Tag: Writing Prompt

English/ELA, On Wednesdays We Write, Teacher Resources

Today We Write

AlwaysLearningHQ

Three or so years ago, Always Learning HQ featured a series of writing prompts titled “On Wednesdays We Write.”

Goodness, please tell me that somewhere in your head, you hear, “On Wednesdays, we wear pink.” We’re not mean girls, but we do love a good Easter-eggy catchphrase!

Since school is out for summer, we had a little front porch time to wrangle those posts into a presentation on Canva, and what we have for you today FOR FREE (we hope you feel the love) is a PDF of 25 sets of writing prompts.

Each prompt set pairs with a visual image. Thank you, Canva, for the LARGE photo selection. The primary prompt presents a simple writing task. You can stop there or keep going. Following the primary prompt is a challenge to use that prewriting exercise to create a more complex creative work. For a few sets, a super challenge invites writers to take the exercise even further.

Some prompts are SUPER easy so that even a middle school student could complete them. Others involve complex mental gymnastics and feature elevated vocabulary. You’re the teacher. You know your students. Use whatever works for the bodies sitting in your classroom or logging in for a virtual workshop.

Use this PDF of prompt sets as stand-alone writing exercises, bell-ringers, journal assignments, sub lesson plans, or even as a year-long writing curriculum. You are a grown human educator. We have confidence you can figure out best practices for using free stuff!

Happy Writing!

Today We Write – PresentationDownload

On Wednesdays We Write, Teacher Resources

On Wednesdays We Write – Prompt #32

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #32:

Make a list of ten things. You can choose ANY common connection for your list—places you would like to travel, chores you need to do on your next day off, theme parties you would like to host or attend, series you want to binge-watch, cars you hope to own, jobs you want to investigate, books you vow never to read/read again, groceries you need to pick up on the way home, etc.

You get bonus points if you come up with your own list not listed in the list of lists above.

Prompt #32 Challenge:

First, put your list in order. You may choose any order you wish—best to worst, most to least, favorite to least favorite, etc. What order you choose is entirely up to you.

Then identify the item at the top of the list and the item at the bottom of the list and explain why those two particular items earned those two particular spots. Don’t forget to explain your ranking strategy as you discuss your reasoning.

Each item should be the feature of its own paragraph. Each paragraph should be precisely 94 words.

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On Wednesdays We Write

On Wednesday We Write – Prompt #31

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #31:

Brainstorm the specifications of the app you wish someone would create to organize your life perfectly. Everything you need would be in one place: schedule, reminders, to-do list, contacts, information-organizers, essential documents, work and entertainment links, news feeds, etc. Think of everything you can across all areas of your life. In this one app, you can include anything that you need to access easily to make your life run as smoothly as possible. List what filters and notifications you need to make life as seamless as possible in the specifications for each item.

Prompt #31 Challenge:

Write an app store description of “App My Life,” your digital product that coordinates all areas of life from one tiny square on your phone screen, tablet, or computer.

Give an overview of the features and benefits.

Explain how you coordinate all that information—does it look like a desktop? A filing cabinet? A giant calendar? A multipurpose room? A house? An office? Something else?

Create a slogan or catchphrase that motivates prospective users to purchase the app.

What’s the cost of a year’s subscription?

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On Wednesdays We Write

On Wednesday We Write – Prompt #30

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #30:

Make a list of 15-20 events in your life that have shaped who you are. Think of the stories you could tell about each event. For each major life-shaping experience you identify, write a one-sentence summary of what happened and how it contributed to who you are today.

Prompt #30 Challenge:

Write the story of your defining moments in a poem featuring these events. Use the sentences you wrote in the main prompt as a starting point. You are welcome to arrange the events chronologically or in order of impact. You may notice a different organizational structure altogether. Go for it. It’s your story.

Your poem may be free verse, or you might decide to challenge yourself by adopting a metrical pattern and rhyme scheme. Whether you decide to embrace freedom from form or choose a distinct structure, the end product should reflect your journey to who you are today.

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English/ELA, On Wednesdays We Write, Teacher Resources

On Wednesdays We Write – Prompt #29

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #29:

Write a recipe for the perfect day, friend, date, game, gift, pet, job, home, holiday, vacation, or party. Include ingredients as well as quantities. Give directions for putting it together.

How long does it take to cook or to chill? How do you know it’s done? What are the serving suggestions?

Prompt #29 Challenge:

Using the recipe you’ve imagined, write a free verse poem celebrating your creation.

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English/ELA, On Wednesdays We Write, Teacher Resources

On Wednesdays We Write – Prompt #28

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #28:

You have seeds. Magic seeds. They will yield a harvest of anything you want. Any ONE thing. All you have to do is whisper the name of that thing as you plant the seed. The harvest will be abundant, enough for everyone in the world. What do you whisper as you plant your seed? Share why.

Prompt #28 Challenge:

Write a narrative poem that tells the story of planting the seed and nurturing it. Conclude with a description of the harvest.

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English/ELA, On Wednesdays We Write, Teacher Resources

On Wednesdays We Write – Prompt #27

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #27:

You have five gifts to give to anyone you want. These gifts can be tangible or intangible. They must each go to a different person. What do you give to whom, and why?

Prompt #27 – Challenge:

Choose one or two of the gifts you talked about above. Write the dialogue(s) you imagine would take place when you present the gift(s).

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English/ELA, On Wednesdays We Write, Teacher Resources

On Wednesdays We Write – Prompt #26

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #26:

Sometimes you encounter a work of literature that makes you feel at home. You imagine yourself inside that fictitious world, and it feels secure and warm and light and comforting. It’s like you belong there.

Write about a work of fiction in which you feel at home. Who are you in that world? What is it like as you inhabit that space and time?

Prompt #26 Challenge:

Imagine a perfect day in this literary home. Maybe perfection means the absence of conflict. Perhaps it means victory in a struggle. Narrate your perfect day.

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English/ELA, On Wednesdays We Write, Teacher Resources

On Wednesdays We Write – Prompt #25

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #25:

Write ten timeless truths you have learned. You should express each truth in one masterful sentence that reflects its essence.

Be as general or as specific as you wish.

Prompt #25 – Challenge:

Select one of the timeless truth sentences you have written. It is your thesis. Prove that it is an accurate reflection of reality.

Use the Classical Argument model as your structure:

  • Introduction
  • Background
  • Thesis
  • Confirmations
  • Concession
  • Refutation
  • Conclusion

If you haven’t written a classical argument recently, you can find an in-depth explanation from our BFFs at Purdue OWL as a refresher.

This exercise can be brief—just a couple of paragraphs. Or you can take a deep dive. It’s up to you.

You don’t have to support your argument with research, but you can.

You are allowed to trace your steps through life and use your experiences as proof of this truth.

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English/ELA, On Wednesdays We Write, Teacher Resources

On Wednesdays We Write – Prompt #24

AlwaysLearningHQ

Prompt #24:

You set sail on an adventure.

When do you leave?

Where are you going?

Who is with you?

How have you prepared?

What is your goal?

What are your fears?

Write the exposition of the story of your journey.

Prompt #24 – Challenge:

You discover a stowaway on board. It creates conflict. Write the inciting incident scene.

Prompt #24 – Super Challenge:

Finish the story.

Avoid cliché.

Surprise the reader.

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