The beginning of the school year can be such a busy time. Between assessments, teaching procedures, and getting to know a new set of students, teacher life in August and September can be hectic. As everything starts to settle down, it’s a great time to think about how to engage your students in writing. Let’s dive into 6 inspiring writing ideas for effective writing instruction.
Instead of the typical back-to-school, “What Did You Do This Summer?” writing assignment, task students with exciting and fun prompts that will make them interested and excited to tackle this subject. Writing can be tedious to teach and challenging for students to love, but with these 6 back to school writing ideas, this subject will become a rich learning experience for educators and students alike.
#1 Superhero Writing
Superhero Writing is a unit I often began my school year with when I taught middle school. Students are tasked with pondering what particular superpower they would have if they were superheroes. Then, they turn that idea into a narrative story. Every single time I assigned this writing prompt, I would catch students still talking about their superpowers and their superhero stories in the hallway, at lockers, and during lunch. I was thrilled that they were so engaged with this writing prompt, that I wanted to expand it and make it available for other classes and teachers.
The ages of upper elementary to middle school seem to love superheroes and the idea of being one. Boys and girls alike love this writing unit. It’s fun, exciting, and engaging and sure to turn your students into passionate writers.
This unit has everything you need from prewriting to publishing and even displaying!
- Clear instructions for students to create a superhero narrative.
- Graphic organizer for character descriptions (Superhero and Villain) available in both print and Google Slides formats.
- Comprehensive graphic organizer for setting details, also accessible in print and Google Slides.
- Story plot graphic organizer, provided in print and Google Slides.
- Rough draft paper, available in both print and Google Slides.
- Superhero character trait sheet in both print and Google Slides.
- Superhero character trait craft templates for both male and female superheroes and villains, allowing students to make their choices. These are available in both print and Google Slides.
- Superhero-themed writing paper in three different colors, as well as a black and white option, accessible in both print and Google Slides.
- A “Super Writer” bulletin board header in three different colors.
- Superhero bulletin board border in three different colors.
- A detailed rubric for assessment purposes.
#2 A Day in the Life of Me
Another successful writing prompt I utilized as an upper elementary to middle school teacher is The Day in the Life of Me idea. Students had to write an essay about a day in their life. Students were to write about a typical day, from start to finish. This was not a writing prompt about a fun day or their best day ever. The whole premise was to share what an ordinary, no-frills day was like for them.
This was quite a popular writing prompt as students (especially middle schoolers) love to be “seen” and validated. They wanted to express what their day entails, their challenges, their accomplishments, and what they have to deal with in general. From early morning wake-ups to after-school sports, the whole day is accounted for. With social media being an ever-growing presence in the middle school classroom, daily Vlogs on TikTok and Instagram are extremely popular these days. This writing prompt is the written version of those Vlogs.
This writing assignment is also a wonderful way to get to know your students on a personal level. Connect with them as you read about a typical day in their life.
#3 The Lost City
I just started this writing prompt with my son (I homeschool my sixth grader), and he was extremely excited and raring to get going on this particular project. First, you’ll want to set the mood for students. Turn off the lights and have them close their eyes as they imagine what a Lost City means to them. Ideas of Atlantis or maybe The City of Ember come to mind as students’ imaginations start to rev up.
After a couple of minutes of imagining silently, turn on the lights and start brainstorming together and discussing all the ideas the students had. From cities in dark caves to Dr. Seuss-inspired villages on a flower, from cities behind waterfalls, to villages that survive in volcanos, the idea of a lost city is mysterious and exciting.
Give students a piece of copy paper and have them draw and color their lost city. Then, give them some guidelines, such as there must be treasure, an element of magic, and it must be hidden. Then, let me go to town on their drawings. Illustrating before writing is a wonderful tool to get students engaged in the process.
Once students start to draft their Lost City papers, the excitement grows and grows. Students can write a narrative on their lost city or write a descriptive piece describing it in detail. I’ve had a student write about someone discovering their lost city long after it died out. The important part is to give choice as much as possible so students can feel autonomy to write wherever their imagination may lead.
#4 Pirate Narrative
Talk Like a Pirate Day is in September, and even if you missed the special day, the idea of pirates is so mystifying and intriguing that students will be excited to learn about the history behind them as well as write a tale about them as well. Students can learn about real pirates such as Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Anne Bonny, and become inspired.
Make it a spooky pirate story and you’ve got an interesting and fun writing prompt that will lead you into Halloween.
This Pirate Narrative Unit has everything you’ll need for students to be successful, engaged writers.
- Vocabulary Word Cards
- Detailed Narrative Directions
- Narrative Rubric
- Setting Pre-Writing Graphic Organizer
- Setting Map
- Protagonist Map
- Antagonist / Villain Map
- Plot Line
- Pirate Creation Craftivity
- Pirate Bulletin Board Letters
- Bulletin Board Decor and Writing Paper
#5 Describe it to an Alien
Fall is such a beautiful backdrop for descriptive writing. With so many opportunities for details and sensory words, fall can explode off the page in a writing assignment. However, telling students to describe the season of fall can sound mundane and boring.
To get students engaged in this assignment, I gave it a twist. Students have to describe autumn to an alien from outer space. This alien is visiting soon and has never experienced the autumn season. Students must write a letter to this alien to help prepare him/her for the season. Students can choose to describe an aspect of fall such as pumpkins, Halloween, or falling leaves, or they can describe the entire season. Having students write to an alien makes them look at what they’re describing in a different light. Students aren’t just writing about the fall season to someone who knows all about it already. Writing to an alien means students must incorporate specific details, think of all the parts and facets of fall, and dive deeply into autumn.
Plus, the intended audience is an alien which makes this assignment funny and engaging. Students always chuckle during this one.
Additionally, it sets a fun precedent for descriptive writing for the rest of the year. Students know they must describe the topic in such detail that they’re describing it to an alien.
#6 Spooky Story
School starts, you blink, and then it’s almost October, which is the perfect time for a spooky story prompt. Even the most reluctant writers get excited about the opportunity to write a scary story.
Read spooky picture books for inspiration and discuss what facets of the stories are suspenseful and scary. Have them use those elements in their own spooky stories. Visit our past blog post on how to Teach Kids to Write a Spooky Story.
In the meantime, grab our full Halloween Writing Unit here.
It’s waiting for you to grab it.
Includes:
- Easy Peasy Teacher Instructions
- 4 Spooky Writing Prompts
- 2 Heroic Character Creation / Analysis Graphic Organizers
- 2 Spooky Character Creation / Analysis Graphic Organizers
- Details of a Creepy Setting Graphic Organizer
- Story Plot Map Graphic Organizer
- Rough Draft Guide
- Spooky Cover for published work
- Writing Sheets for their published stories
Bonus: Figurative Language
When teaching students to write interesting and detailed pieces, always find time to incorporate figurative language practice. By adding figurative language, students’ writing pieces will soar.
Grab our Pirate Figurative Language Activity to supplement the Pirate Writing Unit.
Also, grab our Spooky Figurative Language to supplement the Scary Story Unit.
Grab the Figurative Language Bundle for a year’s worth of practice!
Conclusion:
Whether you’re tasking your students to write about walking through walls or walking on a plank, inventing a lost city, writing to an alien, writing about themselves, or creating a spooky tale, these six writing prompts will be sure to make successful writers who fall in love with writing. By offering creative and exciting topics like superheroes, pirates, and spooky stories, students are more likely to feel connected and enthusiastic about writing. Not only do these activities foster creativity, but they also allow students to express themselves in unique ways. By making writing fun and relevant to their interests, you can transform what may have felt like a tedious task into a rich and rewarding learning experience. So this year, give your students a fresh start with writing prompts that inspire both them and you!
