

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

My husband tells me he always made his outlines after he’d seen what he had written. I imagine this is fairly common.

But is an 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.

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.

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?

SHARON’S BLOG
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!

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,

SHARON’S BLOG
Narnia and Middle Earth—what delightfully intriguing places to visit!

Enjoy this compilation of activities involving C. S. Lewis’s Narnia and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

Suitable for anyone who is old enough to read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, other Narnia tales, The Hobbit, or The Lord of the Rings.

Your students haven’t read those books? No problem. Many of the prompts and tutorials below are freestanding and don’t need the original books.

Ready? Put on your magic rings!

SHARON’S BLOG
Involve your students in the excitement and issues surrounding the Winter Olympics with these six fun prompts and two bonus ones.

What would the Olympics look like in the Middle Ages? In Ancient Roman times? What new sporting event will your students cook up? Should countries and their athletes be banned? And what kind of music could athletes compete to or be inspired by?

Don’t miss the extra links to more sporting fun at the bottom of this post!

Designed for grades 5-12.

Ready?

SHARON’S BLOG

Quotations are rich wells in which to dip our pens. Give your 7th – 12th graders something to ponder with these intriguing, thought-provoking quotations. Most of these quotations come from famous people and are accompanied by more than one writing prompt, so your students have many options open to them.

Opinions are the easiest paragraphs and essays to write, and your students have loads of opinions. Let them organize their thoughts and write some opinions based on any of the following quotations.

Dig in!