Writing Prompts for Teachers

Not only do I teach my students about reading across the curriculum, but we also talk about the value of writing to learn and how it can be used to enhance understanding. My preservice teachers are big on journaling in math and like for their students to keep experimental journals in science.

In looking for some writing prompt resources recently, I came across this amazing collection of prompts from The Teacher's Corner. Here is the overview from the site.

As always, The Teacher’s Corner is looking for ways to make your life easier. We hope that our newest addition, “Daily Writing Prompt,” does just that. On as many days as possible, we have selected an event from our monthly event calendars to be the focus of the writing prompt. Our “Daily Writing Prompt” resources can be used in a number of ways:

• Daily warm-up activity
• Practice in prompt writing for state assessments
• Daily/weekly writing prompt
• “Anytime” activity
• Student work center
• “When You’re Done” activity
• Substitute teacher activity

One added advantage to TTC’s “Daily Writing Prompt” is that they can easily be displayed through an LCD projector in your classroom. This eliminates time you would have to spend at the copy machine. All of the prompts can easily be printed as well. Be sure to look over the different options we provide you for printing the prompts.

You will find that the writing prompts are written for different grade levels. We hope to continue to adding prompts that will meet the needs of both primary and intermediate students. You will also find that some of the prompts don’t explicitly state that day’s event. You may want to refer back to the monthly events calendar for this information in order to share it with your students.

To give you a sense of what is available at this site, here are the prompts for this week.

September 22
On this day in 1789, the United States Post Office opened. In recent years, many people have begun to use email. Do you think there will ever be a time in the future that the only items actually “mailed” by the Post Office are packages? And all letters and magazines will be sent via email?

Autumn begins today. What is your favorite season? Explain why you enjoy that particular season.

September 23
“National Dog Week” is the 4th week of September. There is a saying that a dog is “man's best friend.” How do you think this saying came to be and does it hold any truth?

September 24
On this day in 1789, the Supreme Court was established. Using resources in the classroom, learn five (5) facts about the Supreme Court’s roll in our nation’s government and summarize them in your own words.

September 25
On September 25, 1513, Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean. What types of things do you think we still have to discover about the ocean?

September 26
On September 26, 1774, John Chapman was born. Later in life, he became better known as Johnny Appleseed. Johnny performed a “community service” as he traveled west spreading apple seeds. Write about some types of community service that you could possibly perform.

There are many great ideas here. Do take some time to check them out.