As students make their way through school, the types of writing they do will change—as will the difficulty.
Writing persuasive or argumentative essays and letters is a great skill for students to learn, and a wonderful way to help guide them on proper research techniques so they can view more than one opinion and form their own conclusions.
Below, we’ve put together a list of writing prompts to help students tackle persuasive writing and dig deeper for an opinion.
Using These Prompts
This writing guide can be used as homework or in tandem with your ELA curriculum. The point is to get students to work on their nonfiction writing skills in a way that is fun and engaging.
Here are a few ways you can use the list below:
- Use these prompts for students who finish work early and need something to do.
- To choose a prompt, have students pick a number between 1 and 45.
- Challenge your students to use one writing prompt every day for a full week.
- Pick prompts that line up with what students are learning in other classes (like history or art).
- Have each student pick a prompt for someone else in the class to use.
The Prompts
- Do you think teachers should assign homework over the weekend? Explain.
- Is America ready to have a woman president? Why or why not?
- Should kids have chores? Explain.
- Should GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) be allowed in our food?
- Is life more challenging for your generation than your parents’ generation at your age? Explain.
- Should gym class be required for all students?
- Do you think your school treats boys and girls equally? Explain.
- Do athletes and actors deserve to make more money than the average worker? Explain.
- Do beauty pageants objectify the participants?
- Should teachers accept late work? Explain.
- Should cell phones be allowed in school? Why?
- Do you think community college should be free? Explain.
- Should schools have harsher punishments for bullies?
- Does snail mail (handwritten cards or letters) still have value in the digital age?
- Do you think parents should limit screen time for their children?
- Should a student’s behavior be a factor in their overall grade in a class?
- Explain your stance on alternative energy.
- Do you think the media puts too much pressure on high school and college athletes?
- At what age do you think kids should be allowed to use social media?
- Do you think Native Americans have had justice for having their land stolen?
- Should the US invest more money in the space program, or should that money be spent elsewhere?
- Does society rely too heavily on technology?
- Should single-use plastics be eliminated entirely?
- Do you think students should be given letter grades, or should classes be graded as pass/fail?
- Explain the benefits of learning a second language.
- Does your school mascot represent your school well?
- If your school mascot could be changed, what would you propose? Why?
- Defend your position on recreational hunting.
- Explain the benefits of going away to summer camp.
- Do you think there is anything we can do about climate change, or is it already too late?
- Explain why students should have more say in what they learn.
- What do you think is the perfect pet?
- Is online learning or in-person learning better? Why?
- How has reality TV had an impact on real life?
- At what age are you old enough to stay home alone?
- Should children be required to attend church with their families? Explain your reasoning.
- Do you think the dress code is harmful or helpful to daily school life?
- Is it better to be liked or to be respected?
- Should school start later for teenagers?
- Should students be required to participate in a sport or extracurricular activity?
- Is the glass half-empty or half-full? Explain.
- Should the United States keep daylight savings time, or do away with it?
- What is something every household should do to conserve energy?
- Should beauty standards be more inclusive?
- What is the greatest song of all time? Explain.
Looking For More Resources?
We offer an abundance of free writing resources for parents, guardians, and teachers to help give young writers the tools they need to succeed.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you are looking for something specific and can’t find it on our site. We love hearing all of your ideas!
