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50 Writing Prompts for All Grade Levels

Sometimes students need a little push to activate their imaginations.

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The collection of prompts below asks young writers to think through real or imagined events, their emotions, and a few wacky scenarios. Try out the ones you think will resonate most with your students. 

As with all prompts, inform students that their answers should be rated G and that disclosing dangerous or illegal things they’re involved in will obligate you to file a report with the administration or school counselors. Finally, give students the option of writing “PERSONAL” above some entries that they don’t want anyone to read. We all need to let scraggly emotions run free in our prose sometimes.

If your class uses daybooks (an approach recommended in Thinking Out Loud: The Student Daybook as a Tool to Foster Learning ), wait for composition notebooks to go on sale at Target, the Dollar Store, or Walmart for $0.50 a piece. To organize the daybook, direct young writers to leave the first three pages blank and number and date each entry—adding these entries to a table of contents that they create as they work so they can return to specific entries later. 

High School Prompts

  • Should cameras on drones watch all public spaces to prevent crime, or is that a violation of privacy? 
  • Do Americans have it too easy? Why do you think that?
  • What causes racism?
  • The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hires you as a consultant to determine how best to use $20 billion to save the world. What’s your plan?
  • What’s the worst thing about the internet? 
  • Would you rather be very beautiful or very smart? Explain.
  • You can save one object before your house burns down. What is it? What makes that object important to you?
  • How much control over your life do you have? What makes you say that? 
  • Describe your ideal life 15 years from now. What is something you can do every day to reach that goal?
  • What would your friends say is your most lovable quality? Describe that quality. 
  • What is something scary that you would like to try? What makes it scary for you? How might you overcome that fear?
  • What things do you conscientiously do to feed your brain?
  • What are three of your most profound learning experiences? Where and when did they occur?
  • By age 18, the average American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including 40,000 murders. What is it about television violence that is so compelling to people?
  • Would you rather be loved or respected? Because?
  • Does social media represent individuals authentically? Explain with examples. 
  • Imagine that it’s the last day of high school and you’ve been asked by a teacher to say a few words that summarize the events that have occurred over the last four years that are most meaningful to you. What do you say? 

Middle School Prompts

  • Which classmate would be the best to lead us through a zombie apocalypse? Why? 
  • What real-life situations would work out better for you if you were a different gender? Why?
  • How can you tell when someone your age is feeling insecure? Are most people more insecure or anxious than they let on?
  • If the internet were to crash forever, what would the benefits be for you? The drawbacks?
  • Write a scene that features a) a classmate, b) $100 million, and c) magical shoes. 
  • What three features should your future house have? Why?
  • If you starred in a television show about your life, what would the show be called? What genre would it be? (Examples: comedy, drama, thriller, romance, action-adventure, fantasy, superhero, soap opera, reality, game show, space adventure, Western, tragedy, etc.) Summarize the plot of an episode. 
  • In the future, what extreme sports will people be talking about?
  • Is your ethnicity an important part of your identity? How so? 
  • You get to take one book, one food item, and one famous person (living or dead) to a deserted island. What and who do you take? Why?
  • Write a powerfully supportive email to yourself 10 years from now. Send that email to yourself using FutureMe.org . 
  • You have been selected to be king or queen of your school. What are five rules that every kid should follow at your school? What should the punishment be for rule breakers?
  • What do the five friends you hang out with most have in common? How are you most like them? How are you different from them?
  • What contributes to someone becoming a bully? What can help stop someone from bullying?
  • Do you make friends slowly or quickly? Describe how one of your important friendships evolved.
  • Should we fear failure? Explain.
  • If a wizard could tell you anything about your future, what would you most like to know?
  • Do you believe in luck? Are you superstitious? How so? If not, why do you think some people are?

Elementary School Prompts

  • I wish my teachers knew that . . .
  • What’s the most beautiful person, place, or thing you’ve ever seen? Share what makes that person, place, or thing so special. 
  • Which is better, giant muscles or incredible speed? Why?
  • What is your most difficult subject in school? Why is it difficult? What can you do to get better at that subject?
  • Rewrite “Hansel and Gretel” from the witch’s perspective.
  • Describe a scary situation that you’ve experienced.
  • What is your first memory? Describe it.
  • You wake up tomorrow with a silly superpower that makes you famous. What is that silly power? How does it lead to your becoming an international superstar? 
  • Are you a good loser? Explain. 
  • What are examples of things you want versus things you need? 
  • Last Friday, you were given one wish by a magical panda. You tried so hard to make the wish positive, but after the whacked-out events that unfolded over the weekend, you regret ever meeting that tricky panda. What did you ask for, and what happened?
  • I wish my friends . . . 
  • Describe a routine that you often or always do (in the morning, when you get home, Friday nights, before a game, etc.).
  • What things do all kids know that adults do not?
  • What TV or movie characters do you wish were real? Why? 

After they’ve finished an entry, ask students to read their work aloud or exchange daybooks for a read-around. If you give the entries written feedback, show that their work is respected by using a sticky note or scratch paper. 

You might also incorporate background writing music one day a week—say on “Music Monday.” For some examples of music you might use in class, Pitchfork has an article called “ The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time .” My favorite album for composing is the Birdy soundtrack by Peter Gabriel—a good one for older kids. Other Edutopia staff and bloggers like writing to Coffitivity , Noisli , Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Alcest’s Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde .

Don’t forget to write along with your students. Why should they have all the fun?

What are your students’ favorite writing prompts?

Free Printable Writing Worksheets for 9th Grade

Writing-focused ELA worksheets for Grade 9 students: Discover a variety of free printable resources to enhance your students' language arts skills and inspire creativity in their writing journey.

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Explore Other Subject Worksheets for grade 9

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Explore printable Writing worksheets for 9th Grade

Writing worksheets for Grade 9 ELA are essential tools for teachers to help their students develop and strengthen their language arts skills. These worksheets cover a wide range of topics, including grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing techniques, all tailored to the specific needs and abilities of ninth-grade students. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can provide targeted practice and reinforcement of key concepts, ensuring that their students are well-prepared for the challenges of high school English courses. Furthermore, these Grade 9 ELA worksheets can be easily adapted to suit the individual needs of each student, making them an invaluable resource for educators looking to differentiate their instruction and support the diverse learning needs of their students. Writing worksheets for Grade 9 ELA are, therefore, an indispensable part of any successful language arts curriculum.

Quizizz is an excellent platform for teachers to create engaging and interactive worksheets, quizzes, and other educational materials for their Grade 9 ELA students. With its user-friendly interface and extensive library of pre-made content, Quizizz makes it easy for educators to design customized learning experiences that cater to the unique needs and interests of their students. In addition to writing worksheets for Grade 9 ELA, Quizizz offers a variety of other resources, such as multimedia presentations, flashcards, and games, that can be seamlessly integrated into lesson plans to support and enhance students' learning. By utilizing Quizizz in their classrooms, teachers can not only save time and effort in creating and managing their instructional materials but also foster a more engaging and collaborative learning environment for their Grade 9 ELA students.

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

9th - 10th Grade Writing

For ninth and tenth graders, this Common Core area helps students gain mastery of writing skills by working collaboratively and producing written texts, understanding syntax and vocabulary, and organizing their ideas. Among the complete standards for this grade, ninth and tenth graders will be asked to: support the claims of their arguments with evidence, valid reasoning, and credible sources and support it with an understand of relationships between claims and an understanding of the audience, use a formal style when writing within the norms and claims of the discipline, be able to develop the topic of a work with details, facts, definitions, and quotations, employ formatting, graphics, and multimedia to present information in the written medium, develop a writing topic with relevant facts, definitions, and concrete details, go through the process of writing, editing and revision for their written work with attention to purpose and audience, use appropriate technology to publish writing and to collaborate on written projects with use of linking technology to demonstrate correlations between sources or related material, demonstrate keyboarding skill, go through the process of writing, editing and revision for their written work, conduct short research projects to answer a question, begin to understand the relationship of material to their source work such as the way that Shakespeare might draw on themes from Ovid, quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of supporting texts while avoiding plagiarism and using proper citation, use evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

How to Write a Thesis Statement

This activity helps students develop a strong thesis statement for their essays by providing practice writing sample statements.

How to Write an Introduction: Bridge Building Activity

How to Write an Introduction: Bridge Building Activity

This activity is designed to help students learn about writing introductions through a fun bridge building activity to join the lead noun card and thesis statement card.

How to Write an Introduction: Different Leads

How to Write an Introduction: Different Leads

This is a fun, creative activity where students explore ways to include factoids, stories, metaphors and more to create “hooks”. A great activity to help students develop strong introductions.

How to Write an Introduction: Lead Types

How to Write an Introduction: Lead Types

Creating an attention-grabbing lead isn’t always easy but it’s very rewarding to students when they are able to create engaging introductions. This activity provides great practice to build better introductions!

How to Write an Introduction: Lead, Bridge, and Thesis

How to Write an Introduction: Lead, Bridge, and Thesis

Let’s combine it all! This activity helps students use thesis statements, bridges and leads to write strong essay introductions.

How to Write an Introduction: Write a Complete Introduction

How to Write an Introduction: Write a Complete Introduction

This activity helps students bring together what they’ve learned to write a complete introduction, including the lead, bridge, and thesis statement.

Main Idea Graphic Organizer

Main Idea Graphic Organizer

Staying organized can be difficult, especially when you are trying to keep your writing and ideas well organized. With this printable Main Idea Graphic Organizer, students can keep their thoughts and ideas organized and separated based on their order of importance.

Organize the Main Idea

Organize the Main Idea

Help your students learn how to better organize their ideas with this Main Idea Organizer. Students will be asked to come up with a title, write a main idea, and support the main idea with three written details. In order to excel at writing, it is important to learn how to construct paragraphs in a way that is easy for the reader to understand the argument.

Paragraph: Proofing and Editing

Paragraph: Proofing and Editing

Use this “Printable Writing Worksheet” to help get in the routine of proofing and editing.

Write a Conclusion: Voting

Write a Conclusion: Voting

A strongly written conclusion can sway a reader one way or another. When writing persuasive articles it is important that you restate your thesis and give strong supporting ideas. The conclusion is the last chance you will have to sway your readers. This free printable worksheet is perfect for students to practice writing conclusions.

Grade Level Resources

Discover ideas and strategies that support literacy learning, specially curated for this grade band.

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Featured Resources , Grades 9-10

Tell Me Your Story: Video-Inspired Vocabulary Writing

Grades 9 - 12

Lesson Plan Type: Recurring Lesson

Tell Me Your Story: Video-Inspired Vocabulary Writing

writing task 9th grade

Lesson Plan Type: Standard Lesson

I Remember That Book: Rereading as a Critical Investigation

Most popular for grades 9-10.

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Grades K - 12

Student Interactive

Plot Diagram

Grades 1 - 12

Plot Diagram

Trading Card Creator

Grades 3 - 12

Trading Card Creator

Socratic Seminars

Grades 6 - 12

Socratic Seminars

Strategy Guide

Introducing New Content with Seed Discussions

Grades 5 - 12

Introducing New Content with Seed Discussions

Printing Press

Printing Press

Timeline

Diamante Poems

Comic Creator

Comic Creator

Lesson plans.

We have hundreds of standards-based lesson plans written and reviewed by educators using current research and the best instructional practices. Find the perfect one for your grade band.

writing task 9th grade

That's Not Fair! Examining Civil Liberties With the U.S. Supreme Court

In this lesson, high school students work in groups to explore the issue of civil liberties by conducting Internet research on related court cases

Engineering the Perfect Poem by Using the Vocabulary of STEM

Engineering the Perfect Poem by Using the Vocabulary of STEM

Engineering is the “silent E” in STEM subject areas.

Finding Poetry in Prose: Reading and Writing Love Poems

Finding Poetry in Prose: Reading and Writing Love Poems

When students think of love poetry, they almost invariably think of poetry about romantic love.

writing task 9th grade

Many Years Later: Responding to Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool"

Students analyze the literary features of Gwendolyn Brooks' “We Real Cool” and then imagine themselves as one of the characters in the poem many ye

Student Interactives

Engage your students in online literacy learning with these interactive tools that help them accomplish a variety of goals—from organizing their thoughts to learning about language—all while having fun.

Letter Generator

Letter Generator

The Letter Generator tool is designed to help students learn to identify all the essential parts of a business or friendly letter, and then generat

Grades K - 12 | Student Interactive

ReadWriteThink Notetaker

ReadWriteThink Notetaker

This hierarchical outlining tool allows students to organize up to five levels of information for reading and writing activities.

Grades 3 - 12 | Student Interactive

The Trading Card tool gives students an alternative way to demonstrate their literacy knowledge and skill when writing about popular culture texts

The interactive Printing Press is designed to assist students in creating newspapers, brochures, and flyers.

Professional Development

This strategy guide explains Socratic seminars and offers practical methods for applying the approach in your classroom to help s

Judith Ortiz Cofer in the Classroom: A Woman in Front of the Sun

Judith Ortiz Cofer in the Classroom: A Woman in Front of the Sun

In an era of increasing emphasis on standardized testing, it can be difficult to add the works of new authors to the high school English curriculum

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Common Core 9th Grade Writing Standards for English

LiteracyTA provides writing skills that Common Core educators use to teach Common Core 9th Grade Writing Standards for English.

The Common Core literacy standards are the what. The skills below and the related eCoach discussions are the how. In the table below, you will find next to each Common Core writing standard practical skills, classroom resources, rich conversations and teaching ideas that move all students toward achieving Common Core standards!

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Common Core Literacy Standards

Text types and purposes.

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Analyzing Research Prompts

Analyzing Research Prompts

Analyzing Text-Dependent Prompts

Analyzing Text-Dependent Prompts

Argument Writing Plan

Argument Writing Plan

Building a Reading and Writing Plan

Building a Reading and Writing Plan

Debate a Side

Debate a Side

Integrating Sources

Integrating Sources

One Minute Speech

One Minute Speech

Problem and Solution Organizer

Problem and Solution Organizer

Taking Research Notes

Taking Research Notes

Timed Writing Process

Timed Writing Process

A Writing Process for All

A Writing Process for All

Understanding Argument Writing Standards

Understanding Argument Writing Standards

Engage in Structured Debates

Engage in Structured Debates

5 Steps to Teaching Argumentative Writing

5 Steps to Teaching Argumentative Writing

6 Steps for Teaching Types of Writing

6 Steps for Teaching Types of Writing

Cause and Effect Organizer

Cause and Effect Organizer

Compare and Contrast Organizer

Compare and Contrast Organizer

Expanding Summary

Expanding Summary

Informative Essay Writing Plan

Informative Essay Writing Plan

Online Portfolio

Online Portfolio

Rhetorical Precis

Rhetorical Precis

Source Summary

Source Summary

Synthesizing Claims

Synthesizing Claims

Writing Abstracts

Writing Abstracts

Summary: The Pathway to College Success

Summary: The Pathway to College Success

8 Research Lessons for African-American History Month

8 Research Lessons for African-American History Month

Understanding the Writing Standards: A Narrative (or is it Informative?)

Understanding the Writing Standards: A Narrative (or is it Informative?)

3 Ways to Prepare Students for the New State Tests

3 Ways to Prepare Students for the New State Tests

Narrative Essay Writing Plan

Narrative Essay Writing Plan

Narrative Story Writing Plan

Narrative Story Writing Plan

Let's Start Collaborating: Short Writing Tasks

Let's Start Collaborating: Short Writing Tasks

CCR-Aligned Reading and Writing Processes

CCR-Aligned Reading and Writing Processes

Production and Distribution of Writing

Email etiquette.

Email Etiquette

Peer Review Groups

Peer Review Groups

Three Step Writing Process

Three Step Writing Process

Getting Started with Pair Peer Review

Getting Started with Pair Peer Review

Editing Marks

Editing Marks

New and Exciting Writing Resources on TA

New and Exciting Writing Resources on TA

Supporting Your Tech Initiatives: Technology in Your Standards

Supporting Your Tech Initiatives: Technology in Your Standards

Bringing the Socrative Seminar to the 21st Century

Bringing the Socrative Seminar to the 21st Century

Digitally Mark Texts and Take Notes Using Mobile Devices, Laptops, and PCs

Digitally Mark Texts and Take Notes Using Mobile Devices, Laptops, and PCs

Add LiteracyTA to Your Mobile Device

Add LiteracyTA to Your Mobile Device

Facilitating On-line Collaboration and Argument Analysis with Google+ Hangout

Facilitating On-line Collaboration and Argument Analysis with Google+ Hangout

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Evaluating sources.

Evaluating Sources

Six Organizers at a Glance

Six Organizers at a Glance

Synthesizing Sources

Synthesizing Sources

Top 10 topics to write about/research in 2015-2016

Top 10 topics to write about/research in 2015-2016

Examining Common Core Anchor Standard W7

Examining Common Core Anchor Standard W7

Team Teaching with Your Librarian

Team Teaching with Your Librarian

Four Square Organizer

Four Square Organizer

Introducing Sources

Introducing Sources

Finally, A Way to Understand Text Complexity

Finally, A Way to Understand Text Complexity

Argument Poster

Argument Poster

Fictional Character Web

Fictional Character Web

Socratic Seminar

Socratic Seminar

Story Summary Poster

Story Summary Poster

Three Group Socratic Seminar

Three Group Socratic Seminar

Writing about Rhetorical Devices

Writing about Rhetorical Devices

Fun and Free Reading Program

Fun and Free Reading Program

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Ninth Grade Creative Writing Worksheets

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  • We Beat the Street Discussion Guide
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  • Scoring Rubric: Comparison/Contrast
  • Independent Reading Guide: Short Story
  • Scoring Rubric: Fictional Narrative
  • The Hobbit Teacher's Guide
  • Jane Eyre Teacher's Guide
  • Pygmalion Teacher's Guide
  • Romeo and Juliet Curriculum Guide
  • Wreck This Journal Classroom Packet
  • Unwind Reading Group Guide
  • Denotation/Connotation
  • Scoring Rubric: Business Letter/Memo
  • Scoring Rubric: Cause-Effect
  • Fever 1793 Teacher's Guide
  • The Omnivore's Dilemma Teacher's Guide
  • The Awakening : Activity & Discussion Guide
  • The Lord of the Rings Reader's Guide
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Black History Month reading comprehension packet

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writing task 9th grade

Why Your 9th Grader Should Practice Essay Writing Now

Whether or not your high schooler enjoys writing, it’s a skill she’ll need to master. As you probably know, writing is something your student will be doing throughout high school—and the rest of her life. So, how can you help her practice and master the art of essay writing now—and why does she need to start early? Read on to find out.

Writing is an essential skill your student will need throughout high school and college.

In college, your student will be doing a lot of writing. While she may not be writing at a college level now, it’s not too early to start developing the skills she will need then, since her instructor will expect her to have mastered at least the basics.

Read How to Prepare for College-Level Writing in High School for advice.

But writing isn’t just something your student will need to do in college. She’ll also need to do it in high school. She should start getting into the habit of working on crafting formal essays now so she won’t have to learn as many new skills later.

It will gear your teen up for the SAT.

The SAT has a Writing and Language section. Plus, if your child chooses to complete the SAT Essay (or ACT Writing) , she’ll need to learn how to compose a structured essay and make a solid argument for the test.

Gaining practice with essay writing prepares your high schooler for standardized test writing since she’ll have experience developing ideas and brainstorming quickly.

It will get your high schooler’s ideas flowing for the college essay.

How your student says it is more important than what she says. Practicing now will allow her to learn how to develop ideas, use rhetorical devices, and learn language nuances. Check out How to Write an Impressive College Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide for tips on crafting a stellar essay.

Your student will also learn how to “speak” to her audience , avoid cliches, and write according to her audience’s needs.

writing task 9th grade

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

It will build and provide an outlet for creativity.

Writing is an important tool for self-expression. It’s probably not news to you that teens have angst, and it can be helpful to let out their feelings on paper. Your student doesn’t need to limit her writing to formal essays, either; journaling, creative writing, and blogging can also serve as outlets. Read 10 Easy Ways to Help Your Teen Become a Better Writer for more ideas.

If your high schooler is passionate about writing as an art, check out Creative Writing Opportunities for High School Students to find out about activities and programs to help her hone her talent.

It will prepare your student for the real world.

Writing is necessary for nearly every career . Even if your student isn’t planning on going into a humanities field, she’ll still need strong writing skills for tasks like emails, reports, and general daily communication.

If your student does want to pursue a career in the humanities, she will need writing even more. (Be sure to check out 15 Surprising Career Opportunities for Potential Humanities Majors for career-path ideas.)

Why Writing Matters

Writing is one of the most important skills your child will need throughout her life—from high school into her career. That’s why it’s imperative for her to start mastering it now. Encourage your student to write both inside and outside of school. There are plenty of outlets beyond formal essay writing to help her hone her craft. Who knows? She may even find that it’s her calling.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

writing task 9th grade

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How do I use writing topics in my classroom?

writing task 9th grade

Do you want to inspire your students to write great narratives, essays, and reports? Check out these grade-specific writing topics organized by mode (explanatory, creative, and so on). Or search for writing topics that relate to a theme, such as “life” or “animals” or “family.”

Jump to . . .

Explanatory writing.

  • A day in the rainforest
  • After-school games
  • An important person I know about
  • At the library
  • Foods I don't like
  • Friendly places
  • Games I play with friends
  • Games we play at recess
  • Good things in my neighborhood
  • How plants grow
  • How to make my favorite dessert
  • How to make new friends
  • I like spring because . . .
  • I like to make . . .
  • I'd like to see . . .
  • Insects, insects everywhere
  • Learning to ride a bike
  • My favorite food
  • My favorite pet
  • My favorite season
  • My mom's/dad's hobby
  • My new friend
  • My shopping list
  • Our clubhouse
  • The biggest bubble-gum bubble
  • The funniest zoo animal
  • This person makes me laugh
  • What I know about . . .
  • What I know about an animal
  • What I know about dinosaurs
  • What I know about stars
  • What I know about the ocean
  • What I like about math
  • What makes me laugh?
  • What will I share?
  • Who I will be in the future
  • Who's at the zoo?
  • Why I like to read
  • Why I love to sing
  • Words I think are funny

Persuasive Writing

  • Don't litter!
  • Things that would make my neighborhood better

Narrative Writing

  • A day at the beach
  • A special birthday
  • Buying something with my own money
  • Cooking dinner with Mom/Dad
  • Eating lunch with my friends
  • Going grocery shopping
  • Going to the circus
  • I rode on a . . .
  • I'm happy when . . .
  • Losing my teeth
  • My adventure
  • My trip to . . .
  • Noisy times and quiet times
  • Playing a game with Grandma/Grandpa
  • Playing with pets
  • Something funny that happened to me
  • The biggest thing I ever saw
  • The last time I cried
  • When _ was born

Response to Literature

  • A book I just read
  • Some of my favorite books

Creative Writing

  • A story about a holiday
  • A trip on a rocket ship
  • Dear George Washington
  • Seeing the world through the eyes of . . .
  • Sometimes I wish . . .
  • What if I met a . . .
  • What if I were 10 years old?
  • What if I were someone else?
  • What if toys could talk?
  • What's under my bed?

Research Writing

  • I wonder why . . .
  • Something I don't understand
  • A bicycle I'd like to have
  • A day in the desert
  • A great place to go
  • A great treehouse
  • A place I like to visit
  • A sport I'm good at
  • A trip on a monorail
  • Activities for indoor fun
  • Activities for outdoor fun
  • Amazing facts I know
  • An amazing animal
  • Dancing to the music
  • Having fun at school
  • Helping out around the house
  • Magic tricks I can do
  • Making my favorite food
  • My favorite baby-sitter
  • My favorite board game
  • My favorite teacher
  • My homework place
  • Our classroom pet
  • Some things I like about the museum
  • The best house pets
  • The weirdest house pets
  • Things that are hard to believe
  • Things to do in the snow
  • Unusual fruits and vegetables
  • Water balloons!
  • What I like about where I live
  • What makes me special
  • Who is beautiful?
  • Let's help the environment by . . .
  • Things I'd like to change
  • A cozy spot at home
  • A funny time in my family
  • A great day with a friend
  • A helpful person I have met
  • A person who means the world to me
  • A walk in the woods
  • Funny things my pet has done
  • My best birthday
  • My favorite family story
  • Putting on a play
  • Swimming at the pool or lake
  • When everything goes wrong
  • Book characters I'd like to meet
  • A dark hallway
  • Donuts for dinner
  • Something I wish would happen
  • What if there were no electricity
  • All about an amazing animal

Business Writing

  • A cartoon character that I like
  • A song that means a lot to me
  • A special photograph
  • A special, secret place
  • A trip in a submarine
  • An important time in history
  • Building a fort
  • Creatures that live in the ocean
  • Creepy, crawly things
  • Dirt bikes and skateboards
  • Do I want to be famous?
  • Doing homework
  • Going to the dentist
  • Gone fishing!
  • How to stop hiccups
  • How we divide the chores at our house
  • I don't understand why . . .
  • I'd like to invent a machine that . . .
  • If I started my own business, I'd . . .
  • Instructions for a pet sitter of my pet
  • Let's help the animals by . . .
  • Looking at the globe
  • My favorite clothes
  • My favorite form of exercise
  • Pizza is . . .
  • Staying at a friend's house
  • The first day of school is the worst/best because . . .
  • The rules we follow
  • Things I see when I take a walk
  • What I use a computer for
  • What if I were the teacher?
  • What is important to me?
  • What it's like to use a wheelchair
  • What my dreams feel like
  • When I see nature, I . . .
  • Why I like/dislike playing team sports
  • Why my mom and dad are the greatest
  • My school really needs . . .
  • A day in the life of my pet
  • A visit to a friend's school
  • An excellent birthday party
  • Discovering a new friend
  • Getting my first pair of glasses
  • Grandma's attic
  • I'll never eat another . . .
  • My best day
  • My first school memories
  • My most embarrassing moment
  • Rings on her fingers
  • Talk about being scared!
  • When I did something amazing
  • When I was upside down
  • When the big storm hit
  • If I wrote like the author of . . .
  • A really spooky story
  • Summer games
  • What if we suddenly had to move?
  • A game that meant a lot to my childhood
  • A school field trip
  • A toy I've held onto all these years
  • A trip to a space station
  • A typical lunch hour
  • Can farmers grow enough food for everyone?
  • Here's what a new student needs to know
  • How I can change the way I look
  • How I picture myself four years from now
  • How I would define the word . . .
  • I would have liked to have lived during this time.
  • I'm principal for the day. Here is my schedule.
  • I've done something that no one else has done
  • If I could be someone else, I would be . . .
  • My bedroom from top to bottom
  • My favorite place
  • My idea of a fun weekend
  • My life as a . . .
  • My participation in an activity outside of school
  • One thing I want to do by the time I leave 8th grade
  • Overcoming health problems
  • The wildest hairstyle I have ever seen
  • What a family member taught me
  • What a house of the future might look like
  • What I broke or lost that belongs to someone else
  • A big hazard on the road
  • A big problem in education is . . .
  • A cool store
  • A dedicated teacher or coach
  • Dear Senator
  • Discover nature
  • Finally, a good assembly
  • How could TV be better?
  • Let's save _ in our schools
  • My best class ever
  • My favorite neighbor
  • My favorite singer(s)
  • Rights that kids in my grade should have
  • The worst food I ever ate
  • This really bugs me
  • What's good about hard work?
  • Why I deserve a larger allowance
  • Why parents should be honest with their kids
  • Why school fund-raisers are important
  • Why weekends need to be longer
  • A memorable bus ride
  • A narrow escape from trouble
  • A time that was just not fair
  • A visit to a relative's house
  • If I lived back in history
  • If only I would have listened!
  • My first concert
  • My first friend
  • Summer in a cabin by a lake
  • The most fun I've had recently
  • We couldn't stop laughing!
  • We got caught!
  • When I was lost
  • A great book made into a great movie
  • My favorite character from a book
  • What if a book came to life?
  • What this story means to me
  • How _ came to be.
  • Life among the cloud people
  • Long ago and far away
  • Meeting myself in the future
  • Traveling west in a wagon train
  • When the dinosaurs returned
  • A job I'd really like to have
  • All about an amazing place
  • The most fascinating things I learned
  • The tallest, the deepest, the longest, the biggest
  • When I conducted an experiment
  • When science took a big leap forward

Personal Writing

  • The book that got me hooked on reading
  • A day I will always remember
  • A friend who moved away
  • A great scientific breakthrough
  • A person who changed history
  • A personal habit I'd like to change
  • A project I am working on
  • A typical evening at home
  • A visit with the doctor or dentist
  • An invention that transformed the world
  • Causes of a huge change in the world
  • Coping with brothers and sisters
  • Hanging out
  • How a vehicle works
  • How do people cope with constant pain?
  • How I express myself artistically
  • How it would feel to walk in space
  • I admit it: I enjoy professional wrestling.
  • I take some things too seriously
  • If I were a superhero, I'd be . . .
  • Is pollution a necessary evil?
  • Is this love?
  • Morning madness
  • My craziest experience in a restaurant or shopping mall
  • My dream car
  • My first crush
  • My first encounter with a bully
  • My muscles were so sore after . . .
  • My Web site
  • Self-esteem
  • Something this school really needs is . . .
  • Sometimes, adults seem . . .
  • The environment: problem and solution
  • The hardest thing I have ever done
  • The idea hit me like a tornado.
  • The next wave of social media
  • The toys I'll never give up
  • Tools I will need in my intended profession
  • We all make mistakes
  • What animals can teach people
  • What different colors mean to me
  • What do Americans do well?
  • What do I do to break routine?
  • What do I worry about?
  • What if school sports were dropped?
  • What invention would I like to see in my lifetime?
  • What it's like where I work
  • Who knows me best?
  • Why are crime dramas so popular?
  • Why are some people so cruel?
  • "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal."
  • A change that would improve school life
  • Foods I love, foods I hate
  • I couldn't believe that Mom/Dad volunteered me for that job
  • It's a rule, so it's right . . . right?
  • Let's hear it for my favorite senior citizen
  • Let's push alternate forms of energy
  • Putting my foot in my mouth
  • The government should . . .
  • What most drives me crazy is . . .
  • Why appearance is not so important
  • Why I deserve the job
  • _ is like a boomerang
  • A funny thing happened when . . .
  • A meaningful gift I've given or received
  • A time when I got in trouble
  • An unforgettable dream
  • Looking at pictures of family and friends
  • My brother or sister made me so mad
  • My worst vacation
  • What I regret most
  • When I faced my fears
  • When I learned something difficult
  • When I traveled to . . .
  • A remarkable artist
  • An all-new album from an important artist
  • An amazing work of art
  • Meet the characters of . . .
  • The music that moves me most
  • The theme of my favorite story is . . .
  • Alone on a desert island

205 Essay Topics for Grade 8, 9, 10, 12 + Writing Tips [2024]

We came up with this guide to make school essay writing easy for you. Need some creative writing topics for grade 8? Or recommendations for the 11th-grade expository paper? We’ve got you!

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

Helpful tips and essay topics for grades 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12— our Custom-writing.org team has advice for everyone. Here, you’ll find:

  • 205 great essay ideas;
  • tips on how to write argumentative and persuasive papers.

In fact, our recommendations will be perfectly suitable for both middle and high school students. Still, there will be some grade-specific information. So, start with the 8th-grade essay topics and tips and read till the end!

  • ✏️ 8th Grade Essay
  • 📜 9th Grade Essay
  • 📚 10th Grade Essay
  • 🧑‍🎓 11th Grade Essay
  • 🎓 12th Grade Essay

🔗 References

✏️ essay or class 8: topics & tips, top 10 essay topics for grade 8.

  • The future of print books
  • Aliens in science fiction
  • Why do people need art?
  • What’s the point of fashion?
  • Why homework is useless
  • A book that changed the world
  • Should all education be free?
  • Should people learn foreign languages?
  • The world’s biggest secret
  • The next scientific breakthrough

8th Grade Essay: How to Write

You already know how to write short, simple essays. In an 8th grade, however, you need to make a point , collect evidence , and present it in your paper. This is when learners start experiencing difficulties with their essay writing.

The picture enumerates the ways to approach research of an essay's subject.

We want to present to you some helpful tips that will help you write excellent papers. Check them out:

  • Do your research. It’s especially important with argumentative, persuasive, and analytical papers. So, before you start writing, you should go to a library or at least search for information online.
  • Make outlines. 8th grade is the right time to start making outlines for your essays if you haven’t made them before. It’s best to write an outline after researching the topic since you need to organize all the information.
  • Be positive. Thinking of your essay as a burden won’t do you any good. You can make things easier by being more positive. Try to pretend your essay is a story you want to tell your friends. It has a main storyline ( thesis statement ), plot twists (arguments), and you wrap everything up in the end.
  • Make it interesting for yourself. Find the things that excite you the most about your topic. For example, you can try to think of surprising facts you’ve learned while researching it.
  • Start with 5 sentences. Feeling overwhelmed is another factor that makes it hard to write an excellent essay. The thing to remember is that at the core of any essay there are just 5 sentences. The rest is just additional information to back them up. So, what are these sentences?
  • Thesis statement.  This is where you describe the whole idea of your paper.
  • Topic sentence 1.  The first sentence develops your thesis a bit more.
  • Topic sentence 2.  You add a counterargument here.
  • Topic sentence 3.  Here, you explain how that counterargument helps the case and introduce ways to solve the issue.
  • Conclusion.  Summarize and wrap everything up.
  • Write the body paragraphs first. After they’re done, it will be easier for you to write the conclusion and introduction since they both basically summarize your whole paper.
  • Always proofread and edit your essays. 8th-grade teachers are strict when it comes to mistakes and inaccuracies.

Essay Topics for Class 8 in Various Subjects

The deadline is approaching, and you’re out of ideas? This section is for you. Topics provided below can prompt you to write an excellent paper:

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  • Noise pollution , or Let me hear nature. Noise pollution refers to exposure to high sound levels. In your paper, examine the level of noise pollution in modern cities. Alternatively, you may concentrate on the impact it has on people or domestic animals.
  • Can robots replace people? Robots perform many tasks faster and better than people do. You can think of professions that may disappear in the near future because of it. You may also think about the spheres that robots can never dominate.
  • Do children need handwriting skills? Many children (and adults) hate writing by hand. Some even say that people don’t need such skills anymore. Messages are mainly typed now. What do you think about the value of handwriting skills? Should students still be taught them?
  • Can people live in isolation ? The COVID-19 pandemic made countries launch strict lockdowns . People had to be isolated for many weeks. Such isolation leads to health problems, such as depression and anxiety. What does it tell us about the importance of communication?
  • Age-based film ratings . Do you agree that age restrictions should exist? Can some movies be excessively violent and inappropriate for some age groups? Is it a kind of discrimination ? What aspects should be considered to impose age restrictions?
  • Should people go to Mars or the Moon? Why or why not?
  • What can make a person truly happy?
  • Who is the mightiest hero among fictional characters?
  • Write about the bad habits you have and how you can get rid of them
  • What is the most essential discipline at school?
  • Describe humanity’s best and worst qualities
  • Explain how society benefits from using the Internet
  • If you could change one part of your life , what would you change, and why?
  • Is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met?
  • If you had a time machine, what time would you travel to?
  • Can you judge people without knowing them and how they live their lives?
  • How would humanity change if we knew the world would end in 10 years?
  • What would it be like if you couldn’t use your smartphone for a month?
  • What consequences may occur if artificial intelligence keeps developing?

📜 Essay for Class 9: Topics & Tips

Top 10 essay topics for grade 9.

  • What is the right age to start dating?
  • Choosing your future occupation.
  • Solving urgent environmental issues.
  • Should animal testing be banned?
  • The difference between knowledge and wisdom.
  • What is the greatest invention in history?
  • How important is trust in a friendship?
  • What misunderstandings do you have with your parents?
  • Should students discuss controversial topics in classes?
  • Why do some teenagers flee from their homes?

9th-Grade Essay: How to Write

Writing grade 9 essays amounts to improving your skills, gaining more knowledge, and developing your position on various issues. If you need more details about grade 9 essays, keep reading!

First, we want to talk about different types of written assignments that you may receive:

Essays are the most common academic paper assignment that you can master with our free tips:

  • Use quotes. Sometimes, when researching for your essay, you may stumble across a source that perfectly describes your thesis or some other thought you wanted to use in your paper. Why not quote it, then? Just make sure to include your own ideas as well.
  • Use Wikipedia the right way. If you’ve got a topic you know nothing about, Wikipedia will quickly help you familiarize yourself with it. Another way to use it is for finding sources. Read an article on your topic and then check its reference section to select some trustworthy ones.
  • You’re not the only one writing a paper. Your teacher will probably read several more works like yours. This fact makes it even more important to make your text unique and exciting.
  • Your teacher won’t have enough time to reread if something’s unclear. The clarity of information will definitely influence the result, so make sure that your writing is flawless.

Essay Topics for Class 9 in Various Subjects

Below you will find unique topics for argumentative or persuasive essays:

  • What is the future of music ? Many people don’t like modern pop music and believe that it was better back in the day. What’s your opinion on it? Discuss what’s in store for pop music . What directions of music development can you predict?
  • What makes people come up with conspiracy theories ? Some people believe in the secret world government or Americas’ fake Moon mission. You can describe a particularly interesting conspiracy theory . You may also explore the reasons for the existence of such ideas.
  • Can humans prevent or at least slow down global warming ? Scientists are sure that human negative impact on the environment is significant. What do they think of our ability to address the problem? To what extent can we affect life on the planet?
  • How much should parents control their children? Rearing children is difficult, and it’s hard to set the balance between restrictions and freedom. Should children and adolescents be allowed to behave the way they want? How can it affect children’s self-esteem in the future?
  • Do best friends exist? This essay can start with the definition or description of a good friend. Can two people really be best friends ? In what situations is it impossible? Are all people able to be good friends? How can you detect fake friends?
  • What extracurricular activities should be available in all schools (a specific kind of sport or art)?
  • Is it a threat to people’s privacy to use cameras as a security measure?
  • When is the right time to allow children to make their own life decisions?
  • How does a feeling of importance influence a person’s ego?

The picture shows the 5 stages of writing an essay.

📚 10th-Grade Essay Topics & Tips

Top 10 essay topics for grade 10.

  • What makes a good parent?
  • Fantasy: origins and future
  • Friendships in the Information Age
  • Marriage vs. cohabitation
  • Your most memorable trip
  • What defines a hero?
  • Millennials vs. Gen Z
  • Is urbanization a positive trend?
  • Communism: a dream that failed
  • Things to do before graduating

Grade 10 Essay: How to Write

Like any typical sophomore, you want to get good grades and write excellent essays. But what if your written assignments never grade higher than a B? Don’t give up! We can help you with it.

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What follows next are the necessary attributes of an A+ essay. Pay attention to them while writing and you will surely succeed:

Read the tips below and learn about the essentials of writing excellent essays.

  • Resort to advanced storytelling. Even if you’re not working on a narrative essay, you can try applying the following 3-act structure to your writing. According to Indiana University, the structure consists of 3 parts: setup, confrontation, and resolution . The acts set an uninterrupted narrative flow. As a result, the reader doesn’t even notice the transition from one part of the work to another. Here’s how to use this technique:
  • Don’t let go of your ideas . The thing is always to be prepared for writing, just in case you suddenly find inspiration or a brilliant idea pops into your head. Don’t risk trying to remember it and write it down later—you’ll likely end up forgetting it. To avoid such regrettable situations, make sure to always have a notebook with you.
  • Check out other people’s essays. Apart from getting ideas for the content of your essay, you’ll also be able to consider the writing style and format of the paper. The more samples you can look through, the better. You’ll see all the possible options and variations of how this type of assignment can be done.

10th-Grade Essay Topics in Various Subjects

Need creative essay ideas? Check out this list:

  • Censorship and social media. Answer these questions: What is censorship related to social media content? Should any topics be considered taboo? What are the adverse outcomes of such a practice? Where is the line between censorship and fundamental rights violation?
  • Music and student productivity . The essay can examine the latest findings regarding the effects of different music genres on people’s cognitive abilities. What have neuroscientists discovered? Why does music influence people in such a way? You can describe your personal attitudes and anecdotes.
  • Why do people have holidays? All nations have their unique holidays . Why is that so? Do people just need more days to rest from work? Do Americans need more national holidays? You may explore the role different holidays play in the development of a nation.
  • Should individuals, nations, or international bodies interfere in other people’s affairs? Thousands of messages regarding people’s suffering appear every minute. Individuals, charities , governments, and international institutions try to help people across the globe. Is this involvement always justified? Can such interference be regarded as a form of cultural expansion ?
  • What can national cuisine tell about a nation? Compare the national food of several countries in your essay. Think about whether the environment plays a role in developing cuisines.
  • Would societies develop without the use of fossil fuels ?
  • Does science fiction influence the development of technology or vice versa?
  • How has school life changed throughout the last 20 years?
  • What’s the best way to choose which school to go to?
  • How vital is a personal understanding of people’s lives ?
  • What are the consequences of having too much money?
  • Do teens need to follow all of their parents’ guidelines?
  • Does doing less homework make you a better student?
  • How do celebrities influence the way teenagers look and behave?

Grade 10 English Essay Topics

If you’re a 10-grader, you probably write many essays for your English classes. Can’t choose a topic? Have a look at these ideas:

  • The role fairy tales play in people’s lives. This essay can be concerned with the way fairy tales contribute to the norms as well as prejudice . Why do people create fairy tales? What is their place in world literature? Can children develop properly without reading them?
  • The history and significance of comic books . Some people think comic books are inferior to literary works. Do you agree with this viewpoint? What role do comic books play in American society? Why did this art form appear?
  • The role the setting plays in literary works. You can analyze a specific genre or a text. For example, explore how the setting reflects Emily’s character in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner.
  • Should all plastic be banned? Writing an argumentative essay is always a good idea. Students may try to decide whether plastic should be prohibited. Can people (especially in developing countries) live without plastic? What can be a cost-effective replacement?
  • Oscar Wilde: a master of epigrams. Focus on his plays or The Picture of Dorian Gray . What characteristic features can be found in Wilde’s epigrams? What is the purpose of their use?
  • What makes Macbeth one of the greatest literary works in English (and world) literature?
  • Should students read ancient literature, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh ?
  • What can we learn from books written by politicians?
  • What distinguishes the epistolary genre?
  • How the image of the vampire evolved: from folklore to pop culture
  • Female writers in antiquity and Middle Ages
  • What is the future of world literature ?

Grade 10 Essay Topics for Creative Writing

The following list of topics will inspire an outstanding composition or even a short story:

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  • A detective story of a failed assignment/meeting/ exam. Students become genuinely creative when they try to explain the reasons for not doing their homework . Why not make it an essay topic? Describe a force majeure that made doing something impossible.
  • A dystopia or a utopia. You can create your own world based on an optimistic or pessimistic view. How perfect can a society be? What atrocities can become accepted in the future? What hierarchies, political orders, or economic models can emerge?
  • A letter from a historical leader. Imagine you are a ruler of Medieval France or any other monarch . You can write a letter to your royal relative or enemy. A letter from Elizabeth I to future generations can make an excellent essay!
  • Creative description . Come up with a detailed description of an interesting thing, person, or event. For example, describe a charm on your bracelet and its meaning. Describing someone’s personality traits can be another option.
  • Writing memoirs . Create a biography of a historical person, fictional character, or modern celebrity. Or, imagine you became famous and write about your way to glory.
  • A narrative about the most remarkable or tiresome waiting experience
  • A poem about first love
  • A parody of A Song of Ice and Fire
  • Pretend to be a future historian analyzing a current popular song or movie (or any other artifact)
  • Ponder on the nature and relevance of creativity
  • Your stream of consciousness (the road to school, a minute in a class, enjoying the sunrise, and so on)
  • Elaborate on the theory regarding the nature of Agent Smith of The Matrix
  • Write down the associations connected with your favorite song
  • Description of the dream you had last night

🧑‍🎓 Grade 11 Essay Topics & Tips

Top 10 essay topics for grade 11.

  • Can positive discrimination be beneficial?
  • Is violence a human invention?
  • Should we give scientists more funding?
  • Should science interfere with natural processes?
  • Reasons for keeping a journal.
  • Which country is the most difficult to live in?
  • Can online education replace other forms of schooling?
  • Should all countries give up their nuclear arsenals?
  • Reasons why Donald Trump lost the 2020 elections.
  • The role of successful athletes in popularizing sports.

11th Grade Essay: How to Write

You can consider 11th-grade essay writing to be a combination of everything you’ve learned in the previous 3 years. One of its main goals is to demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of all essential writing elements.

You’re going to have the chance to practice various forms of writing. The following tips will help you excel at it.

  • Try practicing ACT Writing. ACT Writing is a test that requires you to create an essay in just 40 minutes. There are several limitations and requirements associated with it (if you want to learn more, you can check out this article by Southern Utah University on ACT tests and their characteristics ). Practicing this kind of writing with a timer can be highly beneficial for developing your skills. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
  • Ideas and analysis.  Answer the question given in the prompt as clearly as possible. You also need to demonstrate your perspective and analyze how it relates to other aspects under discussion.
  • Development and support.  Explain all the points you make. The trick here is to make each explanation fit into 2 or 3 sentences—not because of word count requirements, but due to the time limit.
  • Language use.  While writing your essay, make your sentences clear and easy to understand. You should also avoid repetition. You may use some terms or fancy words, but if you do, make sure you know what they mean.
  • Organization.  Even though there are no strict rules for formatting your paper, it doesn’t mean you can turn it into a chaotic mess. The easiest thing to do is to separate each of your ideas into a paragraph. Make sure that the overall structure is logical, and take care of smooth transitions.
  • Try the Elevator Pitch. It’s a technique salespeople use when developing a short, catchy product summary. When using this technique to write an essay for high school, you boil your ideas down to the essentials. Even though it’s a challenging task, it leaves you with a perfect summary . And you can use it to write an introduction that will undoubtedly grab your reader’s attention.
  • Know the limits. It’s important to know when to stop. This statement is especially true when you’re selecting a position to take or choosing the main point you want to prove in your essay. Your argument needs to be compelling enough to capture your reader’s attention. But at the same time, you don’t want to overdo it.

Here are some other things that are better to avoid:

  • An overly broad or poorly written thesis statement.
  • Topic sentences without a proper focus.
  • Off-topic writing.
  • Inadequate conclusion.
  • Inability to foresee and refute objections.
  • Talking about things that are too obvious to discuss.

Essay Topics for Grade 11 in Various Subjects

Senior students are required to write about serious subjects. Here we’ve compiled a list of great thought-provoking topics to kickstart your writing:

  • Pros and cons of criminalizing the sales of alcohol. Alternatively, you can think about the consequences of banning cigarettes .
  • Nature vs. nurture. Researchers are still unsure whether the environment or inborn traits play a key role in people’s personal development . You may try to provide an answer to this challenging question. You can concentrate on the notorious case of Three Identical Strangers . The examination of the ethical issues related to this kind of research is also a good idea.
  • Career path plans. Naturally, eleventh-graders need to consider their future careers. It can be a good idea to write a professional development plan . What kind of higher education or skills do you need? How can you acquire them?
  • Autocratic and democratic regimes in the times of pandemics. You may try to compare the effectiveness of authoritarian or democratic countries when addressing the COVID-19 crisis. How do different regimes address the problem? What role does access to information play in the process? Compare the outcomes of the measures undertaken in the US and China.
  • Identity in the cyber world. Adolescence is the period of paying considerable attention to one’s identity. The Internet has changed our lives, including the process of identity-making. Why do young people create fake identities in the digital environment? Do these identities affect their authentic selves?
  • Can English be replaced as an international communication language any time soon?
  • Is it necessary to punish those who download content from the Internet illegally?
  • What digital devices can be used to improve education?
  • Should everyone switch to electric or environmentally friendly vehicles ?
  • Do the world’s wealthiest countries help poor ones enough?
  • Is it appropriate for students and teachers to interact on social media?

Grade 11 Essay Topics for Narrative Writing

Choosing the most exciting and potentially successful topic can be challenging. Here are some ideas for the best narrative papers.

  • The hardest goodbye you’ve ever said. A common approach to this topic is to write about saying goodbye to a friend or loved one. Creative students may describe the moment when they said goodbye to their childhood .
  • A disaster that led to good outcomes. Write about an event or action that seemed like a mistake but turned out to be beneficial. It can be connected to extracurricular activities, going to a party, taking up responsibility, etc.
  • Science in our daily lives. It may seem that science is just a school subject. However, every person has conducted at least one experiment or observation in their lifetime. The narrative composition of this essay can deal with such an observation.
  • The evolution of your professional inclinations. Children often dream of being athletes or movie stars. Some want to be teachers or writers. You may describe the way your idea of a dream job changed throughout your life. What factors affected this evolution?
  • Conflict management. Describe a situation when you used conflict management skills. These cases can include working on a project, debating with other students, or distributing chores. What skills are needed to manage conflicts effectively?
  • The most challenging aspects of being an adolescent
  • Describing the first time doing something ( first day at college , first driving experience, etc.)
  • The most significant event in a specific year or century
  • The first considerable success in your life
  • Growing up in the 21st century
  • When did Murphy’s Law work in your life?
  • A day in the life of the world’s happiest person
  • The most important piece of advice someone gave you

11th Grade Writing Prompts & Topics for Argumentative Essays

Select a topic from the the list below and impress your teacher with a stunning essay:

  • Should the system of American presidential elections be changed? During the past few years, Americans have started criticizing the existing presidential election system. The Electoral College seems outdated to many. In this essay, you may share your views on the strengths and weaknesses of the voting system.
  • Should female students be encouraged to study science rather than humanities? Many researchers point out that the scientific world is highly disproportioned when it comes to gender. Women often choose to study humanities rather than sciences due to bias or lack of confidence. How can we encourage talented girls to pursue scientific careers?
  • Restrictions and totalitarianism . Can governments impose restrictions related to certain areas of people’s lives? Is it a pathway to dictatorship ? Can people be responsible enough to have personal limits? You can focus on such aspects as marriage age and access to information.
  • Student loans : an opportunity or a burden? Student loans have become a serious issue leading to substantial economic constraints for individuals and the educational system. Older generations stress that they managed to work and pay their tuition fees . Should young people use student loans? Can they receive higher education without this financial burden?
  • Is conservation a proper approach to treating endangered species ? Many species are on the brink of extinction due to various reasons. Governments and non-governmental organizations try to preserve natural diversity. Conservation is one of the employed methods. Is it effective? Do people have the right to interfere with the natural evolution of species?

 The picture explains the process of school essay grading.

  • Autocratic leaders and technological breakthroughs: the cases of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk
  • Should physical punishment make a comeback in the American educational system?
  • Should humans consume products containing GMOs?
  • Should the US government invest in the exploration of outer space ?

Essay Topics for Grade 11: Persuasive Writing

When writing persuasive essays, students need to find the right words to convince their opponents or the reader. Here are some ideas for such a paper:

  • Nudging is manipulation, so it should be banned. Companies and even governments often influence people’s choices. Using a coffee smell to boost the sales of food is one such technique. Is it ethical?
  • Cigarettes should be banned altogether. Everybody knows of the long-term effects of smoking . The negative impact of cigarettes is severe and compatible with substance abuse. Is it necessary to make smoking cigarettes illegal?
  • Blogging for young people. Many adolescents find blogging a sphere where they can excel. For some, blogging becomes a profession. However, to be a successful blogger , a person should have experience, knowledge, and skills. Do you agree that young people should study hard instead of blogging?
  • Zoos cannot exist in the modern world. Animal rights gained momentum decades ago, but zoos are still popular places visited by millions. In modern zoos, animals live in cages that can be pretty spacious. However, this does not make them an appropriate place for wild animals. Is it possible to stick to wildlife parks as an alternative?
  • Birth control . Birth control is a common area of concern for many countries. The Chinese government even had a policy regarding the number of children in a family. Should such policies exist? Are they effective?
  • Should the age of presidential candidates be changed?
  • Silent praying time at public schools: is it necessary?
  • Standardized tests in schools should be banned
  • Teachers should pass qualification testing regularly
  • Toy manufacturers shouldn’t advertise their products on kids’ channels
  • Children committing violent crimes require appropriate punishment
  • Sex education is necessary for public schools

🎓 Grade 12 Essay Topics & Tips

Top 10 essay topics for grade 12.

  • How do you survive isolation?
  • What makes politicians lie?
  • Causes of obesity in low-income groups
  • Taxation as a way to address the income gap
  • Outsourcing as a viable business model
  • The geography of your hometown
  • The end of Sumer civilization
  • Low-performing schools should be closed
  • Teachers should follow a dress code
  • The role of economics in our everyday lives.

Grade 12 Essay: How to Write

Grade 12 essays are very similar to those you have completed before. They’re just a bit longer and require more effort and knowledge from you. Here are our tips that will help you write such essays:

  • Organize your essays adequately and write strong thesis statements.
  • Make your arguments well-grounded and support them with evidence.
  • Use terms and various sentence structures.
  • Make sure your text is grammatically correct.

Bonus: College Essay Tips

When it comes to grade 12, the trickiest writing assignment you’re likely to receive is a college application essay. Don’t worry, though: the tips below will help you ace it! Have a look:

  • Keep the right amount of detail. To make your college essay memorable, choose the most exciting event from your life. Describe it in great detail, without wasting space on boring trivia. This way, you’ll paint a clear picture of what happened and how it influenced you.
  • Avoid clichés. Clichés are words and phrases that are often overused and don’t add any value to our writing. Thinking outside the box and using a couple of witty phrases is a good thing. But using age-old clichés defeats the purpose.
  • Make yourself memorable. Your story needs to stay in the minds of those who are going to read it. Make a strong personal statement so that even sometime later, they can pick your essay up and say, “Yes, I know this one…it’s about that student.”
  • Check your essay yourself after writing the first draft. Does the story leave a powerful impression? If not, what can you do to make it better? The committee will appreciate that you’ve put some serious work into writing a personal essay.
  • Don’t settle for an average result. You can do much better than that. To understand the task better, look through some college essay examples and make your work far superior to those.

For more helpful tips and topics, check out our article on writing successful college essays .

Essay Topics for Grade 12 in Various Subjects

Here are some of the current topics that can inspire an outstanding essay:

  • The future of space exploration . Elon Musk has revolutionized space exploration, giving it a new life. What countries will be leaders in this sphere in the nearest future? Will people colonize Mars any time soon?
  • What is the background of the Black Lives Matter movement? Discuss what connects BLM and the Civil Rights movements . What factors led to its rise in the late 2010s? What about other ethnic groups and minorities?
  • Living in a post-COVID era. Will communication become more digitalized? Can we transform healthcare systems accordingly? How did the pandemic affect people’s personal lives?
  • The future of movie theaters. Can they recover completely from pandemic-related restrictions? Is watching blockbusters at home a more comfortable option?
  • Body positivity . Can the body-positive approach lead to unhealthy behaviors ? The focus on being too slim or too fat is harmful. Is it better to focus on health and wellness? Should we establish a new health-positive trend instead of the existing appearance-based movements?
  • The background of the gender pay gap in the scientific world
  • To what extent can communities interfere with people’s family lives?
  • The limits of the First Amendment in the contemporary USA
  • How can we make political debates more civil and focused on solving problems?
  • If you were a senior mentor, what wisdom would you pass on to a first-year student?
  • What are effective ways of convincing people to exercise more?
  • What skills should students have to convince a school that they deserve a scholarship ?
  • What might be the cause of World War III ? What would be the consequences?
  • Are books still relevant, or should we all switch to computers, iPhones, and tablets?
  • How do the obstacles we encounter in life make us better?
  • What sparks your desire for personal growth and self-development ?
  • Without which fact, quality, or story would your life be incomplete?

Essay Topics for Grade 12: Creative Writing

Creative writing can be challenging for some students. However, an essay’s success often depends on the chosen topic. The following ideas will boost your creative potential.

  • When Hulk met Mr. Hyde . It can be interesting to imagine a meeting or a battle between Mr. Hyde and his later version, Hulk. Which one is stronger? Who is more malicious?
  • Happy new holiday! Come up with a brand-new holiday for the US. What can it be based on? Why do Americans need this celebration?
  • Being a book on a shelf. It can be exciting to write from the perspective of a mundane object found in any home. What could books on the shelves think of? What are the biggest fears of a fridge?
  • The best robot ever! Imagine that you live in a future where all people can own robots . What qualities will such robots have? What kinds of chores can they do? Can they complete school assignments for students? What ethical concerns could exist in the society of the future regarding robots?
  • Home alone. The story of the eight-year-old Kevin is well-known. What would you do in his place? How challenging or relaxing can such an experience be? How soon would you feel lonely?
  • Should evil be romanticized in literature and cinema?
  • Being in a 14 th -century classroom
  • The class in the fantasy world with fictional characters
  • Imagine a global government of the future
  • Being a President of the US and proclaiming an inaugural speech
  • If God were one of us
  • Lessons from creative people of the past
  • How to find true love: a guide

Grade 12 Essay Topics for Narrative Writing

Tell your own unique story with one of our imaginative topic ideas:

  • Being an activist. Youth activism is now on the rise. You can write about your personal contribution or analyze existing movements. What activities are appropriate for students of your age? Where is the line between activism and delinquency?
  • Talk about your family’s values . Are they culture-based? How did religious beliefs affect these values ? Why should families have such values?
  • People are responsible for those they have tamed. What did Antoine de Saint-Exupéry mean by this? What kind of responsibility is it? Does it refer to pets or people? You can write your own story of being responsible for someone.
  • What to do with a billion dollars. Imagine you received an enormous sum of money. What would be the first thing to do? Think of any purchases or orders such as a house, a journey around the world, or even your own island . With this topic, it’s easy to be creative!
  • The most embarrassing moment of your life . Write from experience or imagination. You can focus on a fictional or famous person. What awkward moments can politicians and movie stars go through?
  • Things to say to your future self
  • Becoming a true leader for peers and family
  • Self-improvement plan to follow after the graduation
  • Who is the role model for modern children?
  • Is being a teenager as bad as people say?
  • The most profound moment in your life
  • The most striking news of the past year

If you need more ideas, you can try using our topic generator .

Have you found what you were looking for? We hope our guide helped you with your school essay writing. Make sure to share your experience in the comments below!

This might be interesting for you:

  • Primary School Essay: Simple Writing Guide
  • What Does an Excellent Essay Look Like?
  • 1000-Word Essays: Quick Answers
  • Breaking Down the Types of Essays
  • A Complete Guide to Essay Writing
  • How to Write a Good 5 Paragraph Essay
  • 140 Excellent Analysis Essay Topics & Questions
  • 200 Interesting Cause and Effect Essay Topics & Ideas
  • 260 Good Descriptive Essay Topics and Writing Tips
  • 150+ Excellent Narrative Essay Topics
  • 420 Good Compare and Contrast Essay Topics
  • 180 Process Essay Topics

❓ School Essay FAQ

Students write essays on every educational level. Naturally, middle school essays are different from that of a high school. But the general principle is to choose a good topic, research it, make an outline, write the essay, and proofread it.

On that level, the best choice would be to write an argumentative, informative, or narrative essay. Pick a topic that is familiar, interesting, or not too difficult for you. Then, research it, make an outline, and write your essay.

To write a 9th-grade essay, you need to:

1. Choose a suitable topic; 2. Do your research in a library or online; 3. Outline your essay; 4. Write the body paragraphs; 5. Write the introduction and the conclusion.

It’s better not to pick overly narrow college-level topics for an 8th-grade essay. It is better to write about the environment, career choice, nature, or yourself. Choose something broad enough to identify several pros and cons, causes and effects, and other essay components.

  • How to Do Research: A Step-By-Step Guide, Get Started: LibGuides at Elmira College
  • Overview of the Academic Essay: Harvard College Writing Center
  • A Comprehensive Guide for Writing Research Papers, Humanities Edition: Southwestern University
  • Student Guide to Academic Writing & Research: Accredited Online Schools
  • Generate Topic Ideas Quickly and Easily: Online Research Library, Questia
  • Thesis Statements: KU Writing Center
  • Narrative Essays: Literacy Education Online
  • Writing Topics: Thoughtful Learning K-12
  • 50 Writing Prompts for All Grade Levels: Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation
  • 100 Persuasive Essay Topics: Grace Fleming, ThoughtCo
  • Essay Tips: 7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay: The Fastweb Team
  • Essay Topics: Oral Roberts University
  • Essay Topics and Tips: College of Arts and Sciences, Lewis & Clark
  • UChicago Supplemental Essay Questions: The University of Chicago
  • 50 Narrative Essay Topics: Reading and Writing Resource
  • High School Essay Writing Course: Time4Writing
  • Creative Writing Prompts: The Write Practice
  • 81 Creative Writing Prompts for Writers: Writer’s Digest
  • Short Story Ideas: Creative Writing Now
  • 25 Controversial Topics: The Best Schools
  • Research Topic Ideas: University Michigan-Flint
  • Climate Change: ProCon
  • Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing: The New York Times
  • Interesting Debate Topics: Udemy
  • 10 Creative Writing Prompts for Story Ideas: MasterClass
  • Research Topics: Frontiers
  • Research Topics: National Archives
  • Essay Topic Suggestions: Gallaudet University
  • Past Essay Topics: University of Warwick
  • Literature Topics and Research: Purdue University
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we need conversation questions for the same paragraph writing would be super.

Okay, so I’m in extension English (highest English), and we’ve just written our first essay on To Kill A Mockingbird. Last year I was getting high C’s, mostly B’s and the odd A. But this year, I have a different teacher, and he is not so satisfied with my writing. I got a C- for my first essay this year. He said my ideas were great, logical, and enthusiastic, but the way I’m writing it is not as appealing, motivating and persuasive. How can I improve my writing, so that I can easily get my ideas on the page without making them less effective?

Custom Writing

Hi, It’s cool that you want to improve your writing. These are a few suggestions from our experts: 1) use strong thesis statements in your papers (examples are here: https://custom-writing.org/blog/thesis-statement-examples) or download our guide on how to write a thesis statement (you can see it on a pop-up when you come to our blog); 2) use examples to illustrate your position; 3) avoid using too long sentences, so that readers could follow your train of thoughts; 4) subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter (in the upper right sidebar of the blog) and receive our expert tips directly to your e-mail. Good luck! We are sure that you will learn how to write only A+ papers pretty soon. See you!

I came to college as a mature student. Now I need to write a 4-page essay. I need help.

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Thank you so much! It’s a big help. I hope I get an A* for my O/L exams this year May. Wish me luck!

Katherine, we aren’t going to wish you luck! You don’t need it:) You will get A+, that’s for sure! 🙂

But if you’re that superstitious – GOOD LUCK! 🙂

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Literacy Ideas

10 fun writing activities for the reluctant writer

writing task 9th grade

  10 FUN WRITING ACTIVITIES FOR THE RELUCTANT WRITER

No doubt about it – writing isn’t easy. It is no wonder that many of our students could be described as ‘reluctant writers’ at best. It has been estimated by the National Association of Educational Progress that only about 27% of 8th and 12th Grade students can write proficiently.

As educators, we know that regular practice would go a long way to helping our students correct this underachievement, and sometimes, writing prompts just aren’t enough to light the fire.

But how do we get students, who have long since been turned off writing, to put pen to paper and log in the requisite time to develop their writing chops?

The answer is to make writing fun! In this article, we will look at some creative writing activities where we can inject a little enjoyment into the writing game.

Visual Writing Prompts

COMPLETE DIGITAL AND PRINT FUN WRITING UNIT

Fun Writing Tasks

25 FUN and ENGAGING writing tasks your students can complete INDEPENDENTLY with NO PREP REQUIRED that they will absolutely love.

Fully EDITABLE and works as with all DIGITAL PLATFORMS such as Google Classroom, or you can PRINT them for traditional writing tasks.

1. Poetry Scavenger Hunt

scavenger-hunt-writing-tasks.jpg

The Purpose: This activity encourages students to see the poetry in the everyday language around them while helpfully reinforcing their understanding of some of the conventions of the genre.

The Process: Encourage students to ‘scavenge’ their school, home, and outside the community for snippets of language they can compile into a piece of poetry or a poetic collage. They may copy down or photograph words, phrases, and sentences from signs, magazines, leaflets or even snippets of conversations they overhear while out and about.

Examples of language they collect may range from the Keep Out sign on private property to the destination on the front of a local bus.

Once students have gathered their language together, they can work to build a poem out of the scraps, usually choosing a central theme to give the piece cohesion. They can even include corresponding artwork to enhance the visual appeal of their work, too, if they wish.

The Prize: If poetry serves one purpose, it is to encourage us to look at the world anew with the fresh eyes of a young child. This activity challenges our students to read new meanings into familiar things and put their own spin on the language they encounter in the world around them, reinforcing the student’s grasp on poetic conventions.

2. Story Chains  

The Purpose: Writing is often thought of as a solitary pursuit. For this reason alone, it can be seen as a particularly unattractive activity by many of our more gregarious students. This fun activity exercises students’ understanding of writing structures and engages them in fun, creative collaboration.

The Process: Each student starts with a blank paper and pen. The teacher writes a story prompt on the whiteboard. You’ll find some excellent narrative writing prompts here . For example, each student spends two minutes using the writing prompt to kick-start their writing.  

When they have completed this part of the task, they will then pass their piece of paper to the student next to them. Students then continue the story from where the previous student left off for a given number of words, paragraphs, or length of time.

If organized correctly, you can ensure students receive their own initial story back at the end for the writing of the story’s conclusion .

The Prize: This fun writing activity can be used effectively to reinforce student understanding of narrative writing structures, but it can also be fun to try with other writing genres.

Working collaboratively motivates students to engage with the task, as no one wants to be the ‘weak link’ in the finished piece. But, more than that, this activity encourages students to see writing as a communicative and creative task where there needn’t be a ‘right’ answer. This encourages students to be more willing to take creative risks in their work.

3. Acrostic Associations

Writing Activities,fun writing | acrostic poems for teachers and students | 10 fun writing activities for the reluctant writer | literacyideas.com

The Purpose: This is another great way to get students to try writing poetry – a genre that many students find the most daunting.

The Process: Acrostics are simple poems whereby each letter of a word or phrase begins a new line in the poem. Younger students can start off with something very simple, like their own name or their favorite pet and write this vertically down the page.

Older students can take a word or phrase related to a topic they have been working on or have a particular interest in and write it down on the page before beginning to write.

The Prize: This activity has much in common with the old psychiatrist’s word association technique. Students should be encouraged to riff on ideas and themes generated by the focus word or phrase. They needn’t worry about rhyme and meter and such here, but the preset letter for each line will give them some structure to their meanderings and require them to impose some discipline on their wordsmithery, albeit in a fun and loose manner.

4. The What If Challenge

Writing Activities,fun writing | fun writing tasks 1 | 10 fun writing activities for the reluctant writer | literacyideas.com

The Purpose: This challenge helps encourage students to see the link between posing interesting hypothetical questions and creating an entertaining piece of writing.

The Process: To begin this exercise, have the students come up with a single What If question, which they can then write down on a piece of paper. The more off-the-wall, the better!

For example, ‘What if everyone in the world knew what you were thinking?’ or ‘What if your pet dog could talk?’ Students fold up their questions and drop them into a hat. Each student picks one out of the hat before writing on that question for a suitable set amount of time.

Example What If Questions

  • “What if you woke up one day and found out that you had the power to time travel?”
  • “What if you were the last person on Earth? How would you spend your time?”
  • “What if you were granted three wishes, but each one came with a terrible consequence?”
  • “What if you discovered a secret portal to another world? Where would you go, and what would you do?”
  • “What if you woke up one day with the ability to communicate with animals? How would your life change?”

The Prize: Students are most likely to face the terror of the dreaded Writer’s Block when they are faced with open-ended creative writing tasks.

This activity encourages the students to see the usefulness of posing hypothetical What If questions, even random off-the-wall ones, for kick-starting their writing motors.

Though students begin by answering the questions set for them by others, please encourage them to see how they can set these questions for themselves the next time they suffer from a stalled writing engine.

5. The Most Disgusting Sandwich in the World

Writing Activities,fun writing | disgusting sandwich writing task | 10 fun writing activities for the reluctant writer | literacyideas.com

The Purpose: Up until now, we have looked at activities encouraging our students to have fun with genres such as fiction and poetry. These genres being imaginative in nature, more easily lend themselves to being enjoyable than some of the nonfiction genres.

But what about descriptive writing activities? In this activity, we endeavor to bring that same level of enjoyment to instruction writing while also cleverly reinforcing the criteria of this genre.

The Process: Undoubtedly, when teaching instruction writing, you will at some point cover the specific criteria of the genre with your students.

These will include things like the use of a title, numbered or bulleted points, time connectives, imperatives, diagrams with captions etc. You will then want the students to produce their own piece of instruction writing or procedural text to display their understanding of how the genre works.

 But, why not try a fun topic such as How to Make the Most Disgusting Sandwich in the World rather than more obvious (and drier!) topics such as How to Tie Your Shoelaces or How to Make a Paper Airplane when choosing a topic for your students to practice their instruction writing chops?

Example of a Most disgusting Sandwich Text

The Prize: As mentioned, with nonfiction genres, in particular, we tend to suggest more banal topics for our students to work on while internalizing the genre’s criteria. Enjoyment and acquiring practical writing skills need not be mutually exclusive.

Our students can just as quickly, if not more easily, absorb and internalize the necessary writing conventions while engaged in writing about whimsical and even nonsensical topics.

if your sandwich is entering the realm of horror, be sure to check our complete guide to writing a scary story here as well.

DAILY WRITING JOURNAL UNIT FOR ALL TEXT TYPES

Daily Quick Write

Our FUN DAILY QUICK WRITE TASKS will teach your students the fundamentals of CREATIVE WRITING across all text types. Packed with 52 ENGAGING ACTIVITIES

6. Diary Entry of a Future Self

Writing Activities,fun writing | future self writing task | 10 fun writing activities for the reluctant writer | literacyideas.com

The Purpose: This activity allows students to practice personal writing within the conventions of diary/journal writing. It also challenges them to consider what their world will be like in the future, perhaps stepping a foot into the realm of science fiction.

The Process: Straightforwardly, after working through some examples of diary or journal writing, and reviewing the various criteria of the genre, challenge the students to write an entry at a given milestone in the future.

This may be when they leave school, begin work, go to university, get married, have kids, retire etc. You may even wish to get the students to write an entry for a series of future milestones as part of a more extended project.

Example of Message to Future Me Text

The Prize: Students will get a chance here to exercise their understanding of this type of writing , but more than that, they will also get an opportunity to exercise their imaginative muscles too. They will get to consider what shape their future world will take in this engaging thought experiment that will allow them to improve their writing too.

7. Comic Strip Script

comic_strip_writing_task.jpg

The Purpose: Give your students the chance to improve their dialogue writing skills and to work on their understanding of character development in this fun activity which combines writing with the use of a series of visual elements.

The Process: There are two ways to do this activity. The first requires you to source, or create, a comic strip minus the dialogue the characters are speaking. This may be as straightforward as using whiteout to erase the words in speech bubbles and making copies for your students to complete.

Alternatively, provide the students with photographs/pictures and strips of cards for them to form their own action sequences . When students have their ‘mute’ strips, they can begin to write the dialogue/script to link the panels together.

The Prize: When it comes to writing, comic strips are probably one of the easier sells to reluctant students! This activity also allows students to write for speech. This will stand to them later when they come to produce sections of dialogue in their narrative writing or when producing play or film scripts.

They will also develop their visual literacy skills as they scan the pictures for clues of tone and context before they begin their writing.

Keep It Fun

Just as we should encourage our students to read for fun and wider educational benefits, we should also work to instil similar attitudes towards writing. To do this means we must work to avoid always framing writing in the context of a chore, that bitter pill that must be swallowed for the good of our health.

There is no getting away from the fact that writing can, at times, be laborious. It is time-consuming and, for most of us, difficult at the best of times. There is a certain, inescapable amount of work involved in becoming a competent writer.

That said, as we have seen in the activities above, with a bit of creative thought, we can inject fun into even the most practical of writing activities . All that is required is a dash of imagination and a sprinkling of effort.

8. Character Interviews

Writing Activities,fun writing | 610f9b34b762f2001e00b814 | 10 fun writing activities for the reluctant writer | literacyideas.com

The Purpose: Character interviews as writing activities are excellent for students because they encourage creative thinking, character development, and empathy. The purpose of this activity is to help students delve deeper into the minds of the characters they are creating in their stories or reading about in literature. By conducting interviews with these characters, students gain a better understanding of their personalities, motivations, and perspectives.

The Process of character interviews involves students imagining themselves as interviewers and their characters as interviewees. They can either write out the questions and answers in a script-like format or write a narrative where the character responds to the questions in their own voice.

The Prize: Through character interviews, students learn several valuable skills:

  • Character Development: By exploring various aspects of their characters’ lives, backgrounds, and experiences, students can develop more well-rounded and authentic characters in their stories. This helps make their fictional creations more relatable and engaging to readers.
  • Empathy and Perspective: Conducting interviews requires students to put themselves in their characters’ shoes, considering their thoughts, emotions, and struggles. This cultivates empathy and a deeper understanding of human behavior, which can be applied to real-life situations as well.
  • Voice and Dialogue: In crafting the character’s responses, students practice writing authentic dialogue and giving their characters unique voices. This skill is valuable for creating dynamic and believable interactions between characters in their stories.
  • Creative Expression: Character interviews provide a creative outlet for students to let their imaginations run wild. They can explore scenarios that may not appear in the main story and discover new aspects of their characters they might not have considered before.
  • Critical Thinking: Formulating questions for the interview requires students to think critically about their characters’ personalities and backgrounds. This exercise enhances their analytical skills and storytelling abilities.

Overall, character interviews are a dynamic and enjoyable way for students to delve deeper into the worlds they create or the literature they read. It nurtures creativity, empathy, and writing skills, empowering students to become more proficient and imaginative writers.

9. The Travel Journal

Writing Activities,fun writing | fun writing activities | 10 fun writing activities for the reluctant writer | literacyideas.com

The Purpose: Travel journal writing tasks are excellent for students as they offer a unique and immersive way to foster creativity, cultural awareness, and descriptive writing skills. The purpose of this activity is to allow students to embark on a fictional or real travel adventure, exploring new places, cultures, and experiences through the eyes of a traveller.

The process of a travel journal writing task involves students assuming the role of a traveler and writing about their journey in a journal format. They can describe the sights, sounds, tastes, and emotions they encounter during their travels. This activity encourages students to use vivid language, sensory details, and expressive writing to bring their travel experiences to life.

The Prize: Through travel journal writing tasks, students will learn several valuable skills:

  • Descriptive Writing: By describing their surroundings and experiences in detail, students enhance their descriptive writing skills, creating engaging and vivid narratives.
  • Cultural Awareness: Travel journals encourage students to explore different cultures, customs, and traditions. This helps broaden their understanding and appreciation of diversity.
  • Empathy and Perspective: Through writing from the perspective of a traveler, students develop empathy and gain insight into the lives of people from different backgrounds.
  • Research Skills: For fictional travel journals, students might research specific locations or historical periods to make their narratives more authentic and accurate.
  • Reflection and Self-Expression: Travel journals offer a space for students to reflect on their own emotions, thoughts, and personal growth as they encounter new experiences.
  • Creativity and Imagination: For fictional travel adventures, students get to unleash their creativity and imagination, envisioning fantastical places and scenarios.
  • Language and Vocabulary: Travel journal writing tasks provide opportunities for students to expand their vocabulary and experiment with expressive language.

Overall, travel journal writing tasks inspire students to become more observant, empathetic, and skilled writers. They transport them to new worlds and foster a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Whether writing about real or imaginary journeys, students develop a deeper connection to the places they encounter, making this activity both educational and enjoyable.

10. The Fairy Tale Remix

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The Purpose: A fairy tale remix writing activity is a fantastic creative exercise for students as it allows them to put a unique spin on classic fairy tales, fostering imagination, critical thinking, and storytelling skills. This activity encourages students to think outside the box, reinterpret well-known tales, and explore their creative potential by transforming traditional narratives into something entirely new and exciting.

The process of a fairy tale remix writing activity involves students selecting a familiar fairy tale and altering key elements such as characters, settings, plot twists, or outcomes. They can modernize the story, change the genre, or even mix different fairy tales together to create a wholly original piece.

The Prize: Through this activity, students will learn several valuable skills:

  • Creative Thinking: Students exercise their creativity by brainstorming unique concepts and ideas to remix the fairy tales, encouraging them to think imaginatively.
  • Critical Analysis: Analyzing the original fairy tale to identify essential elements to keep and areas to remix helps students develop critical thinking skills and understand storytelling structures.
  • Writing Techniques: Crafting a remix requires students to use descriptive language, engaging dialogue, and well-developed characters, helping them hone their writing techniques.
  • Perspective and Empathy: Remixing fairy tales allows students to explore different character perspectives, promoting empathy and understanding of diverse points of view.
  • Genre Exploration: Remixing fairy tales can introduce students to various genres like science fiction, fantasy, or mystery, expanding their literary horizons.
  • Originality: Creating their own narrative twists and unexpected plots encourages students to take ownership of their writing and develop a unique voice.
  • Storytelling: Students learn the art of compelling storytelling as they weave together familiar elements with innovative ideas, captivating their readers.

By remixing fairy tales, students embark on a creative journey that empowers them to reimagine well-loved stories while honing their writing skills and imaginative prowess. It’s an engaging and enjoyable way for students to connect with literature, explore new possibilities, and showcase their storytelling talents.

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NJSLA-ELA Companion Guide: Grade 9

The New Jersey Student Learning Assessments for English Language Arts (NJSLA-ELA) measures student proficiency with grade-level skills, knowledge, and concepts that are critical to college and career readiness. On each assessment, students read and analyze passages from authentic fiction and nonfiction texts. The test can also include multimedia stimuli such as video or audio. The NJSLA-ELA assessments emphasize the importance of close reading, synthesizing ideas within and across texts, determining the meaning of words and phrases in context, and writing effectively when using and/or analyzing sources.

ELA Tasks Across High School

For high school students, the content coverage for ELA task types (i.e., Literary Analysis Task, Research Simulation Task, and Narrative Writing Task) will be represented across grade 9 and on the ELA component of the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA). The grade 9 blueprint is composed of a Narrative Writing Task and Research Simulation Task. The ELA blueprint for the NJGPA includes a Literary Analysis Task and Research Simulation Task. This organizational structure ensures that high school students have an opportunity to complete all three ELA task types prior to graduation.

NJSLA-ELA Grade 9

The NJSLA-ELA blueprints define the total number of tasks and points for any given grade or course assessment. Grade 9 has one blueprint for all students. The grade 9 blueprint consists of a Narrative Writing Task, Long or Paired Passage Set, and Research Simulation Task.

The NJSLA-ELA assessments:

  • align to a representative sampling of standards and evidence statements;
  • reflect the balance between literary and informational texts;
  • include a writing task in each unit and associated scoring rubrics;
  • align to the ELA Task Models;
  • maintain all item types (Evidence-Based Selected Response; Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response; and Prose Constructed Response); and
  • report on all five subclaims and performance levels.

The units, ELA task types, and testing times for grade 9 are outlined in the ELA: Grade 9 table below.

 ELA: Grade 9

For more information.

The NJSLA-ELA blueprints and additional test support documents (e.g., evidence statements, scoring rubrics) can be found in the Test Content and Other Information webpage of the NJSLA Resource Center under Educator Resources.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Assessments at [email protected]

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  1. 9th Grade Writing Prompts Worksheets Worksheets For All

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  2. 27 Vicious 9th Grade Writing Worksheets HD

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  3. Diy 30 Creative 9th Grade Writing Worksheets

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  5. 9th grade writing topics. 9th Grade Writing Prompts. 2022-10-25

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  6. 85 Fun 9th Grade writing prompts for reflection

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  3. IELTS Writing Task 1, Paraphrasing, Examples

  4. Guide to learning and writing grade 5 part 10

  5. ESSAY WORKSHOP CLASS 2

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COMMENTS

  1. Great 9th Grade Writing Worksheets PDF » JournalBuddies.com

    Here you will find 9th grade writing worksheets pdfs, plus writing prompt and journal page pdfs. There are tons of great activities and tools you can use to make sure your ninth-grade students are excelling in high school—but one of the absolute best options is to have them start writing a daily journal.

  2. 32 Great Writing Prompts for 9th Grade » JournalBuddies.com

    32 Writing Prompts for 9th Grade: First Year of High School Journaling Ideas (that can double as Essay Topics) + a Bonus List of 9 Quick, Easy Writing Ideas. Enjoy! The first year of high school is one of the most significant times in a teenager's life.

  3. 50 Writing Prompts for All Grade Levels

    To organize the daybook, direct young writers to leave the first three pages blank and number and date each entry—adding these entries to a table of contents that they create as they work so they can return to specific entries later. 50 Writing Prompts for All Grade Levels. pdf 144.59 KB.

  4. Free Printable Writing Worksheets for 9th Grade

    Free Printable Writing Worksheets for 9th Grade Writing-focused ELA worksheets for Grade 9 students: Discover a variety of free printable resources to enhance your students' language arts skills and inspire creativity in their writing journey. grade 9 Writing Essay Writing 14 Q 6th - 9th Essay Writing 18 Q 9th - 12th Writing Equations 20 Q

  5. Common Core Worksheets

    For ninth and tenth graders, this Common Core area helps students gain mastery of writing skills by working collaboratively and producing written texts, understanding syntax and vocabulary, and organizing their ideas. Among the complete standards for this grade, ninth and tenth graders will be asked to: support the claims of their arguments ...

  6. 85 Fun 9th Grade writing prompts for reflection

    Here are some 9th grade writing prompts that you can use to reflect on your emotions or to improve your writing skills. These prompts will help you with your writing when figuring out how to write a quality book report or another type of paper for 9th grade.

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    3-4 5-6 9-10 Featured Resources, Grades 9-10 Grades 9 - 12 Lesson Plan Type: Recurring Lesson Tell Me Your Story: Video-Inspired Vocabulary Writing Read More Grades 9 - 12 Lesson Plan Type: Standard Lesson I Remember That Book: Rereading as a Critical Investigation Read More Most Popular for Grades 9-10 Most Emailed | Most Viewed | Most Shared

  8. PDF Composition Practice Grade 9

    4 Writer's Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 9, Unit 1 A. Writing a Snappy Beginning Your attitude toward what you write shows in your very first word. So begin with confidence and style! Follow the directions to try some snappy openers. 1. Write a sentence about yourself beginning "You'd never guess that _____

  9. Common Core 9th Grade Writing Standards for English

    LiteracyTA provides writing skills that Common Core educators use to teach Common Core 9th Grade Writing Standards for English. The Common Core literacy standards are the what. The skills below and the related eCoach discussions are the how. In the table below, you will find next to each Common Core writing standard practical skills, classroom ...

  10. PDF 2016 Released Items: Grade 9 Narrative Writing Task

    2016 Released Items: Grade 9 Narrative Writing Task The Narrative Writing Task focuses on one literary text. Students read the text, answer questions, and then write a narrative response that is tied to and draws on the text.

  11. PDF GRADE 9 2022 B.E.S.T. Writing

    Grade 9 2022 B.E.S.T. Writing 9 19 Still, practicing road skills with supervision from an instructor can only help teen drivers improve. "Our driving instructor tries to get us as many hours behind the wheel as possible," says Cameron Green, a 16‑year‑old student taking driver's ed at his Jacksonville, Florida, high school.

  12. Creative Writing Worksheets for Grade 9

    Ninth Grade Creative Writing Worksheets Authored by: TeacherVision Staff Last edited: January 21, 2023 It is crucial for 9th-grade students to be skilled at understanding and analyzing pieces of literature. Use our most popular printables to enhance your class's abilities at comprehending story elements, genre, and meaning.

  13. Why Your 9th Grader Should Practice Essay Writing Now

    Practicing now will allow her to learn how to develop ideas, use rhetorical devices, and learn language nuances. Check out How to Write an Impressive College Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide for tips on crafting a stellar essay. Your student will also learn how to "speak" to her audience, avoid cliches, and write according to her audience's needs.

  14. 9th Grade Assignment

    9th Grade Assignment - Writing Process Instructor John Hamilton John has tutored algebra and SAT Prep and has a B.A. degree with a major in psychology and a minor in mathematics from...

  15. PDF Grade 9-10 Informative/Explanatory Writing Standard W.9-10

    The Writing Task in the Curriculum How is the writing embedded in curriculum/content? Class • heterogeneous 9th grade English class Curriculum unit • part of a unit addressing the development of a theme. This followed a short story unit examining character change. Standards • Reading: RL9.1, RL9.2, RL 9.10 • Writing: W.9.2, W.9.9, W.9.10

  16. Writing Topics

    Writing Topics. Do you want to inspire your students to write great narratives, essays, and reports? Check out these grade-specific writing topics organized by mode (explanatory, creative, and so on). Or search for writing topics that relate to a theme, such as "life" or "animals" or "family."

  17. PDF Writing Assessment and Evaluation Rubrics

    4 Writing Assessment and Evaluation Rubrics,Grade 9 How to Use This Assessment Guide This ancillary provides one or more rubrics that can be used to evaluate each writing

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    205 great essay ideas; tips on how to write argumentative and persuasive papers. In fact, our recommendations will be perfectly suitable for both middle and high school students. Still, there will be some grade-specific information. So, start with the 8th-grade essay topics and tips and read till the end! Contents ️ 8th Grade Essay

  19. PDF Grade 9-10 Narrative Writing Standard W.9-10

    Grade 9-10 Narrative. W.9.3-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and ...

  20. 10 Fun Writing Activities for Reluctant Writers

    7. Comic Strip Script. The Purpose: Give your students the chance to improve their dialogue writing skills and to work on their understanding of character development in this fun activity which combines writing with the use of a series of visual elements. The Process: There are two ways to do this activity.

  21. NJSLA-ELA Companion Guide: Grade 9

    NJSLA-ELA Companion Guide: Grade 9 The New Jersey Student Learning Assessments for English Language Arts (NJSLA-ELA) measures student proficiency with grade-level skills, knowledge, and concepts that are critical to college and career readiness. On each assessment, students read and analyze passages from authentic fiction and nonfiction texts.

  22. PDF BC Performance Standards

    Writing grade 9 BC Performance Standards Writing Personal Views or Response S tudents are frequently asked to write about their thoughts, feelings, and opinions in reaction to current issues, materials they have read or viewed, or their own experiences.

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    What records are exempted from FERPA? Records which are kept in the sole possession of the maker of the records, are used only as a personal memory aid, and are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the records. Records of the law enforcement unit of an educational agency or institution ...