Middle School Prompts Archives - Page 9 of 19 - Writing with Sharon Watson-Easy-to-use Homeschool Writing and Literature Curriculum

Samson and Second Chances

When I think of a new year and new beginnings, I think of Samson, the Bible’s strongman.

You know, Samson with the long hair. Samson who wanted to marry a woman from an enemy country, a woman his parents did not approve of. Samson who tore a lion apart with his bare hands and then pestered people about it. Samson who killed thirty men at his wedding. Samson who hung around with Delilah.

That Samson.

From Miracle to Self-centered

Samson’s life was miraculous from the beginning. His mother could not have children, but an angel of the Lord announced to her that she would have a child and that he would help free the Israelites from the iron fist of the Philistines.

For most of his life, however, he pretty much did whatever he wanted to do.

But here’s the amazing part, the part about new beginnings:

Poignant Christmas Memories

SHARON’S BLOG

Do you have Christmas season memories you hold dear? Here are a few of mine:

The year my mother saved her hard-earned cake-decorating money to buy a sewing machine for me when I was a college freshman. Little did I know that I would use that machine to sew little outfits for my firstborn son and to teach my daughter how to sew on it. In fact, she has it now, and she is teaching her daughters how to sew.

The year we skipped Christmas.

There’s a Song for That!

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Think back to that first Christmas. Sometime after Mary was visited by an angel, she traveled to her cousin Elizabeth’s house. Elizabeth, an old woman, was finally expecting her first child, and when she heard Mary’s greeting, she reported that her unborn baby “leaped in her womb” (Luke 21: 41 NIV).

Elizabeth called out, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”

At this, Mary broke out into song! Her song is recorded in Luke 1: 46-55 and is sometimes called the Magnificat, which means “my soul magnifies.”

The Journal Entry of a Historical Figure

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Have you read any historical books by Jean Fritz? Here are just a few:

The Cabin Faced West (about George Washington)
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution
Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold
Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus?
You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?

Jean Fritz loves to

Benefits of Trees: Brainstorm and Organize

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Are you not sure what to do when your teacher gives you a writing assignment?

Check out this prompt. Let’s make your first steps in the writing process easier with these worksheets on brainstorming and organizing.

Veterans Day Acrostic Poem

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Veterans Day is a special day in the United States when we honor all the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces.

Do you know someone who has served in the military? I know quite a few men and women who have, and I think you may as well.

Let’s show our appreciation of veterans this year by writing an acrostic poem. An acrostic poem is one in which the first letter of each line spells a word. In today’s prompt, you’ll be

What Happens When You Meet Your Doppelgänger?

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

True story: A few years ago when I was eating lunch at a rest area, I saw a man who looked just like my dad. It was freaky. They could have been twins.

Since I happened to be close to where my dad was originally from, I thought about talking to this man to see if he was related to my dad. Then I remembered that I was traveling alone, far from home. The idea of talking to a strange man didn’t seem so appealing anymore. But I always wish I had.

The Germans have a word for someone who looks just like another person. It’s called a doppelgänger. These look-alikes are fun to see and a little strange

Halloween: For or Against?

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Okay, so we’re close to Halloween.

For some Christians, Halloween can be a controversial event.

Some families celebrate it as a harmless and fun day to dress up and collect candy. Others view it as having satanic or questionable roots and do not celebrate it.

Dreams

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Do you agree with Walt Disney, the author of this quotation?

For a dream to come true, do you only need courage? Do your dreams come true simply because you pursue them? Or is there something else to add to the recipe? What do you think?

In-text Citations for Middle School Students

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

You want to avoid plagiarism in your writing. Yes. Yes, you do.

Plagiarism is using someone else’s quotation, facts, statement, idea, or story without giving them credit.

So, how do you let your readers know that you borrowed the quotation, fact, and so on?

You cite your source by using an in-text citation. This simply means you are giving credit to someone for their information, and you tuck it into your essay.

An in-text citation comes in tremendously handy when you are writing an essay that does not include footnotes, a bibliography, or a works cited page.

This is a tutorial on how to easily create in-text citations. Robin Hood may be involved.

Here we go . . .