These middle school writing prompts are designed motivate students to write well thought out creative pieces. They include a few pieces that ask you to chart your path of adventure in an epic exotic travel excursion. We also explore the concept of greed and moral dilemmas. The pieces that your students will create will lead to some passionate discussions. You should plan to build some time in for that. The printable pages found below will get students thinking of an idea to a short burst of writing. In many cases students can take their ideas and just run with it. At the middle level these types of writing prompts will really help get the creative juices flowing.
Printable Middle School Writing Prompts
Scroll down to view and print the Middle School Writing Prompts.
Around The World In 180 Days
Present students with a map of the world. Students are tasked with identifying books with either titles that include different places around the world or with settings in different countries. They must read the books. Then, they plot their points on a map.
180 Days Map
Plot your course across the world that you explored with the previous writing prompt worksheet on this map.
What Do the Stars Say? Writing Prompt
Give each child a cut out of a star and some paper. They are to construct a book. The book will be a book of quotes. Each child is to write a certain number of sayings which would be written from the "star's" perspective.
Instant Millionaire Prompt
Provide each student with a fake "million dollar bill". Tell them that they have become instant millionaires. Task the students with writing a letter to the community telling them how they are going to use the million dollars to make it better.
Ice Cream Flavors
Cut paper up into strips. Everyone will need a strip. Write a number from 5-15, or whatever number you would like, on each strip of paper. Then have kids randomly draw a strip.
A World of Books
Pose the question to your class: What types of books do you think kids your age like to read? Have the students select 2 or 3 countries. Then, have them research the most popular books for those countries.
Moral Dilemma
Have them write what a moral dilemma is. Then, have them create a story that is an example of a moral dilemma. They will present their story to another classmate. They will, then, have to come up with a solution for the dilemma.
Examining Injustices Prompt
Explain the meaning of social injustice. As many social injustices exist, have the class determine one that they would like to learn more about. Each pupil should identify a book that is based on the injustice that they select.
Show Me Writing Prompt
Select a variety of photos or images, or have your class bring in photos from their lives of people that they know and distribute them among their peers. Have each of them look at the photo and will write a story about what is or has happened in the picture.
Interview with a Character
Assign a book for everyone to read on their own. They will then write about their favorite character. They include what they liked, disliked, or would change about that person.
What Type of Student Would They Be?
Select a classic book that is set in another era. Have your kids read and choose a favorite character. Then, they must write about the type of student that character would be today.
Their Road to the Presidency
Where does the road to becoming President of a country begin? Does it start in elementary school, high school, or college?
IPhone Monitoring Prompt
Most of the students will vehemently disagree with this, but have them write an essay about why it is important for parents/guardians to monitor what children have on their IPhones.
Behind Closed Doors
Provide children with a magnifying glass for creative inspiration. Have a number of regular household items available for them to "investigate" or "interrogate". The students will be tasked with writing a mystery about something that happened in a cupboard "behind closed doors".
Personal Invasion Prompt
Open a discussion about how people can invade one's personal space. Have the students write about the many ways that people can invade one's personal space.
3-hour Principal
Tell children to imagine that they have been made principal of the school. The catch is that their job will only last for 3 hours.
That Really Smells!
Bring a bunch of odorous items to class such as garlic, cheese, or pine. The items do not have to "stinky", but must have a strong enough odor to evoke a response from the students.
50 Years From Now Prompt
Tell everyone to imagine that they are 50 years older. Have them write an essay describing their life. This is a great opportunity for them to write about technological advancements and changes in the environment.
Your Own Personal Advice Prompt
Tell the students to write a letter to themselves. In the letter they will give their "twenty something" year old self advice. They can talk about everything from dating to jobs to family relationships.
Circus Manager
Imagine what it's like to manage the operations of a circus. The core task here is helping to develop sales literature about the circus to get more places to book their acts.
A Moment in Time Prompt
Start by picking a random date from history. The class must research to find out all that they can about the events of that day. To put a spin on it, encourage them to take their research international.
Earning Your Sea Legs
Tell the students that they will be doing research about life at sea. Have them select a book that has a maritime theme. After they have read the book, they must present it to the class.
Learning about Job Applications Prompt
You will need to obtain a variety of different job applications. Try to get anything from volunteer applications to retail applications. Have the class complete the application. After they complete the application, separate them into pairs and have them critique each other's application.
Can You Picture that?
Each student will select a book to read on a subject that the instructor specifies. They will be asked to write a synopsis of their favorite scene. Then, in the classroom, each student will be given the opportunity to participate as each student "stages" the scene by positioning their classmates as if they were acting out the scene.
Compare and Contrast At the Movies
Select a book that has been made into a movie. The class will then have to read the book and write a report on the book which could include their favorite parts.
Play it Again
Task each student with selecting a sport. It can be any sport. Then, have the children written a poem about the sport using the letters of the name of the sport. They can accomplish this two different ways.
Youth Authors Writing Prompt
There are many books that are published that have been written by children or young people. Send your students on a quest to find these youth authors.
How to Become a Stronger Writer in Middle School
Middle school is the first time students are in a large building and for five to six years it is the first time that they meet a whole new group of students. One of the biggest things in a middle schoolers life is getting their very own locker. This ranks up their with learning to drive an automobile, as far as importance in their lives. This is also the first time that students get a mix of different teachers. Middle school students love to collaborate, for the most part. It is the first time where their social sides are starting to come out of their shell. One way to embrace this as a teacher is to allow students to write in collaboration. I feel that forced collaboration puts some students in bad situation in certain classes, so this may be something you should explore further. In most cases collaboration is great at the middle school level. The writing prompts we have above try to capturing the thoughts and imaginations of this time in their lives.
If you are wondering how to become a stronger writer in middle school or how to help your child become one, there are a few techniques and methods to use. The following tips and tricks can help parents and teachers improve the writing skills of their children with ease.
1. Encourage Reading
Avid readers also tend to be great writers –and there is a specific reason for this. The more someone reads, the newer vocabulary they are exposed to in context. They will learn new words and internalize good sentence structure as they read. When a word becomes a part of their everyday vocabulary, it can be easier for a middle school child to transfer the word into productive use.
Reading can help children learn different ways to use words and learn about different sentence structures that can help them create better flow in their writing.
2. Give Them a Prompt to Start With
Even the most seasoned writers might be intimidated by a blank page. Kids may do better once they get going, but you might need to assist them in giving the first sentence or phrases to start with. Offer a thought-provoking topic, help them construct an overview that can be turned into a draft, or build a mind-map of thoughts related to the subject they're writing about.
It's also essential to get rid of the shame of not being able to write the ideal statement. They could always re-shape and rewrite text when they have enough to work with. The key is to support free writing in the beginning so that they may write down anything that comes to mind and deal with revisions afterward.
3. Encourage Working in Drafts
The process of writing involves a lot of different aspects, such as writing down some ideas, brainstorming, making sure all concepts and the language are flowing, editing mistakes, and more. Perfect sentences become better as you re-evaluate what you have written and revise it. It can help work on computers where erasing can be quick and easy.
4. Parents Should Assist Outside of School Hours
Children learn to write by watching others. It's occasionally necessary to finish the first draft alone, mainly if the assignment entails revealing personal ideas and experiences, but it's also beneficial to have someone else examine it. By consenting to read early manuscripts, parents may significantly impact their children's writing abilities. Read the child's words to offer better wording and to assist them in determining what they're trying to communicate via discussion. This makes it easy to write down their ideas.
5. Allow Digital Spell and Grammar Checks
People might discard using technology for writing since they might consider it lazy. However, grammatical and spelling feedback while writing can be pretty great in the long run. Digital checks can offer different solutions that will eventually become natural for the child in the future as they rewrite their work.
6. Encourage Unrestricted Writing
When youngsters work to improve their writing skills, they are fostering not just academic abilities but also providing an outlet for them to express with. Children perceive writing not merely as a way to learn or offer information at school but also as a means of expressing themselves. This is all a result of creative projects that build good connections.
It doesn't matter who is reading what they are writing about. Even if no one is, it can benefit middle school children to make it a habit. Encouraging them to keep a personal diary can help.