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?

1. Imagine you had a hundred dollars, but you couldn’t keep it. You had to give it away to a person or charity. Who would you give it to? What would you want them to do with it?

2. Describe one time when you were brave.

3. If you could cook any meal for your family, what would you cook? Describe the meal and tell how you would make it.

4. Imagine you woke up and saw a dinosaur in your backyard. Write a story telling what you see and do.

5. Imagine you opened your own restaurant. Tell the name of your restaurant. Explain what the restaurant looks like, who works there, and what you serve.

6. Describe your favorite character from a book, a movie, or television.

7. Write a story titled, “My Journey on a Pirate Ship.” You and your friends can star in the story.

8. If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be? Describe the pet and how you would take care of it.

9. Do you have any brothers or sisters? If you do, tell what they’re like. If not, tell whether or not you would like to have a brother or sister.

10. If you could have lunch with any famous person who would it be? What would you talk about with this person?

11. Write a story titled, “The Bat Who Couldn’t Fly.”

12. Imagine you were a wonderful painter and your parents would let you paint anything you wanted on your bedroom walls. What would you paint? Use lots of details to describe your artwork.

13. Describe the oldest person you know.

14. Describe the youngest person you know.

15. Do you think a monkey would make a good pet? Explain why or why not.

16. How old were you four years ago? Describe some things you can do now that you could not do then.

17. Imagine you worked at a football stadium. What would your job be? (examples: quarterback, cheerleader, coach, referee, ticket seller) Describe what you would do while you were on the job.

18. What do you like best about your home?

19. If you could be on any game show, what would it be? Describe what happens when you’re on the show.

20. Describe your favorite season (fall, spring, summer, or winter). Tell what kinds of things you like to do during that season.

21. Write a story titled, “The Baby Dragon.”

22. Describe several ways a person your age can earn money.

23. Would you want to visit the moon? Why or why not?

24. If you could spend an afternoon with one member of your extended family, who would it be? Tell why you chose this person and tell what you do together.

25. Which superpower would you most like to have– invisibility, super strength, or the ability to fly? Describe what kids of things you would do with your powers.

26. Think of a time when you’ve won something. Tell what you won and how you won it.

27. Invent a new kind of sandwich. Describe what is on it and how you would make it.

28. Describe one thing you’re really good at.

29. Imagine you were twenty feet tall. Describe what life would be like.

30. If you were a doctor, what kind of doctor would you be? (examples: children’s doctor, veterinarian, eye doctor, dentist) Tell what your job would be like.