If you already have “What I Did during Summer Vacation” penciled into your lesson plans as your first writing prompt, please erase it. That is among the oldest and driest writing prompts and students get the same assignment year after year.
Some students had a great summer and traveled somewhere very cool, while others spent time at home, especially this year due to gas prices. I always hated writing about those boring summers sitting at home watching TV and babysitting my little sisters.
That back to school writing prompt did little to pique my interest in writing. It is worn out. Try some new back to school writing prompts, ideas that will allow your kids’ imaginations to soar. If someone had a particularly interesting summer gives them the option of writing about their summer, but don’t box in the creativity, imagination, and writing skills of your other students.
The following lesson plan writing prompts encourage creative thinking. The big idea is to get the kids back into thinking and writing mode. It really doesn’t matter how outrageous the topic is. Be flexible.
I’ve seen kids get excited about a good writing prompt and write up to six pages. The same students could barely be forced to answer an essay question under normal circumstances. Give some of these back to school writing prompts a try.
Lesson Plans: Back to School Writing Prompts
If you could go anywhere in the world right now, and it was completely paid for, where would you go and why? Who would you take if you could take one person with you? What would you see and do while you were there. (The place can be real or imaginary.)
Lesson Plans: Back to School Writing Prompts
You take a cruise with your family, the boat goes down but you survive in an inflatable raft. You end up on a deserted island with five things you threw in your suitcase. What’s in your suitcase and how will you use it to help you survive? What will you eat? Will you try to signal for help? How?
Lesson Plans: Back to School Writing Prompts
You spent your summer in outer space. Perhaps you traveled on the space shuttle and visited the Space Station, or you traveled on your own in your own space ship, or even a hot-air balloon. How did your trip come to be? Did anyone travel with you? What did you encounter in outer-space?
Lesson Plans: Back to School Writing Prompts
Congratulations, your principle left the country. Don’t get too excited, he will be back before the end of the month, but until then you have unlimited money and resources to change the school in any way you wish. It has to be a learning environment, but there are no limits to how students learn and what they do with free time. You may also change any rules.
Remind students to have a rough outline of how they intend to develop their essay. It is also important to set boundaries regarding respect of others including students and teachers in their essays. Other than that, allow your students to have fun. Then, actually read the essays they have written from your writing prompts. You will be surprised how much you may learn about your students that will help you be a better teacher to them during the year.
