Lower Elementary Grades

1.  Persuasive Letter

Your school cafeteria is going to serve ice cream for dessert. The students get to pick whether it’s chocolate, vanilla or strawberry. Write a letter telling the school board what flavor you want and why they should choose it.

2.  Persuasive Prompt

You want your friend to come over and spend the night, but your parents don’t want to let you because it is a school night. Make a convincing argument to your parents that they should let your friend come over tonight.

3.  Three Choices Prompt

You are going on a vacation and you can only have one kind of toy or activity for the whole trip. Your choices are dolls/action figures, books, or coloring pages. Which would you choose? Explain why.

Upper Elementary Grades

4.  Persuasive Letter

Your state is going to give an award to the best elementary school teacher. Your principal is trying to decide which teacher will be nominated from your school. Write a letter to the principal recommending a teacher for nomination and explaining why that teacher should be chosen.

5.  Persuasive Prompt

Because of budget cuts in the school district, your school is considering dropping one of the following classes from the curriculum: music, P.E., or art. Write a letter either explaining which one the school board should cut or which ones they should not cut and give reasons why or why not. If you think none of these classes should be cut, offer an alternative.

6.  Three Choices Prompt

The city has an empty lot and they’re trying to figure out what to put in it. The three choices are a Boys and Girls Club recreation center, an indoor water park, or a skate park. Which do you think they should choose and why would you choose it?