By the end of junior high, most students have grasped the basics of storytelling, essay writing, and poetry.
However, these skills still need to be practiced and strengthened in order to keep their writing fresh and exciting throughout high school—where they will learn even more skills that will carry them through college.
We’ve put together a list of prompts to keep your 8th graders interested in writing, searching their emotions, and analyzing topics.
Using This List
Your students are probably pretty disciplined writers by now, but they still need a little guidance. Use this list to help challenge their writing skills and take them out of their comfort zone.
The Prompts
- Write about your favorite experience at school so far.
- Tell the story of how you met your best friend.
- Do you think social media increases or decreases bullying? Explain.
- Write a news article about something that recently happened in your school or community.
- What new extracurricular activity do you wish your school offered? Why?
- Do you think you are a good listener? What makes a good listener?
- Explain the plot of your favorite movie.
- Do you see the glass as half-full or half-empty? Why?
- Write an acrostic poem using your name.
- What are you most looking forward to in high school? Why?
- Do you think eSports are a viable career path? Explain.
- What is the hardest thing about getting older? Why?
- Is it more important to be well-read or well-traveled? Why?
- Explain the difference between being wise and being smart. Use examples.
- Are you a cat person or a dog person? Why?
- What is your favorite song? Why?
- What does feminism mean to you? Are you a feminist?
- How do you feel about dog-earring or annotating your books? Why?
- Explain the plot of your favorite video game.
- Why is it essential to examine multiple points of view when forming an opinion?
- Write a letter to a teacher or administrator who has impacted your life.
- Where is your favorite place? Explain it in detail to someone who has never been there.
- Do you think social media is helpful or harmful to teens? Explain.
- What do you wish adults understood about teenagers?
- Do you prefer watching TV or playing video games? Why?
- Write the recipe and steps for creating your favorite meal.
- Do you have any family traditions? Explain.
- Choose a prominent athlete in history and write an essay about them.
- Do you think society relies too much on technology? Why or why not?
- Write about a time when you gave in to peer pressure.
- Do you think the voting age should be lowered to 16? Why?
- Write about a time you felt embarrassed.
- If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Why?
- Are boys and girls treated equally?
- Describe the movie you saw most recently.
- If you could have dinner with any prominent figure in history, who would it be? What would you talk about?
- Debunk or support a popular conspiracy theory.
- Why is important that our media includes diverse characters, creators, and actors?
- Imagine and describe, in detail, your dream home.
- If you were granted three wishes—and you weren’t allowed to ask for more wishes—what would you wish for? Why?
- Write a news article to accompany the headline, “Bears Seen Ransacking Ice Cream Truck”.
- What are three things you can do to help the environment?
- Some people say crying is a weakness. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- Explain your favorite board game to someone who’s never played it before.
- What do you think is the most important moment in US history? Why?
- Explain the plot of your favorite book.
- What is a job you’d like to have one day? Why does it appeal to you?
- Describe your favorite children’s story.
- Write a story that takes place at your favorite park.
- Which season is your favorite? Why?
- Explain the qualities of a good friend.
- Describe your earliest memory.
- If you could have one question answered, what would you ask? Why?
- Write a letter to yourself five years from now.
- Write a letter to yourself five years ago.
- If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Why?
- Write a letter to someone who inspires you.
- Write about the day in the life of an animal from their perspective.
- Write about your favorite song and why it’s important to you.
- Describe what you would do if you witnessed an act of racism.
- Write a story about an astronaut who finds dragons on Mars.
- Explain three things you like to do when you’re bored.
- If you could have any mythical creature as a pet, which would you pick? Why?
- Write a description of the day from the point of view of your pet (or another animal if you have no pets).
- What is your greatest fear? What can you do to overcome this fear?
- Describe the best vacation you’ve ever taken.
- Why is it important for schools to offer free meals to all students?
- Choose a random object and describe it in as much detail as possible. Don’t reveal it until the end.
- Write an alternate ending to your favorite fairy tale.
- Write a poem about your favorite food in the shape of this food (example: a triangle-shaped poem about a slice of pizza).
- Choose a famous woman in science and write an essay about their accomplishments.
- Compare and contrast the best and worst day of your life so far.
- Describe the difference between a privilege and a right. Give examples of each.
- Why is plagiarism a bad thing?
- Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Explain.
- Write an essay about something you’re proud of and why.
- Compare and contrast eBooks, physical books, and audiobooks. Which do you prefer?
- Do you think your generation will change the world? How?
- Do you believe people deserve second chances? Explain.
- Should we continue to explore space, or should we focus more on exploring the oceans? Why?
- What do you think is the most important technological advancement of the past century? Explain.
- Should controversial topics be discussed in the classroom? Explain your reasoning.
- In the novel The Giver, society decides to erase history and feelings, in order to create a simpler lifestyle. Explain the pros and cons of this decision.
- Explain the most important thing you’ve learned from a family member.
- Write about a time when you were surprised.
- Do you think aliens exist? Explain.
- How much time do you spend on your phone daily? What are some days you can reduce this amount of time?
- Do you think homework is beneficial or detrimental to student success? Explain.
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