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

Miracles

Mr. George McWhirter Fotheringay doesn’t believe in miracles.

At least, that’s what H. G. Wells tells us in his short story “The Man Who Could Work Miracles.” First published in 1898, it tells of a man who didn’t believe in miracles but ended up doing some anyway.

One day, Mr. Fotheringay argues his case in a local tavern. He defines a miracle as “something contrariwise to the course of nature done by the power of Will, something that couldn’t happen without being specially willed.”

While arguing against miracles, he ends up doing one.

The Legend of Linda the Lonely

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

“Long, long ago, in a lavish lodge near the village of Liverwurst, lived a lovely lass called Linda the Lonely.

Linda was lonely because, ever since she was a little girl, she had been
locked in the lodge by her wicked uncle, Lord Ludwig of Liverwurst.”

So begins “The Legend of Linda the Lonely” in The Sesame Street Book of Fairy Tales.

By now you have noticed something strange about the first paragraph of poor Linda’s story—it’s full of the letter “L.”

Edgar Allan Poe and “The Bells”

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809. Though that is over 200 years ago, we still read his work today.

He’s famous for his short stories and for poems like “The Raven.” (You know, that “Nevermore” poem.)

In an essay, Poe explained how he was very careful to choose just the right words for how they sound and for the effect he was trying to achieve. You’ll see that he was very successful in his poem “The Bells,” which is rich with writer’s devices.

Adjectives and Your Cereal Box

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Advertising is everywhere. TV commercials bombard you 18 minutes out of every hour, but they are not the only places companies try to sell their products. Think of billboards, huge pictures of food products stuck to restaurant windows, and even your lowly cereal box.

Yes, even after you’ve bought the cereal, you still get advertisements about it. Take a look at a cereal box and notice all the adjectives there to describe the cereal and tell you how great it is. Here’s a sentence from my Cinnamon Life® cereal:

Samson and Second Chances

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

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