86
Middle schoolers love to express themselves! But as any 6th, 7th, or 8th grade educator knows, getting them to express themselves in writing isn’t as easy as letting them shout it out. Whether it’s journal prompts for narrative writing, argumentative ideas for persuasive writing, or just a list of reliable bell ringers, young writers of any skill level will find inspiration in these original middle school writing prompts.
15 Bell Ringer Writing Prompts for Middle School
Help students get settled into class right after the bell rings with quick and fun writing prompts for middle school that can take as little as five minutes to complete. You can also use these prompts as daily intro activities or as part of a first week of middle school activity to break the ice.
- What is the worst movie you’ve ever seen? What made it so bad?
- Describe how a piece of pizza looks, feels, sounds, smells, and tastes.
- Add or subtract one school of our school rules. Write a quick story about how it would change life at our school.
- Describe a random thing in your bedroom. Why do you keep it? What does it make you think about?
- If you could buy a bottle of perfume or cologne with any smell in the world, what smell would you choose and why?
- Which would you rather fight by yourself: zombies, aliens, or vampires? Why?
- Think of two items in your backpack. Create an invention that combines both.
- Ask me something you’ve always wanted to know.
- What was the last song you listened to? How did it make you feel?
- Write a letter to your feet. What would you thank them for? What could they do differently?
- Describe the experience of eating ice cream. Use all five senses.
- What were your favorite shoes you’ve ever had? Why were they the best?
- Write a text chat between two characters from a book or movie.
- What snack could you never live without?
- What type of weather do you love? What weather do you dread?
Use the power of choice to get students writing
One surefire way to get students more engaged in writing is to give them options! Creativity isn’t a one-size-fits-all skill, so providing writing prompt choices each day helps students pick a topic that feels relatable to their unique personalities.
101 Writing Prompts – Daily Writing Warm-Up – Bell Ringer Journal
By Brain Waves Instruction
Standards: CCSS W 6.3, 6.3.b, 6.3.d, 6.4, 6.10; CCSS CCRA W.4 & W.10
Each this or that writing prompt provides students with two choices for showcasing their writing. The choices promote engagement, differentiate the activity, and tap into multiple learning styles.
Journey into travel writing with a geography-themed bell ringer
These interactive, digital writing prompts for middle school could be the starting point for combined social studies and ELA projects.
Secondary ELA Writing Travel Theme Geography Bell Ringer Digital Picture Prompts
By The Language of Educational Art
Standards: CCSS CCRA W.3, W.4, W.5
Familiarize students with 30 incredible locales while honing their creative writing skills! Each activity includes a presentation slide featuring captivating pictures, facts, and links to Google Earth tours plus a printable journal or Google Form submission.
15 Journal Writing Prompts for Middle School
Descriptive journal writing prompts for middle school students encourage narrative writing skills and help you get to know your class a little better. Use these as 6th grade writing prompts to welcome students to middle school. Or, assign them as summer learning activities for middle school to keep students practicing their writing skills.
- Imagine that you could change one thing about yourself. Describe a day in which that one thing is different.
- What is your favorite article of clothing? Why do you like it so much?
- Is it easy for you to ask for help? Describe a time you had to ask for help (or when you should have asked for help but didn’t).
- Write about a life-changing event in your life. How did it change you?
- What is your pet peeve in other people? How does it make you feel when someone does it?
- What is your ideal job when you grow up?
- Describe the best vacation you’ve ever had.
- What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
- Imagine that people glowed different colors when they felt different emotions. What color would you glow today? What emotion does that represent?
- Describe a mistake you made and the lesson you learned about yourself.
- What song describes your mindset right now? Why?
- How would you help someone who was being bullied?
- Describe a time when you were very lucky or when you were very unlucky.
- What do you wish you’d known as a kindergartner that you know now?
- If you could start a new hobby today, what would you start?
Create a journal with prompts for every day of the school year
There are many benefits of journaling, and some are even backed by science. Use these daily journal prompts as a consistent way to start your day and to help students clear their minds, lessen intense feelings, relieve stress, improve their memories, and so much more!
Writing Prompts for Middle School ELA Full Year of Daily Journal Prompts
By EdCoach Network with Karen Au
Six hundred writing prompts provide daily writing practice for middle schoolers of all skill levels. Assign one prompt a day, or let them choose their favorite. The prompts come in a variety of formats for easy projection or printing.
15 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School
Everyone’s got a story to tell, and your students are no exception! Whether you need 7th grade writing prompts to fill some time or story starters for older writers, these creative writing prompts for middle school are the perfect way to expand on “Once upon a time…”
- If you were the last person on Earth, what is the first thing you’d do?
- Rewrite the ending of a movie you just saw or a book you just read. If it had a happy ending, make it sad. If it had a sad ending, make it a happy one.
- In a future where no one uses cars, how do people get around, and what are the problems with it?
- Imagine that society needs to be rebuilt, and you’re the one who gets to organize it. What would you change from the society we live in now?
- Imagine that you woke up invisible this morning. What do you do first, and how do you become visible again?
- Create a sport where players play on teams, no ball is involved, and the most important skill is your speed.
- Your favorite celebrity is in town, and they want to hang out with you! What do you do all day?
- Close your eyes and move your head in another direction. Then open your eyes. Write a story about the first non-human thing you see and what happens when it suddenly comes to life.
- Imagine a world where people ride another animal instead of horses. How did we tame the first one, and what does life look like now?
- If you had a time machine that could only stop in one time period, where would you go?
- Write a story where you have the ability to read people’s minds — and you learn a really big secret from someone unexpected.
- Finish the story: “I always knew my parents had a secret, but I never expected…”
- Create your own superhero. What is their superpower? What is their weakness? Who is trying to stop them?
- You’ve solved world hunger! How did you do it, and how does it work?
- Finish the story: “When I adopted a baby dragon, the biggest problem was…”
Encourage students to think deeper about any novel they’re reading
When planning out the books your class will read for the year, it’s easy to gather resources and activities on those specific novels. But, what about the books your students read for fun or in independent studies? Help students think more deeply about any novel with these general literature journal prompts.
Reading Response Journal Prompts for Any Novel (Set 1) – Distance Learning
By Reading and Writing Haven
Standards: CCSS RL.7.1, 7.2, 7.10, 8.1, 8.2, 8.10, 9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.10; CCSS W.7.10, 8.10, 9-10.10
Ideal for any middle or high school novel, these prompts address many Common Core literature and writing standards, as they encourage students to use evidence from the text to support their claims.
15 Argumentative Writing Prompts for Middle School
Students’ argumentative skills are developing rapidly at this level. Help get them debate-ready by adding these middle school argumentative writing prompts to your persuasive writing unit, or rotate them through your regular prompts to develop students’ critical thinking skills.
- Should animal rights be taken as seriously as human rights? Why or why not?
- Should high school students be allowed to vote?
- Should your school require students to wear uniforms?
- Is there a value to a school dress code?
- What should be the minimum age for using social media?
- Do online friends provide the same connection as real-life friends? Explain why or why not.
- Would you rather have the ability to fly or the ability to move things with your mind? What are the advantages of each?
- Should school begin early in the morning and end early in the day, or start late in the morning and end later in the day?
- What is the best holiday and why?
- Would you rather live in a big city or a small town? Why?
- What is the biggest problem facing your generation today?
- What would be the worst animal to become?
- Convince someone to watch your favorite TV show.
- Would you rather start over as a toddler or skip ahead to being an adult?
- Should all students be required to take P.E.?
Introduce argumentative writing with “yes” or “no” writing debates
One of the Common Core ELA writing standards for 6th-8th grades is the ability to “write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.” When students have the choice of being pro or con in an argument, they’ll have an easier time writing about their stance.
Argumentative Writing Prompts
By Rigorous Resources by Lisa
Each of these argumentative writing prompts includes a “yes” and “no” argument alongside prompts that are sure to interest middle schoolers — even if they don’t like to write. Use them in a persuasive writing unit or as partner activities when building debate skills.
15 Informational Writing Prompts for Middle School
Let your middle schoolers tell you what to do for a change! Informational writing prompts for 8th grade or younger help students master the art of expository text and technical writing. Plus, it gives them a chance to show off what they already know!
- Summarize your favorite video game.
- Explain the benefits of eating healthy.
- What would happen if one particular animal disappeared from the world?
- Explain how the seasons of the year are different from each other.
- Tell someone how to make your favorite meal.
- Tell someone the most basic ways to keep a friend as a teenager.
- Explain how to operate a dishwasher or cook something on a stove.
- Write a news article about an event that occurred in a movie or show you just watched.
- What traffic rules do you follow when riding your bike or walking through your neighborhood?
- How do you get to school from your house? Write out directions in an instructional format.
- If someone gets sick, what are the best remedies for getting well?
- Explain how to play your favorite game, whether it’s a sport, video game, or board game.
- Describe how to operate something you use every day (such as a bike, a pencil sharpener, or a phone) using as many details as possible.
- How do you take care of a pet?
- Write a short biography about your favorite superhero or fictional character.
Turn an inventive writing prompt into a full expository essay
Help students see how writing prompts can help them write essays on different topics. Students may think of writing prompts as time-fillers, but teachers know these prompts serve more of a purpose in introducing students to essay writing.
Expository Writing Prompt Expository Graphic Organizer Invention with an Impact
By Write On with Jamie
Standards: CCSS W 6.2, 6.2a, 6.2b, 6.2c, 6d, 6.2e, 6.2f, 6.4, 6.5, 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 7.2, 7.2a, 7.2b, 7.2c, 7d, 7.2e, 7.2f, 7.4, 7.5, 7.8, 7.9, 7.10, 8.2, 8.2a, 8.2b, 8.2c, 8.2d, 8.2e, 8.2f, 8.4, 8.5, 8.8, 8.9, 8.10
Introduce expository writing with these no-prep lessons that teach students how to move through every step of the writing process. Go beyond writing prompts with an expository writing resource that includes a slideshow, lesson plans, a video, graphic organizers, and a grading rubric.
What should middle schoolers write about?
The topics for middle school writing prompts are endless. But if you’re looking for topics that are most likely to engage even your most reluctant writers, find topics related to:
- Their preferences about daily life
- Their favorite books, movies, songs, games, or television shows
- Current issues in the news, such as pollution, animal rights, and civil rights
- Creative storytelling
- “What if” or “Would you rather” questions
As long as they address middle school Common Core state standards for narrative, argumentative, and expository writing, your prompts can be about whatever your students like to write about!
Find middle school writing resources for every activity with TPT
Writing prompts for middle school students are an easy way to get creativity flowing and start important conversations in the classroom. But bell ringers and story starters aren’t the only ways to inspire the future authors in your classroom! Check out middle school writing resources from TPT Teacher-Authors for more ways to get their pencils moving or their fingers typing.
