25 Back to School Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers
It’s back to school time! Put pencil to paper with these 25 back-to-school writing prompts for middle schoolers.
25 Back to School Writing Prompts for Middle School Writers
Summer is over, and students are ready to learn. Or at least as ready to learn as middle schoolers can be. Ha!
You can use the theme of back to school to give their writing a jump start and make starting up a bit easier for them – and for you!
Check out these 25 back-to-school writing prompts that pull from the different types of writing:
- narrative
- poetry
- expository
- persuasive
- and descriptive writing.
Back to School Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School
Narrative writing involves a story, dialogue, and the retelling of an event from a character’s point of view.
Back to What Kind of School?
Imagine you or a character attending a different kind of school. What is back to school like at a school for elves, inventors, spies, or werewolves?
The Adventure Book
You open one of your school books to find a portal to another realm. Is it Mathland? A time in history? The world of a novel? What happens when you enter the place?
Lunch on TV
A TV crew shows up to do a story on your school lunch. Why are they there? What do they want to know? What do you say or do?
Virtual Reality School
What if you learned in an utterly virtual environment (using VR goggles and motion capture sensors)? What would it be like? Who would your avatar be? What would your classes be like? The sky is the limit!
Back to Archaeology
You go for a walk after school and see something stick out of the dirt in an abandoned field. It turns out to be a major archaeological discovery! What is it? Lucky for you, you have recently learned about this in history or science. What happens when you excavate it?
Back to School Poetry Prompts for Middle School
Poetry can be rhymed or unrhymed; it can have a meter or be free verse. Poetry can be humorous or emotional, lovely or ridiculous. Everyone can write poetry!
Back to School Haiku
Write three lines (5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables) about the return to school.
Acrostic Poem on Back to School
Choose a back-to-school-themed word to write an acrostic poem (each line starts with a letter of the word). Here are some ideas: TIME TO LEARN, STUDENT, SUBJECTS
Ode to a School Subject
An ode is a poem written in praise of someone or something. It is typically pretty short. Write an ode to your favorite subject.
Ballad for Back to School
Imagine “Back to the School: the Musical.” Write a power ballad for the new musical made of verses that have 4 lines (most pop songs are ballads). The lines typically rhyme in an ABAB pattern. You could use a real song as an inspiration and change the words to make them back to school-like.
Back to School Limerick
A limerick is a humorous poem with its own rhyme and meter (Edward Lear was the master at them). Read a few aloud to your students and then ask them to write their own back to school limerick. Consider the topic: How has your day changed from summer schedule to school schedule?
Back to School Expository Writing Prompts for Middle School
Expository writing, also called information writing, relies on facts; it’s the type of writing you find in textbooks. While this type of writing usually involves research, you can assign prompts with which the student is already familiar.
Textbooks: From Start to Finish
How does a textbook come to be? Describe each step in the process.
Making a Lunch Nutritious and Appealing
How do you make lunch at school healthy and appetizing at the same time? What types of foods or menus should you create?
How to Avoid Procrastinating
Write some tips and tricks to avoid doing your work at the last possible minute.
Computers and School
How is a computer used in your school day?
Design an Art Project
What type of art project would inspire you? Even if you are not into art as a hobby, what type of project (perhaps combined with something you do enjoy) would interest you? Consider out-of-the-box ideas like digital art, sculpting, edible art, or forging items out of metal or glass.
Back to School Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School
Persuasive writing involves making an assertion (e.g., “History is the best subject.”) and then persuading your reader that you are correct. You have to provide reasons for your assertion (e.g., “It is filled with fascinating stories that really happened, we can learn from our mistakes, and you get to learn about far off places.”)
Which is the Best Subject and Why?
Everyone has their favorite subject in school. What is yours and why?
Join the Club
Imagine that you have to start a brand new club. What would it be? Why should people join it?
Whether We Should Have Homework
Should you have homework after spending the day doing work at school? Why or why not?
Whether Students Should Wear Uniforms
Should students wear uniforms? Pick a side and then explain why or why not.
Should Middle Schoolers Have to Exercise?
Should physical education be required for every middle school student?
Back to School Descriptive Writing Prompts for Middle School
How can you make your reader a picture when he or she reads? Use descriptive words that involve the five senses!
Describe Your Classroom
How can you describe the room around you? What’s on the walls? How is the room furnished? What colors do you see? What sounds do you hear? How does it smell (hopefully it smells good!)?
Describe a Pencil
Sometimes we look past everyday objects, but take a moment to closely examine your pencil. How would you describe it in detail? Imagine that your reader has never seen, held, or felt a pencil before.
Describe How You Feel on the First Day of School
What are you seeing, hearing, thinking, and feeling on the first day of school?
Describe Your Morning Routine
What do you do in the morning before school? Describe each step with details from your five senses: taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing.
Describe the Process of Writing
Go ahead and write about writing! Detail the steps as you experience them, from picking up your paper (what does it feel like and look like?) to scribbling the words on the page.
25 Back to School Writing Prompts for Middle School
Back to School is a busy time of year, but it is full of inspiring moments and ideas. Get into the groove of writing with these 25 back-to-school writing prompts for middle schoolers.
