Description | Exposition | Narration | Persuasion | All
Want to inspire your teens to write? Could you use some engaging writing prompts that won’t put your teens to sleep? You’ve come to the right place!
You’ll find prompts for opinions, descriptions, story writing, current events, prompts that are really tutorials in disguise, and much more. Complete instructions are included with each prompt.
Looking for tutorials on essay writing, proofreading, and so on? Interested in writing prompt bundles that span many grades? Click here.
Find prompts for your middle school students here.
Thanks for visiting the High School Prompts page. If you have a writing prompt you would like to submit, please contact Sharon Watson.
“You can’t wait for inspiration.
You have to go after it with a club.”
— JACK LONDON
Tell Me about Your Life as a Trapeze Artist: Interview into Narrative Essay
My great-grandmother marked the day in her journal when she received her first icebox. What was she using for refrigeration before then?
One acquaintance traveled the world with the army during the Vietnam years and isn’t even allowed to tell me what he did, though he likes to tell me about the strange food he ate on those trips.
But I’m not the only one who knows interesting folks.
People in your family, your church, and your neighborhood have led remarkable lives as well. They’ve fought in wars and been in accidents. They’ve experienced disasters, invented things, started their own businesses, overcome debilitating abuse or sickness, beat the odds, seen the world, or eaten raw squid.
These people want to tell their stories to someone who will listen. And your children, in interviewing these people, will come away with a new perspective on history and life. This type of writing activity is well worth the effort. (more…)
Be the Advice Columnist
Dear Listening Ear,
My girlfriend and I were shopping yesterday, and I saw her steal a necklace from the store. Today she gave the necklace to another friend as a birthday present. Should I tell someone about my friend stealing? Should I tell the girl who has the necklace that it’s stolen?
Signed,
Confused in Corning (more…)
Your Resume
Who is this guy?
“I can build moveable bridges for you and also blow them up. If you want your enemies’ bridges destroyed, I can do that as well. I’m pretty handy designing and making catapults and trebuchet for your defense or offense. In times of peace, count on me as an architect to design not only buildings but also waterways. I can also sculpt or paint anything you would like. Oh, and by the way, if you want a demonstration of anything I’ve listed here, I’ll be glad to oblige you. Let’s set up an appointment on your property.”
These are paraphrases from a real resume penned in the late 1400s.
Who is this guy, and would you hire him? (more…)
Noah: Devoted or Demented?
Noah was a righteous man who obeyed God. No, he was a psychotic mess who heard voices and saw visions.
God destroyed the earth in a worldwide flood because mankind’s sins were so great. No, he flooded the earth because we were cruel to animals and were destroying our planet.
Well, which is it?
Welcome to this week’s high school writing prompt. Is it about the new movie Noah?
Yes. And no. (more…)
Should We Ban the Word “Bossy”?
Bossy girls have been in the news—not really the girls themselves but the word bossy when describing girls or young women.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s former Chief Operating Officer, wants to ban the word bossy when describing girls. She believes it mischaracterizes young women with leadership skills. It seems that girls with leadership skills are sometimes called bossy, which demeans their talents, goals, abilities, and even themselves, while boys with leadership skills are not considered bossy. They are considered future leaders. You can learn more about Sandberg’s campaign by clicking here.
Other people believe the word bossy (more…)
National Reading Month
Treasure Island. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Frankenstein. Pride and Prejudice.
What books should everyone read?
To celebrate National Reading Month in the United States, Amazon posted “100 Books to Read in a Lifetime.” What books do they think everyone should read? Here’s a sampling from their list, (more…)
