opinion essay prompts 11th grade

49 Opinion Writing Prompts for Students

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One of the most common essay types is the opinion, or persuasive, essay. In an opinion essay , the writer states a point of view, then provides facts and reasoned arguments to support that viewpoint. The goal of the essay is to convince the reader to share the writer’s opinion.

Students aren't always aware of how many strong opinions they already hold. Use the following opinion writing prompts to inspire them to start thinking and writing persuasively.

Prompts About School and Sports

School- and sports-related topics often elicit strong opinions in students. Use these writing prompts to kick off the brainstorming process.

• Ch-ch-ch-changes . What is one thing about your school that needs to change? Is bullying an issue? Do students need longer breaks or a dress code? Choose one vital issue that needs to change and convince school leaders to make it happen.
• Special guest. Your school is trying to decide on a famous person to give a speech or presentation to students. Who do you think they should choose? Write an essay to convince your principal.
• Oxford or bust. Is the Oxford comma essential or obsolete?
• Scribble scrabble. Do students still need to learn cursive handwriting?
• Co-ed conflict. Would students perform better if more schools were single-gender rather than co-ed? Why or why not?
• Participation awards. Should there be winners and losers in sports, or is participation the ultimate goal?
• Homework overload. Write an essay to convince your teacher to assign less homework.
• Sports. Which sport (or team) is the best? What makes it better than the others?
• No slacking . Write an essay persuading a fellow student to do their homework.
• Class trip. This year, students get to vote on where to go for a class trip. Write an essay convincing your fellow students to vote for the place you’d like to go.
• Superlatives. Which would you rather be: a top student, a talented athlete, or an accomplished artist?
• Virtual athletes . Video games competitions are often aired on TV and treated like sports competitions. Should video games be considered sports?
• Class debate. Should classes that students may not use or that don’t interest them (such as physical education or foreign language) be required?

Prompts About Relationships

Friendships, dating, and other relationships can be both rewarding and exasperating. These writing prompts about relationships will help students explore their feelings about both the positive and the negative moments.

• Snitch. Your best friend tells you about his plan to cheat on a test. Should you tell an adult? Why or why not?
• Give it a chance. Your best friend is convinced that she would hate your favorite book, even though she's never read it. Convince her to read it.
• Friendships vs. relationships. Are friendships or romantic relationships more important in life? Why?
• Driving age. What age do kids start driving in your state? Is that age too old, too young, or just right? Why?
• Truth or consequences. Your best friend asks your opinion about something, but you know that a truthful answer will hurt her feelings. What do you do?
• Who chooses? Your best friend is visiting, and you want to watch TV together, but his favorite show is at the same time as your favorite show. Convince him that your show is a better choice.
• Fun times. What is the most fun thing you and your best friend have ever experienced together? Why does it deserve the top spot?
• Dating. Are long-term dating relationships good or bad for teens?
• New friends. You want to spend time with a new student at school, but your best friend is jealous. Convince your friend of the importance of including the newcomer.
• Be mine. Is Valentine’s Day worthwhile or just a scheme for the greeting card and chocolate industry to make more money?
• Debbie Downer. Should you cut ties with friends or relatives who are always negative?
• He loves me not. Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
• Elders. Should you respect your elders merely because they are older, or is respect something that must be earned?

Prompts About Family, Pets, and Leisure Time

The following writing prompts related to family, furry friends, and free time will help students reflect on preferences, ethics, and integrity.

• Self-reflection. This time, you're the one who needs convincing! Write an essay to persuade yourself to start a healthy habit (or kick a bad habit).
• Paper wars. Should toilet paper hang with the loose end resting on the top of the roll or hanging from the bottom?
• Movie vs. book. Choose a book that has been made into a movie. Which version is better, and why?
• Weekend wanderings . Do you prefer to stay home on the weekends or get out and do things around town? Write an essay to convince your parents to let you do what you prefer this weekend.
• Sweepstakes. A travel agency is hosting an essay contest to give away an all-expenses-paid trip to the one place in the world you’d most love to visit. Craft a winning essay that convinces them they need to choose you.
• Zoo debate. Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos? Why or why not?
• Presence of pets. Should there be limits on the types of places pets can go (e.g. airplanes or restaurants)? Why or why not?
• Inspiring stories. What is the most inspiring book you’ve ever read? Why is it so inspiring?
• Dollar discovery. You find a $20 bill in the parking lot of a crowded store. Is it okay to keep it, or should you turn it in to customer service?
• Vacation day. What is the very best way to spend an unexpected day off from school and why is it the best?
• Digital or print? Is it better to read books in print or digitally? Why?

Prompts About Society and Technology

The people and technology around us have a significant impact on our lives. These writing prompts encourage students to consider the effect that society and technological advances have on our day-to-day lives.

• Reverse technology. Pick one technological advancement that you think the world would be better off without. Explain your reasoning and persuade the reader.
• Out of this world . Do aliens exist? Why or why not?
• Social media. Is social media good or bad for society? Why?
• Emoji. Has the use of emoji stunted our ability to express ourselves in writing, or does it help us identify our emotions more precisely?
• Auto safety. Have advancements like self-driving cars, blind spot indicators, and lane departure warning systems made driving safer, or have they just made drivers less attentive?
• Exploration Mars. Write a letter to Elon Musk convincing him that you should be part of a colony to Mars.
• Fundraisers. Is it okay for kids to stand outside stores and ask shoppers for money for their sports teams, clubs, or band? Why or why not?
• Inventions. What is the greatest invention ever made? Why is it the best?
• Important cause. In your opinion, what global problem or issue deserves more attention than it currently receives? Why should more time and money be invested in this cause?
• Minimalism. Does living a minimalist lifestyle make for a happier life? Why or why not?
• Gaming gains. Are video games generally a positive or a negative influence? Why?
• Rose-colored glasses. Is the current decade the best era in history? Why or why not?
• Paper or plastic. Should plastic bags be outlawed?
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Elementary School

Middle school, high school, ets criterion sm library, grade 11 prompts, ws friends (descriptive).

Human beings are social creatures, so friends are an important part of anyone’s life. What qualities and behaviors make a person a good friend? Write an essay explaining three or four traits of a true friend. Use specific details and anecdotes from your own experiences.

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WS Memorable Class (Expository)

Think about the classes you have had so far today. Which was most memorable? Choose one class period and write an essay explaining the main point of the class. Support the main point using at least two different types of details: facts (things that can be proven), statistics (facts with numerical values), quotations (exact words of a speaker), or anecdotes (stories that gives insight).

WS Freedom of Expression (Expository)

The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression. The framers of the Constitution believed this freedom was essential to a strong democracy. Write an essay that explains how freedom of expression contributes to democracy. Use several examples of freedom of expression to support your response.

WS Transportation (Expository)

People travel by many different means, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Choose two of the following modes of transportation and write an essay comparing and contrasting them: walking, bicycling, driving a car, taking a train, flying, and sailing by ship. Support your viewpoint with specific examples and details for each mode of transport.

WS Similar Sports (Expository)

Cross-country and downhill skiing share certain similarities, yet they offer different experiences to the people who enjoy them. Field hockey and ice hockey also require different skills. Think of two similar sports or activities that you enjoy and write a brief essay to compare and contrast them. Make sure you include specific details for each activity.

WS Proper Punishment (Narrative)

Remember a time when you received a punishment you thought was unfair. Narrate what happened and how you felt about it then, and explain whether you still feel the same way. Suggest a different punishment that may have been more effective. Remember to give details and examples.

WS Add a Class (Persuasive)

Your school budget will allow for an additional class to be offered in the coming school year, and your principal has asked students to make suggestions. Can you think of subjects that you would like to learn or subjects you think need to be taught? Write a letter to the principal convincing him or her to select the class you think would be best. Be sure to support your view with specific reasons and examples.

WS Sports Funding (Persuasive)

Your school board has announced plans to cut funding for sports teams. It has stated that some sports are not supported well by the student body and their funds are better used elsewhere. As a concerned student, write a letter to the school board airing your opinion about funding cuts. Argue your points using specific examples to support your position.

WS Leaky Faucet (Persuasive)

Addressing a problem requires different methods of persuasion. Write a letter of complaint to your landlord, who has put off fixing a leaky faucet in your apartment. Include specific details about why you need it fixed soon. State your case in a cool, neutral tone, and include a call to action for the landlord.

WS Sleep Time (Persuasive)

Teenagers often have different sleep habits than adults. Would you oppose or support moving the start and finish time of school back one hour? As a concerned student, write a letter to the school board convincing them of your position. Include reasons, facts, and examples.

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The Ultimate Guide to Opinion Writing for Students and Teachers

The Importance of Opinion Writing

Encouraging our students to express their personal opinions is an important part of the learning process; healthy even. To do this effectively, it is equally important that we help them acquire the necessary skills to express these opinions in a reasoned and coherent manner when teaching opinion writing.

Writing is one of the best possible vehicles for our students not only to express their opinions but to explore the strength and validity of those opinions.

CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE WRITING AN OPINION ESSAY

For our students to competently express their opinions in writing, they must first understand the specific requirements of the type of question they are answering. Of course, there are many types of questions and fun opinion writing prompts that are geared towards coaxing personal opinions from a student and each will require its own specific tailored response.

It’s clear that personal opinions permeate a wide range of genres and media. We find opinions everywhere from hotel reviews and infomercials to political commentary and newspaper editorials. But, despite the diversity of forms opinion writing can take, we can helpfully identify some general criteria that will assist our students in navigating the challenge of most opinion writing prompts and questions.

Let’s take a look at some of these criteria in more detail.

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OPINION WRITING CRITERIA TO ADDRESS

1. identify the audience: speak clearly.

Writing is about language and language is about communication; students should understand that we do not write in a vacuum. The purpose of an essay, letter, or any other form of writing we care to name, is ultimately to be read.

This means that it is essential that consideration be given to the character of the intended audience. Also, remind students that when they are writing, the reader is not privy to the inner workings of the writer’s mind. They must make their thoughts explicit in their writing and ensure that these thoughts are expressed in a coherent manner.

The student writer should always avoid making the assumption that the reader knows things that are not expressed explicitly in the writing.

2. Take a Stance: Stand Firm

From the very outset, the student should state their position boldly. More than that, they must stand firm in that opinion throughout the entirety of the piece.

Opinion writing is not about communicating a series of pros and cons or discussing at length the various related advantages and disadvantages, the place for that is not here. The opinion piece should open with a bold statement of opinion that is clearly expressed, and that opinion should be held unwaveringly and reinforced constantly throughout the text.

As with many other writing genres , employing a hook to grab the reader’s attention is good practice too. This hook can take the form of a quotation, an anecdote, a statistic, or even a joke. Whatever form the hook takes, it should reveal the writer’s take on things too.

To summarize, whatever the topic and however the student opens their opinion piece, they should ensure they express their opinion immediately and coherently. There should be no doubt in the reader’s mind as to where the student-writer stands on the issue.

3. Choose Appropriate Evidence: Back It Up

There is no doubt that subjectivity is an important aspect of opinion writing in general. That does not mean, however, that opinions do not need to be substantiated.

Your students will need to recognize that each and every statement of opinion will need to be supported by appropriate evidence. This will also help students to develop their critical reading skills as they will be able to better recognize when unsubstantiated claims are made by other writers. Opinions backed up with evidence help lead the reader along the writer’s pathways of thought; making the writing more convincing as a whole.

This evidence can take a wide variety of forms, ranging from personal anecdotes and quotations to statistics and references to scientific studies. Students should also always be encouraged to choose evidence that is broadly suited to the subject they are writing about.

4. Draw Conclusions: Wrap It Up

In the well-organized piece of opinion writing, as with many other types of extended writing, the writing should be structured in paragraphs. Paragraphs are essential elements of good writing organization.

Generally speaking, an opening paragraph gives way to body paragraphs. These body paragraphs, or development paragraphs, describe in more detail the ideas laid out in the initial opening paragraph by further exploring, explaining, and providing supporting evidence for each point.

The final concluding paragraph serves to close the circle by restating the central points in a closing endeavor to drive home the writer’s opinion.

5. A Word on Words

Writing is an art form. Attention to detail is important. But, it isn’t only important to look at the big picture things like structure, students should be encouraged to shift their focus from the text level down to the word and sentence levels too. In an opinion piece, strong, forceful verbs should be the order of the day. There is little space for passive forms when engaged in the construction of convincing arguments.

Things should be kept interesting too. Students should vary their sentence structures grammatically and in length. Variety is key.

 As always in writing, editing should be emphasized. The editing process polishes the well-wrought opinion piece by putting the final gloss on the student’s work.

The OREO Opinion Writing Process Explained

As with all genres, there’s a lot to remember here and acronyms are a helpful way to commit these important things to memory. Luckily, few things can be easier to commit to memory than the name of a delicious cookie:

O – Opinion

R – Reasons

E – Evidence or Examples

O – Opinion (restated)

This memorable acronym will help students remember some of the main elements of opinion writing as outlined above. But, sometimes the hardest thing for students to do is to get the writing ball rolling.

Opinionated Sentence Starters

Sentence starters provide students with great ways to kick-start their writing. Reminding students of simple ways of introducing opinion sentences can be helpful. Here are a few for ‘starters’ for starters:

●     In my opinion…

●     I think that…

●     It seems to me that…

●     It appears to me…

●     I feel that…

Once the student-writer has effectively expressed their opinion on a matter, they then will need to provide the reader with the reasons for why they think what they think. In an essay, these reasons will usually be found in the body paragraphs or development paragraphs. Normally, these paragraphs will explore a single reason each.

Some helpful sentence starters for introducing these reasons include:

●     One reason I feel this way is…

●     Evidence to support this can be found in…

●     I believe this to evident in…

Opinion Writing Activities for Students

Students will certainly need practice completing sustained pieces of opinion writing, but some of the most valuable activities to help students evolve their opinion writing abilities barely require a pen to be put to paper.

While the following two activities do not require students to engage in extended pieces of writing, the activities below will assist students in grasping some essential concepts. These activities demonstrate good practice through modelling and also encourage dialogue, discussion, and debate as a means to strengthen opinion writing.

Activity 1: Opinion Writing – What Is It?

This exercise is a good follow-up to introductory work outlining the criteria of opinion writing as described above.

●     Start by passing out copies of a piece of opinion writing you have selected to read with the class. Read the text aloud as the students follow along with their copy. The opinion text chosen can come from a wide range of genres, including advertisements, letters, editorials, essays, articles, or reviews.

●     Assign students a talking partner and instruct students to take five minutes to identify the various criteria employed in the text. Encourage students to mark and annotate their copies of the text accordingly. You may even wish to supply students with a checklist compiled from the criteria mentioned previously in this article.

●     As a whole class, discuss how successfully the text fulfills the criteria. What did the writer do well? What could they have done better? You can record their responses on the whiteboard.

The aim of this exercise is for students to hone their critical faculties while internalizing the criteria. This will reap rewards when the students later engage in their own extended opinion writing.

Activity 2: The Collaborative Case

This activity employs collaboration to help students build a stronger case for their opinion on a divisive issue.

●     First, define the parameters of the exercise by presenting an either/or conundrum to the class. This doesn’t have to be overly controversial in nature, just stated in such a way that it forces the students to take one side or another. This could be stated simply as a choice, e.g. Dogs or cats? City or countryside? Beach or Mountains? Sweet or savory?

●     Students then divide into two groups according to their stated preferences. In their groups, they then discuss and compile as many supporting reasons for their choice as they can come up with. As a group, they will discuss the relative merits of each reason, before agreeing on their top five.

●     The groups then share their reasons in a debate format, using arguments and counter-arguments, leading into an open, free-ranging discussion.

The value of this exercise lies in the collaborative and ‘combative’ natures of the exercises. Just as our physical muscles can grow through resistance, so too can the strength and resilience of our opinions and arguments.

This activity can also be used as a lead-in to opinion writing as it works well as a prewriting preparation exercise. The complexity of the issue to be discussed and debated can easily be modified to suit the abilities of the students too.

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OPINION WRITING VIDEO TUTORIALS

These videos from teaching without frills are an excellent starting point for opinion writing. You can view the entire collection here.

  The Wrap Up

Opinion writing is a higher-level skill that makes many demands on our students. It will challenge them to move beyond parroting the facts and figures they have acquired in their learning to formulate their own thoughts on topics they have learned about in class, or in the wider world beyond the school gates.

It will make demands on their skill as writers too. Our students must learn to mold and mechanically manipulate the language on the page to express their beliefs persuasively and effectively. To do this successfully, they will need ample opportunities to practice their writing craft. Once a firm understanding of the structures involved has been established, the student can become more fluid in their expression. They will add art and flair to their craft. But first, they must build on these firm foundations.

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33 Mentor Texts for Opinion Writing

Show kids how powerful sharing ideas in writing can be.

In today’s world, we want our teaching to inspire students to be forward thinkers and changemakers. Teaching them how to share their opinions in writing is a key ingredient. Let’s get kids making signs and writing letters, lists, reviews, essays, blog posts, and speeches! Check out some of our favorite opinion-writing mentor texts to bring this important genre to life for kids. We’ve got plenty of picture books for the younger set, and titles to help older kids make the leap to persuasive writing backed by researched facts.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. We Disagree by Bethanie Deeney Murguia

A mouse and a squirrel think differently about, well, everything. Can they ever be friends? This is such a cute title for introducing kids to what it means to share an opinion, and it could lead to plenty of writing prompts to open an opinion-writing unit.

Buy it: We Disagree on Amazon

2. I Love Insects by Lizzy Rockwell

This early reader should definitely be in your primary classroom collection of opinion-writing mentor texts to help introduce the genre. Do you love insects? Two kids give competing reasons for why and why not. Read it aloud and head straight into shared writing of a list of pros and cons.

Buy it: I Love Insects on Amazon

3. Usha and the Big Digger by Amitha Jagannath Knight

To introduce kids to opinion writing, you need opinion-writing mentor texts to teach them what “opinions” are—and Usha, Aarti, and Gloria have them in this book! They each see something different when they look at the stars. This book could lead to a great introduction activity in which students try to convince each other that they see the Big Dipper, a “Big Digger,” a “Big Kite …” or something else. (Hint: It’s all in your perspective!)

Buy it: Usha and the Big Digger on Amazon

 4. Don’t Feed the Bear by Kathleen Doherty

When a park ranger puts up a “Don’t Feed the Bear” reminder, he has no idea about the persuasive sign-writing battle he’ll set in motion. (Strategic language includes “Please feed the ranger rotten eggs and slimy spinach.”) Share this hilarious title to introduce students to using signs to influence others’ thinking.

Buy it: Don’t Feed the Bear on Amazon

5. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Let a favorite character guide young students in the art of persuasion. The bus driver does not want Pigeon in the driver’s seat, but the well-known bird builds an emotional and unrelenting case.

Buy it: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! on Amazon

6. Our Favorite Day of the Year by A.E. Ali

We adore sharing this book with young students to open inclusive conversations about favorite holidays and traditions. Each student in Musa’s class shares about their favorite day of the year, from Eid Al-Fitr to Pi Day. Use this book to prompt kids to write their own opinion pieces about their favorite days, and to model how reasoning, information, and anecdotes can support one’s opinion.

Buy it: Our Favorite Day of the Year on Amazon

7. Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris

This true story from Kamala Harris’ childhood details how she and her sister wrote letters to their landlord until he agreed to let them build a playground in their apartment complex courtyard. Get kids excited about how their opinion writing could create real change!

Buy it: Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea on Amazon

8. If I Were President by Trygve Skaug

A young boy talks at length about what he’d do differently if he ran the country. Maybe cars could run on legs instead of gasoline, and “playing” should be a subject taught in school. Share this with kids who need more ideas for opinion-writing topics!

Buy it: If I Were President on Amazon

9. The Little Book of Little Activists by Penguin Young Readers

Introduce young students to the idea of activism and its connection to opinion writing. This inspiring photo essay includes examples of kids’ opinions about real-life causes and many written signs.

Buy it: The Little Book of Activists on Amazon

10. The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan

This protagonist is a toddler on a mission—a mission to kick her dad out of her parents’ bed so she can sleep with her mom. Use this little girl’s precocious modeling to show students how to polish their own opinion writing by adding visual supports.

Buy it: The Big Bed on Amazon

11. The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini

Elizabeth crafts a plan to convince her parents to let her have a pet, with unexpected—but pleasing—results. This is our favorite opinion-writing mentor text for introducing kids to win-win solutions and encouraging them to suggest them in their own opinion writing.

Buy it: The Perfect Pet on Amazon

12. & 13. Can I Be Your Dog? and I Found a Kitty! by Troy Cummings

First, read a collection of persuasive letters from a lonely dog seeking an owner that’s a twist on kids’ pet requests. Each letter is tailored to a specific audience, with Arfy promising to lick things clean, protect, and deliver endless affection.

In the sequel, Arfy uses his persuasive skills to help someone else, a lovable stray kitten. Notice with students how he once again shapes his reasoning for each recipient—and how he doesn’t give up until he’s successful!

Buy it: Can I Be Your Dog? on Amazon

Buy it: I Found a Kitty! on Amazon

14. True You: A Gender Journey by Gwen Agna and Shelley Rotner

This delightful and important title stars real kids with a full range of gender identities. Each child introduces themselves in a speech bubble that shares their opinion about gender identity. Use this title to model talking to the reader using strong, direct language.

Buy it: True You: A Gender Journey on Amazon

15. Stella Writes an Opinion by Janiel Wagstaff

Sometimes you want perfectly straightforward opinion-writing mentor texts that match right up with your teaching goals. Stella thinks second graders should be able to have a morning snack time. She sets out to write about her opinion, state her reasons, and ends with a compelling summation.

Buy it: Stella Writes an Opinion on Amazon

16. I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff

After his successful angling for a pet in I Wanna Iguana , Alex tries using note-writing to broach his next request: a room of his own, away from his pesky younger brother. The parent-child communication includes plenty of examples of making and responding to counterarguments.

Buy it: I Wanna New Room on Amazon

17. Be Glad Your Dad … Is Not an Octopus! by Matthew Logelin and Sara Jensen

This author’s opinion is that you should appreciate your dad for who he is. He makes his case with plenty of arguments grounded in facts—facts that show that if your dad were an animal, he could be even more gross, embarrassing, or annoying!

Buy it: Be Glad Your Dad … Is Not an Octopus! on Amazon

18. Earrings! by Judith Viorst

A young girl desperately wants her ears pierced, but her parents respond to her begging with a firm no. Ask students to evaluate the merits of her various arguments. Which are strong? Which are just whiny?

Buy it: Earrings! on Amazon

19. Pick a Picture, Write an Opinion! by Kristen McCurry

If you’re looking for opinion-writing mentor texts that lay it all out there explicitly, you’ll appreciate this resource. Engaging, diverse photos and topics, a kid-friendly tone, and explicit advice make this a helpful primer to accompany more conventional mentor texts.

Buy it: Pick a Picture, Write an Opinion! on Amazon

20. I Hate My Cats (A Love Story) by Davide Cali

This narrator has plenty of reasons to dislike his self-centered cats, which he outlines in specific detail. Use this title as an example of a multi-pronged argument. (Plus, show that sometimes, opinion writing actually leads us to change our own minds. By the end, the owner realizes he actually loves his pets, quirks and all.)

Buy it: I Hate My Cats (A Love Story) on Amazon

21. I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t by Diane Dillon

Zoe makes big plans for her future, from being an archaeologist to a veterinarian. She quiets self-doubt with confident arguments. Aside from sharing this title’s lovely, affirming message, use it to teach kids to anticipate tough questions and head them off convincingly in their opinion writing.

Buy it: I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t on Amazon

22. Rise Up and Write It by Nandini Ahuja

Farah Patel works to convince her local government to improve a vacant lot to benefit her community. Great realistic examples of using letters and signs to inspire change!

Buy it: Rise Up and Write It on Amazon

23. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

These disgruntled but endearing crayons have opinions, and they aren’t shy about making them known in this read-aloud favorite. Check out this free downloadable educator guide from the publisher for persuasive letter-writing curriculum connections.

Buy it: The Day the Crayons Quit on Amazon

24. Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating

The best opinion writing springs from genuine conviction. Eugenie Clark believed sharks were fascinating and  that women could be accomplished scientists who study them. Use this title to help students generate their own passion-fueled topics about which to write.

Buy it: Shark Lady on Amazon

25. What Can a Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers

Share this title for its inspiring message about the power of one citizen to evoke positive change through spoken words, writing, and action. Also consider it as an example of how words and art interact in opinion writing; the illustrations and text work together here to advance the book’s message.

Buy it: What Can a Citizen Do? on Amazon?

26. Dr. Coo and the Pigeon Protest by Sarah Hampson

Dr. Archibald Coo believes that pigeons don’t deserve their reputation as avian pests. He outlines a plan to change the minds of his city neighbors. Part of his approach is to send a persuasive letter to the mayor, suggesting creative, mutually beneficial agreements—a great example for student writers aiming to change the minds of authority figures.

Buy it: Dr. Coo and the Pigeon Protest on Amazon

27. The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

The animals in this classic read-aloud give a range of reasons their home shouldn’t be chopped down. Use them as examples of how to vary sentence structures and formats when listing arguments and how to use specific details to strengthen reasoning.

Buy it: The Great Kapok Tree on Amazon

28. Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson

This fictional account of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade, told from the point of view of a young participant, is a classroom must-read. It exemplifies how children’s actions can make a difference in an adult world and how powerful language strengthens a written message.

Buy it: Let the Children March on Amazon

29. No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley

This powerful title introduces inspiring and diverse young activists’ causes using original poems by notable authors. Show kids that impactful opinion writing can take many forms.

Buy it: No Voice Too Small on Amazon

30. The Week Junior magazine “Big Debate” feature

The Week Junior is one of our absolute favorite magazines for the classroom , and its “Big Debate” section is a main reason for that. Each issue examines both sides of an interesting topic, from whether we should eat Maine lobster, to if space exploration is worth the huge cost, to whether or not kids’ screen time should be restricted. Have kids study examples to get tips for their own opinion writing, and maybe even create their own “Big Debate.”

Buy it: The Week Junior

31. Planet Ocean: Why We All Need a Healthy Ocean by Patricia Newman

This is a fantastic resource for upper elementary and middle school classrooms moving from opinion writing to research-based persuasive writing. This mind-boggling look at the impact of trash on our oceans gives kids so many models for sharing one’s opinions, experiences, and knowledge to spark change. Embedded QR codes take readers straight to awesome examples of persuasive speeches and other cool resources that support the author’s message.

Buy it: Planet Ocean: Why We All Need a Healthy Ocean on Amazon

32. We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell

A classroom prepares to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day with research projects that convey a clear message: Native Nations are still here! Besides being critical content for kids, this is a great example of how to use researched facts to support one’s opinion.

Buy it: We Are Still Here! on Amazon

33. Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You! by Marley Dias

Every middle school student should meet Marley Dias through this powerful account of her #1000blackgirlbooks campaign. It boasts plenty of practical advice for young activists. Pull text excerpts for mini-lessons about tailoring opinion writing to your audience. Marley writes straight to her peers.

Buy it: Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You! on Amazon

Excited to share these opinion-writing mentor texts? Also check out our favorite mentor texts for procedural and narrative writing.

Want more book lists and classroom ideas be sure to  subscribe to our newsletters, you might also like.

32 Best Mentor Texts for Narrative Writing in Elementary School

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Opinion Writing

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20 Prompts for Opinion Writing That Motivate Kids

When using prompts for opinion writing, students can express themselves and share their beliefs.  This automatically makes them more invested in their writing.  Read on to learn more about opinion writing including mentor texts, ideas, and assessments.  Plus you will find 20 prompts that will be sure to motivate and engage kids!

What is an Opinion Writing?

Opinion writing is used to convince or persuade the reader. The writer states their opinion and gives reasons to support it.  Facts or statistics can be used to provide supporting evidence. 

Examples for Opinion Writing

There are lots of helpful examples for opinion writing.  Below you will find a list of mentor texts for kids.  It’s beneficial to immerse students in the genre before and during a writing unit.  These books model effective writing strategies that can be incorporated into lessons.

Opinion Writing Mentor Text:

• I Love Insects by Lizzy Rockwell
• The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini 
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt 
• Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
• Red is Best by Kathy Stinson
• I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff 
• Earrings by Judith Viorst
• The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

How to Teach Opinion Writing

It’s important for students to form their own opinions and understand their feelings.  So often kids just follow the opinion of someone else whether it be a parent, sibling, or friend.  Now is the time for kids to firmly state their opinion and not waver from it.  

Writers will need to give reasons for their opinion and provide supporting examples.  The number of reasons will depend on the grade level and the student’s abilities.  For first graders, you might require only one reason while third graders may need three reasons.  Decide what works best for your learners and create modifications as needed. 

Opinion Writing Outline

Below you will find an acronym to help students plan their opinion writing. They just need to remember the word OREO. It stands for opinion, reasons, examples, and opinion (restated again). For each reason given, a sentence follows with evidence or an example. This is a more detailed approach to writing a response. It works well for the upper grades or advanced students. Depending on the level, some writers may just be working on providing reasons and will later develop the skill of using supporting examples.

The example below uses one reason with supporting evidence. For each reason, the student should write an example. The acronym might look like OREREO for two reasons or OREREREO for three reasons. A little confusing, but you get the idea.

Example: Do you think teachers should give students homework?

O – In my opinion, students should not have homework.

R – They work so hard all day at school and need a break. 

E – Instead of focusing on more work kids should be able to go outside and play, do a sport, or do other fun activities.  

O – In conclusion, students work all day at school and should not have to do homework.

Sentence Starters

As students write, it may also be helpful to use sentence starters. Teachers can project these on the board, put them on an anchor chart, or print a version for writing notebooks. I also like to do a mini-lesson where I ask the kids what types of sentence starters work well for opinion writing and we create the list together. This process helps them retain the information better and they are more likely to apply it to their own writing.

Ideas for Opinion Writing

There are so many fun and creative ideas for opinion writing.  Kids really get into this writing unit because they feel that their opinion is valued and they are eager to share their knowledge.  It’s really empowering for them!

As an activity, the teacher can present a topic to the class and have students choose a side.  Then kids can debate and state their opinion with reasons.  This is always an exciting way to get the creative juices flowing and it will translate into their writing when they have to support their opinion.

Another idea is to use prompts for opinion writing. This engages the students and helps them get started. Prompts can be assigned by the teacher or students can choose from a list or choice board. Feel free to use the sentence starters below to generate ideas for writing prompts.

• Would you rather . . . 
• Which is more important . .  
• Do you prefer . . . 
• What is the best . . .
• What is your favorite . . . 
• Should . . .
• Imagine if . . . 

Prompts for Opinion Writing

Opinion writing prompts can be created by the teacher or the students. Sometimes students come up with better prompts than I ever could. Plus kids love knowing that a peer created the prompt they are going to write about. If you’re looking for some ideas, the list below has 20 motivating and engaging prompts for kids! Also, check out this blog post to learn more about narrative writing prompts: 20 Prompts for Narrative Writing That Spark Creativity

20 Motivating and Engaging Prompts:

• If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Give 3 or more reasons why.
• Should students be able to pick their own seats in class?
• Think of a present you really want.  Now convince someone to buy it for you.
• What is the best pet someone can get?
• Would you rather live somewhere that’s extremely hot or cold?
• Which sport is the best?  Give reasons to support your opinion.
• If you could visit any place, what would it be and why?
• Would you rather live on a rural farm or in a busy city?
• Imagine you could be the President for a day.  What would be the most important thing to do first?
• Which is more important?  Being a good speaker or a good listener?
• If the weather is nice, should kids be able to have their classes outside?
• Do you think kids should have more technology time or less?
• If you could see the world through colored glasses, which color would you choose and why?
• Should kids get money for doing chores or should they just do it to help out at home?
• Convince your teacher to get a class pet.  Tell which animal would be the best choice and why.
• Would you rather visit the moon or a planet?  Explain why.
• If there could only be one season, which would you choose?
• Should kids get to choose their own bedtime?
• Would you rather give a present or receive it?
• Imagine you could create the best dessert ever!  What would it be and why?

Opinion Writing Rubrics

After students have completed their writing, teachers are left with the difficult task of assessing it.  Assessments should be accurate and aligned with the Common Core Standards.  They also need to be helpful for the teacher and the students.  

This is when writing rubrics become extremely helpful as formal assessments. They can be used for benchmarks, progress reports, report cards, and conferences. Rubrics may also be shown to students in advance so they know what the expectations are and how they will be assessed.  

Below you will find three types of opinion writing rubrics.  Check out this blog post to learn more about student-friendly, teacher-friendly, and time-saving rubrics: 3 Types of Writing Rubrics for Effective Assessments

Opinion writing has the ability to engage and empower kids.  Students will be able to explain their thinking by giving reasons and examples.  Mentor texts, sentence starters, writing prompts, and rubrics are all helpful to use in the classroom. I know your kids will love writing and sharing their opinion pieces.

Did you grab your Free Writing Prompt Guide yet?  Writing prompts are perfect for morning work, writing time, centers, or as a homework assignment.  It will save you tons of time and energy. So click the link and grab the guide to get started!

Genre Based Prompts

Related Articles:

20 Prompts for Narrative Writing That Spark Creativity

• 7 Ways to Introduce Opinion Writing
• Opinion Writing Ideas and Resources
• 3 Easy to Implement Tips to Teach Opinion Writing

Angela Sutton

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How to Use Writing Prompts Daily

3 Types of Writing Rubrics for Effective Assessments

Thanks for sharing. These are my favorite type of writing prompts to give to my students to see how creative they can get.

Yes! These kinds of prompts definitely get the creative juices flowing. The students always love to share their opinions with the class. Happy writing!

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50 Writing Prompts for All Grade Levels

Sometimes students need a little push to activate their imaginations.

The collection of prompts below asks young writers to think through real or imagined events, their emotions, and a few wacky scenarios. Try out the ones you think will resonate most with your students. 

As with all prompts, inform students that their answers should be rated G and that disclosing dangerous or illegal things they’re involved in will obligate you to file a report with the administration or school counselors. Finally, give students the option of writing “PERSONAL” above some entries that they don’t want anyone to read. We all need to let scraggly emotions run free in our prose sometimes.

If your class uses daybooks (an approach recommended in Thinking Out Loud: The Student Daybook as a Tool to Foster Learning ), wait for composition notebooks to go on sale at Target, the Dollar Store, or Walmart for $0.50 a piece. To organize the daybook, direct young writers to leave the first three pages blank and number and date each entry—adding these entries to a table of contents that they create as they work so they can return to specific entries later. 

High School Prompts

• Should cameras on drones watch all public spaces to prevent crime, or is that a violation of privacy? 
• Do Americans have it too easy? Why do you think that?
• What causes racism?
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hires you as a consultant to determine how best to use $20 billion to save the world. What’s your plan?
• What’s the worst thing about the internet? 
• Would you rather be very beautiful or very smart? Explain.
• You can save one object before your house burns down. What is it? What makes that object important to you?
• How much control over your life do you have? What makes you say that? 
• Describe your ideal life 15 years from now. What is something you can do every day to reach that goal?
• What would your friends say is your most lovable quality? Describe that quality. 
• What is something scary that you would like to try? What makes it scary for you? How might you overcome that fear?
• What things do you conscientiously do to feed your brain?
• What are three of your most profound learning experiences? Where and when did they occur?
• By age 18, the average American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including 40,000 murders. What is it about television violence that is so compelling to people?
• Would you rather be loved or respected? Because?
• Does social media represent individuals authentically? Explain with examples. 
• Imagine that it’s the last day of high school and you’ve been asked by a teacher to say a few words that summarize the events that have occurred over the last four years that are most meaningful to you. What do you say? 

Middle School Prompts

• Which classmate would be the best to lead us through a zombie apocalypse? Why? 
• What real-life situations would work out better for you if you were a different gender? Why?
• How can you tell when someone your age is feeling insecure? Are most people more insecure or anxious than they let on?
• If the internet were to crash forever, what would the benefits be for you? The drawbacks?
• Write a scene that features a) a classmate, b) $100 million, and c) magical shoes. 
• What three features should your future house have? Why?
• If you starred in a television show about your life, what would the show be called? What genre would it be? (Examples: comedy, drama, thriller, romance, action-adventure, fantasy, superhero, soap opera, reality, game show, space adventure, Western, tragedy, etc.) Summarize the plot of an episode. 
• In the future, what extreme sports will people be talking about?
• Is your ethnicity an important part of your identity? How so? 
• You get to take one book, one food item, and one famous person (living or dead) to a deserted island. What and who do you take? Why?
• Write a powerfully supportive email to yourself 10 years from now. Send that email to yourself using FutureMe.org . 
• You have been selected to be king or queen of your school. What are five rules that every kid should follow at your school? What should the punishment be for rule breakers?
• What do the five friends you hang out with most have in common? How are you most like them? How are you different from them?
• What contributes to someone becoming a bully? What can help stop someone from bullying?
• Do you make friends slowly or quickly? Describe how one of your important friendships evolved.
• Should we fear failure? Explain.
• If a wizard could tell you anything about your future, what would you most like to know?
• Do you believe in luck? Are you superstitious? How so? If not, why do you think some people are?

Elementary School Prompts

• I wish my teachers knew that . . .
• What’s the most beautiful person, place, or thing you’ve ever seen? Share what makes that person, place, or thing so special. 
• Which is better, giant muscles or incredible speed? Why?
• What is your most difficult subject in school? Why is it difficult? What can you do to get better at that subject?
• Rewrite “Hansel and Gretel” from the witch’s perspective.
• Describe a scary situation that you’ve experienced.
• What is your first memory? Describe it.
• You wake up tomorrow with a silly superpower that makes you famous. What is that silly power? How does it lead to your becoming an international superstar? 
• Are you a good loser? Explain. 
• What are examples of things you want versus things you need? 
• Last Friday, you were given one wish by a magical panda. You tried so hard to make the wish positive, but after the whacked-out events that unfolded over the weekend, you regret ever meeting that tricky panda. What did you ask for, and what happened?
• I wish my friends . . . 
• Describe a routine that you often or always do (in the morning, when you get home, Friday nights, before a game, etc.).
• What things do all kids know that adults do not?
• What TV or movie characters do you wish were real? Why? 

After they’ve finished an entry, ask students to read their work aloud or exchange daybooks for a read-around. If you give the entries written feedback, show that their work is respected by using a sticky note or scratch paper. 

You might also incorporate background writing music one day a week—say on “Music Monday.” For some examples of music you might use in class, Pitchfork has an article called “ The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time .” My favorite album for composing is the Birdy soundtrack by Peter Gabriel—a good one for older kids. Other Edutopia staff and bloggers like writing to Coffitivity , Noisli , Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Alcest’s Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde .

Don’t forget to write along with your students. Why should they have all the fun?

What are your students’ favorite writing prompts?

72 Fun Opinion Writing Prompts that Students Will WANT to Write About!

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Kids love to tell you what they think and opinion writing is the perfect outlet for them to do it appropriately . These elementary opinion writing prompts will have your students wanting to write so they can tell you exactly what they think about topics that are relevant and interesting to them!

Opinion writing is the perfect way to introduce the more formal persuasive writing genre. It allows students to practise developing and justifying their own ideas before requiring a multi-paragraph essay with multiple pieces of evidence, proof or examples.

Want this list of prompts dropped straight into your inbox? Sign up below to get all these opinion writing topics in a hand PDF, ready to be printed and cut out for the perfect writing centre or writer’s workshop task!

72 FUN OPINION WRITING PROMPTS IN YOUR INBOX!

Get a FREE printable PDF version of all the opinion writing topic ideas in this post! Be sure to use a personal email address to make sure it gets to you!

FUN & GAMES OPINION WRITING IDEAS

From table games, to sports and TV & entertainment, your students will love to write an opinion paragraph on these interesting topics!

• What is the best game to play with friends? Why?
• Are card or dice games better? Why?
• Which are better – indoor or outdoor recesses? Why?
• If you could plan the ultimate weekend, what would it look like and why?
• What is your favourite TV show? Why?
• In your opinion, who is the best actor in the world? Why?
• What sport is your favourite to watch? Why?
• What is the best board game to play with friends? Why?
• Do you think that school sports are important? Why or why not?
• At what age do you feel children should be allowed social media? Why?
• Would you rather sing or dance in front of an audience? Why?
• How do you feel about video games? Explain.

FRIENDS & FAMILY OPINION WRITING TOPICS

Asking students to write about familiar topics is important for developing confidence and there is nothing students know better than their own family and friends. This category is full of opinion writing topics that your students are sure to already have strong thoughts about.

• What is your favourite activity to do with your family and why?
• If you could plan your next family vacation, where would you go and what would you do? Why?
• Would you rather have brothers or sisters? Explain your reasoning.
• Do you think children should receive an allowance? Justify your thinking.
• If you had to do one chore every day until you grow up, which one would you choose? Why?
• Would you rather your friends think of you as funny, kind or smart? Why?
• Should kids have to help around the house? Explain why or why not.
• How many siblings is the perfect number? Why?
• Where would you like to go with your friends: the zoo, the movies or the skatepark? Why?
• What qualities make a really great friend? Describe each quality and explain why it is important.
• What, in your opinion, makes you a good friend? Explain.
• What do you think is the best thing about your family? Why?

SCHOOL FUN OPINION WRITING PROMPTS

The key to a topic being interesting is that it is relevant to students. The school category gives students the chance to tell you how they feel about favourite subjects, homework and more with entertaining topics for opinion paragraphs.

• What is the best subject in school? Why?
• Which subject is the worst? Why?
• Should students receive grades? Why or why not?
• Should teachers give homework? Justify your opinion.
• Do you think college and university should be free? Why or why not?
• Which subject is the most important? Why?
• What is your opinion on school uniforms? Explain your thinking.
• What one book do you think all students should have to read? Why?
• What is one subject you would like to see added at school and why?
• What qualities make a great teacher? Describe each quality and explain why it is important.
• What is your opinion on watching movies at school? Explain your thoughts.
• Do you believe that school sports should be mandatory for all students? Why or why not?

RELATED READING:

How to Set Up and Run Literature Circles

NATURE & ADVENTURE TOPICS FOR OPINION WRITING

This category will have students thinking about the world around them from serious topics such as environmental issues to fun outdoor activities. Choose from simple preferences between types of environments to really imaginative topics like the animal trait they would most like to have.

• Would you choose beach or mountains? Why?
• What is your favourite outdoor activity? Why?
• Which season is the best? Why?
• What unusual animal do you think would make the best pet and why?
• What is your opinion on global warming?
• Would you rather hike to a waterfall or ancient ruins? Explain your opinion.
• Which animal is the scariest? Why?
• How do you feel about camping and why?
• Would you rather go bungee jumping or swim with sharks? Why?
• What do you think is the most important thing we should do for the environment and why?
• What animal skill or trait would you most like to have and why?
• What is your opinion on zoos? Why?

72 ELEMENTARY OPINION WRITING PROMPTS

Get a FREE printable PDF version of all the opinion writing topics in this post – an instant writers’ workshop activity! Be sure to use a personal email address to make sure it gets to you!

FOOD & DRINK OPINION WRITING PROMPTS

Let students write opinion paragraphs about their favourite, and least favourite, foods and drinks. Some writing topics are fun and others are more philosophical. Many could make for a great verbal debate too!

• What is your favourite snack? Describe it and explain why it is your favourite.
• If you had the choice, what is one food you would never eat again? Why?
• If you could, what food would you happily eat for every meal?
• Do you prefer hot or cold drinks? Why?
• Would you choose vegetables or salad? Explain your decision.
• Invent the perfect dessert. Describe it and explain why it is so great.
• Should people be vegetarians? Why or why not?
• If you had to eat one vegetable every day for the rest of your life, which one would you choose and why?
• Describe your perfect meal and explain why.
• At what age should drinking alcohol be legal? Justify your opinion.
• Is a hot dog a sandwich? Why or why not?
• Does pineapple belong on pizza? Justify your opinion.

READING THIS NEXT:

Everything you Need to Know About Genius Hour in the Classroom

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS FOR OPINION WRITING

There really is no end to fun opinion writing prompts for elementary grades. Here I’ve created 12 bonus writing prompts that are full of writing ideas from aliens to cellphones.

• Do you think aliens exist? Why or why not?
• What is the hardest job in the world? Explain your thinking.
• At what age do you think people should be able to drive? Justify your opinion.
• Would you rather go to the moon or Mars? Why?
• If you were running the country for a day, what law would you change and why?
• Who would you most love to meet? Why?
• Should kids be allowed cell phones? Why or why not?
• Do you think video games should be considered a sport? Justify your opinion.
• What is your dream job? Why?
• Name a superhero power that you would love to have and explain why.
• If you were entered into a talent show, what would your performance be? Why?
• What day of the week do you feel is the worst? Why?

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Student Opinion

525 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing

Questions that invite students to write about themselves, their lives and their beliefs.

By The Learning Network

Updated with 80 new prompts from the 2022-23 school year!

We’ve been posting fresh writing prompts every school day for over a decade now, and every so often we create a themed collection like this one to help you find what you need all in one place.

Below, we’ve rounded up 525 evergreen questions to encourage you to write about your life. They cover everything from family, friendships and growing up to gender, spirituality, money, school and more. (They’re also all available here as a clickable PDF .)

We hope they’ll inspire you, whether you’re entering our related 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest this fall, or just want to improve your writing skills. Like all our Student Opinion questions , each links to a related Times article, which is free to read if you access it from our site.

So dive in and pick the questions that motivate you to tell an interesting story, describe a memorable event, observe the details in your world, imagine a possibility, or reflect on who you are and what you believe.

Overcoming Adversity

1. How Mentally Tough Are You? 2. What Is the Bravest Thing You’ve Ever Done? 3. When Have You Made the Best of a Difficult Situation? 4. How Have You Gotten Over Disappointment? 5. How Do You Get Over Rejection? 6. How Do You Deal With Self-Doubt? 7. How Resilient Are You? 8. What Do You Gain From Pursuing Something You Do Really, Really Badly? 9. How Do You Handle Fear? 10. Are You Too Hard on Yourself? 11. How Do You Silence Your Inner Critic? 12. Have You Ever Experienced ‘Impostor Syndrome’? 13. Have You Ever Benefited From Rejection? 14. Do You Give Yourself Enough Credit for Your Own Successes? 15. How Do You Overcome Your Fears? 16. Stress, Worry and Anxiety Are All Different. How Do You Cope With Each? 17. How Do You Cope With Grief? 18. How Do You Make Hard Decisions? 19. Have You Ever Quit Something? 20. Have You Ever Felt as if You Didn’t Belong? 21. When Has Starting Over Worked for You? 22. When Have You Reinvented Yourself? 23. Do You Find It Hard to Let Other People Help You? 24. Have You Ever Felt Like an Outsider? 25. Do You Appreciate When Celebrities Share Their Struggles? 26. Have You Ever Worried About Making a Good First Impression? 27. Have You Ever Felt Pressure to ‘Sell Your Pain’?

Your Personality

28. Are You an Optimist or a Pessimist? 29. How Competitive Are You? 30. Do You Like Spending Time Alone? 31. Are You a Good Person? 32. Are You a Perfectionist? 33. Do You Hold Grudges? 34. Do You Seek Out New Experiences? Or Stick With the Things You Know and Love? 35. How Do You Express Yourself Creatively? 36. What Animal Are You Most Like? 37. Are You a Patient Person? 38. Are You a Worrier? 39. Are You a Risk-Taker? 40. How Do You Handle Boredom? 41. How Well Do Rewards and Incentives Work to Motivate You? 42. How Good Are You at Judging Your Own Talents? 43. Are You a Procrastinator? 44. Do You Suffer From ‘Task Paralysis’? 45. Do You Feel Joy at Others’ Success? 46. What Role Does Envy Play in Your Life? 47. How Do You Like to Be Comforted When You Are Sad? 48. How Easy — or Hard — Is It for You to Say No When You Want To? 49. Are You More of a Leader or a Follower? 50. How Well Do You Read Other People? 51. Are You Good at Giving Gifts? 52. Do You Complain Too Much, Too Little or Just the Right Amount? 53. How Would You Rate Your Listening Skills and Those of the People Around You? 54. Do You Prefer to Dwell in the Past, Live in the Present or Dream of the Future? 55. What Makes You Cringe? 56. What Disgusts You? 57. Are You Easily Distracted? 58. How Punctual Are You? 59. Are You a Good Conversationalist? 60. How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? 61. Are You an Orchid, a Tulip or a Dandelion?

Hobbies & Interests

62. What Are Your Hobbies? 63. What Is Your Passion? 64. How Do You Spend Your Downtime? 65. How Do You Have Fun? 66. What Would You Choose to Do If You Had Unlimited Free Time and No Restrictions? 67. What Activities Make You Feel Most Alive? 68. What Big Project Do You Hope to Accomplish Someday? 69. What Work, Sport or Pastime Do You Like to Do at Night? 70. What Seemingly Mundane Feats Have You Accomplished? 71. What Have You Made This Year? 72. What Do You Collect? 73. Which Fandoms Are You In? 74. What Competition Do You Think You Could Win? 75. What Is Something You Want to Try, Even Though Others Might Think It’s Weird? 76. Are There Activities You Used to Love That Are Now So Competitive They’re Not Fun Anymore? 77. What Would You Recommend That Is ‘Overlooked and Underappreciated’? 78. What New Innovations and Discoveries in STEM Intrigue You?

79. What Are the Little Rituals That Keep You Going? 80. What Are Your Best Life Hacks? 81. What Ordinary Moments Would You Include in a Video About Your Life? 82. What Habits Do You Have, and Have You Ever Tried to Change Them? 83. Do You Wish You Had a Different Morning Routine? 84. Does Your Life Ever Feel Too Busy? 85. How Can You Tell a Story About Your Life Right Now Through a Few Simple Numbers? 86. What Is Your Secret to a Happy Life? 87. What’s Your Sunday Routine? 88. What Slang Words Do You Use? 89. How Often Do You Treat Yourself to Something Special? 90. How Often Do You Just ‘Hang Out’ With Others? 91. What Are You Grateful For? 92. Where Do You Find Peace and Quiet? 93. Do You Spend Enough Time With Other People? 94. Do You Talk to Yourself? 95. Is Clutter a Problem in Your Life? 96. How Do You Remember What You Need to Remember? 97. When and For What Reasons Do You Seek Silence? 98. How Do You Greet Your Friends and Family? 99. What Is the Most Wholesome Thing You’ve Seen Lately?

Home & Community

100. Who Are the ‘Characters’ That Make Your Town Interesting? 101. If You Made a Mixtape for Your Hometown, What Sounds and Songs Would You Include? 102. What Do the Types of Dogs in Your Neighborhood Say About Where You Live? 103. What Are Your Hometown’s Shortcomings? 104. Do You Have a Favorite Local Hangout? 105. After Home and School, Where Do You Find the Strongest Feeling of Community? 106. What Grievances Do You Have With Your Local Community? 107. Who in Your Community Might Be Interesting to Interview? 108. What Role Do Parks Play in Your Life? 109. What Role Do Trees Play in Your Neighborhood? 110. How Diverse Is Your Community? 111. How Do You Come Together With Your Community? 112. What Is Unique About Your Hometown? 113. What’s Your Favorite Local Business? 114. Do You Wish You Had the Go-to House? 115. Do You Think You Might Like Communal Living When You’re an Adult? 116. Do You Have Enough Access to Places Where You Can Play and Exercise? 117. What Do the Objects in Your Home Say About You?

118. How Do You Define ‘Family’? 119. Who Is in Your Chosen Family? 120. How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings? 121. How Well Do Your Parents Deal With Sibling Conflicts? 122. Do You Have a Family Motto or Creed? 123. How Much Do You Know About Your Family’s History? 124. Where Would You Visit To Find Out More About Your Family’s Past? 125. What Is a Meaningful Family Relationship That You Have? 126. What Is Your Relationship Like With Your Grandparents and Elders? 127. Do You Have Any Family Heirlooms?

Parents & Parenting

128. How Involved Are Your Parents in Your Life? 129. How Similar Are You to the Adults Who Raised You? 130. Do You Push Your Parents’ Buttons? 131. How Do You Get What You Want From Your Parents? 132. Do Your Parents Yell at You? 133. What Advice Do You Have for Teenagers and Their Parents? 134. Are You Conforming to or Rebelling Against Your Parents’ Wishes for You? 135. Do Your Parents Spy on You? 136. Do You Turn to Your Parents for Advice? 137. How Do You Connect With Your Parents? 138. Do Your Parents Overpraise You? 139. Have You Ever Felt Embarrassed by Your Parents? 140. Who Cooks, Cleans and Takes Care of the Kids in Your Family? 141. What Kind of Time Management Skills Are You Learning from the Adults in Your Life? 142. Are Your Parents Addicted to Their Phones?

Role Models

143. What Role Have Mentors Played in Your Life? 144. Whom Do You Turn to for Good Advice? 145. What Can We Learn From Older Adults? 146. What Does the World Need to Know About an Important Person in Your Life? 147. Who’s Your ‘Outsider Role Model’? 148. What Does Dr. King’s Legacy Mean to You? 149. Who Do You Turn To in a Crisis? 150. Who Is Someone You Would Like to Thank? 151. Have You Ever Written Fan Mail? If Not, Would You? 152. How Have You Coped With the Death of an Idol?

Childhood Memories

153. What Is Your Earliest Memory? 154. What Things Remind You of Your Childhood? 155. What Childhood Rules Did You Break? 156. What’s the Craziest Thing You Did as a Kid? 157. What Magic Did You Believe In as a Child? 158. What Is the Most Memorable Thing You Have Ever Lost or Found? 159. Have You Ever Given, or Received, a Perfect Gift? 160. What’s the Best Party You’ve Ever Been To? 161. What Smells Trigger Powerful Memories for You? 162. What Is Your ‘Good Luck Charm’? 163. What Objects Bring You Comfort?

164. What Is It Like to Be a Teenager Now? 165. What Is the Best Thing About Being Your Age? 166. What Do Older Generations Misunderstand About Teenagers Today? 167. What Rites of Passage Mark the Transition to Adulthood in Your Community? 168. How Important to You Is Being Able to Drive? 169. Do Other People Care Too Much About Your Post-High School Plans? 170. Do You Hate When Adults Ask You What You Want to Be When You Grow Up? 171. Have You Ever Felt Pressured by Family or Others in Making an Important Decision About Your Future? 172. Do You Have ‘Emerging Adult’ Skills? 173. How Long Do You Hope to Live at Home? 174. What Letter of Inspiration Would You Write to Your Younger Self? 175. What Have You Learned From a Younger Person — and What Have You Taught An Older Person? 176. Have You Ever Helped an Adult? 177. When — if Ever — Do You Call Adults by Their First Names? 178. What Advice Do You Have for Younger Students? 179. Are You Optimistic About the Future? 180. Do You Want to Have Children Someday? 181. Do You Look Forward to Old Age? 182. What Legacy Do You Want to Leave Behind? 183. What Do You Want to Be Known for After Your Death?

Morality & Ethics

184. Have You Ever Taken a Stand That Isolated You From Your Peers? 185. What Acts of Kindness Have You Witnessed or Participated In? 186. How Good Are You at Apologizing? 187. Do You Ever Laugh at the Misfortune of Others? 188. When Have You Either Forgiven Someone or Been Forgiven Yourself? 189. Has Forgiving Someone Ever Made You Feel Better? 190. What Is the Code You Live By? 191. Have You Ever Been Surprised by an Act of Generosity?

Race, Ethnicity, Gender & Sexuality

192. What Cultural Traditions Are Important to You? 193. How Do You Connect to Your Heritage? 194. What Role Does Your Family’s Native Tongue Play in Your Life? 195. How Does Your Identity Inform Your Political Beliefs and Values? 196. How Much Racism Do You Face in Your Daily Life? 197. What Is Your Gender Identity? 198. Do You Feel Constricted by Gender Norms? 199. Have You Ever Been Told You Couldn’t Do Something Because of Your Gender? 200. What Messages About Gender Have You Gotten From Music? 201. How Do You Feel About Being Told to Smile? 202. What Has Your Sex Education Been Like? 203. How Do You Respond When People Ask, ‘Where Are You From?’ 204. What Does Your Accent Say About Who You Are?

Money & Social Class

205. What Are Your Expectations About Earning, Saving and Spending Money? 206. What Choices Do You Make About Money Every Day? 207. How Do You Get and Spend Money? 208. Have You Ever Tried to Make Money Online? 209. How Much Financial Help Do You Expect From Your Parents in the Future? 210. Do You Get an Allowance? 211. How Much Has Your ZIP Code Determined Your Opportunities? 212. What Has Television Taught You About Social Class?

Religion, Spirituality & Beliefs

213. What Role Does Religion Play in Your Life? 214. How Often Do You Start Conversations about Faith or Spirituality? 215. What Do You Think Are the Secrets to Happiness? 216. What Legends and Myths Do You Believe In? 217. Do You Believe in Astrology? 218. Do You Believe in Manifesting? 219. What Are Your Experiences With Meditation? 220. How Important Is Mindfulness to Your Daily Life? 221. How Do You View Death? 222. We Document Life’s Milestones. How Should We Document Death? 223. Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Technology & the Internet

224. How Are You Using A.I.? 225. What Old Technology Do You Think Is Cool? 226. What Don’t Adults Understand About Teenage Life Online? 227. What Online Communities Do You Participate In? 228. Could You Go a Year Without a Smartphone? 229. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 230. How Much of Your Day is Voluntarily Spent Screen-Free? 231. How Would Your Life Be Different if You Didn’t Have Wi-Fi and Cellular Service? 232. Where Do You Go to Find Cool, Strange or Fascinating Information on the Internet? 233. Does the Future of Robots Get You Excited, or Fill You With Dread? 234. Do You Worry About Your Digital Privacy? 235. Do You Feel Safer When You Know You’re Being Watched? 236. Do You Leave Funny Comments Online? 237. Have You Experienced Any Embarrassing Zoom Mishaps? 238. Have You Ever Encountered Racist or Extremist Content Online? 239. How Do You Know if What You Read Online Is True? 240. How Much Do You Trust Online Reviews?

Social Media

241. How Much of Your Life Do You Share Online? 242. Do Social Media and Smartphones Make Your Friendships Stronger? 243. Are You the Same Person on Social Media as You Are in Real Life? 244. What Does TikTok Mean to You? 245. Who Is Your Favorite Social Media Star? 246. Would You Want to Be a Social Media Star? 247. Do the Adults in Your Life Follow You on Social Media? 248. Have You Ever Gone to a Place for the Primary Purpose of Taking Selfies? 249. Would You Want to Live and Breathe Creating Content for Social Media? 250. Do You Feel You’re Friends With Celebrities or Influencers You Follow Online? 251. What Role Does Instagram Play in Your Life? 252. How Does Social Media Affect Your Mental Health? 253. Does Social Media Affect Your Body Image? 254. Which Emoji Do You Use the Most? 255. Do You Ever Ignore Text Messages?

Music & Podcasts

256. What Music Are You Listening to Right Now? 257. Who Was Your Favorite Musical Artist This Year? 258. What Songs Explain You? 259. What Is Your Favorite Musical Instrument? 260. What Songs Matter to You Now? 261. What Was Your First Concert? 262. Which Celebrity Performer Would You Like to Challenge to a Friendly Battle? 263. What Would You Name Your Band? 264. Do You Listen to Podcasts? 265. If You Could Make Your Own Podcast, What Would It Be About?

Movies, TV & Video Games

266. What Have You Learned About Life From Watching Movies? 267. What Is Your Favorite Sports Movie? 268. What Are Your Favorite TV Shows? 269. Who Is Your Favorite Actor? 270. What’s in Your Queue? 271. What Is Your Favorite Memory of PBS? 272. How Do You Feel About Spoilers? 273. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 274. Are You a Fan of Rom-Coms? 275. Do You Like Horror? 276. What’s Your Favorite Video Game Ever? 277. What Classic Video Games Do You Still Enjoy Playing? 278. What Video Games Would You Like to See Adapted for Film or TV? 279. Are You a Fortnite Addict? 280. Do You Gamify Your Life?

Books & Reading

281. What Role Have Books Played in Your Life? 282. What Books Do You Think Every Teenager Should Read? 283. Do You See Yourself in the Books You Read? 284. Has a Novel Ever Helped You Understand Yourself or Your World Better? 285. What’s the Best Book You Ever Read for School? 286. What Book Would You Add to the High School Curriculum? 287. How Do You Find New Books, Music, Movies or Television Shows? 288. What Have You Learned from Comics? 289. What Role Does Poetry Play in Your Life? 290. Do You Like Romance Stories? 291. What Is the Scariest Story You Have Ever Heard? 292. Have You Ever Read a Book You Weren’t Supposed to Read? 293. What Children’s Books Have Had the Biggest Impact on You? 294. Where Is Your Favorite Place to Read? 295. What Role Do Libraries Play in Your Life?

296. What Purpose Does Writing Serve in Your Life? 297. Do You Keep a Journal? 298. What’s Your Favorite Word? 299. What’s Your Favorite Punctuation Mark? 300. Do You Read or Write Poetry? 301. Do You Love Writing or Receiving Letters? 302. What Do You Want to Investigate? 303. What Would You Write a Book About? 304. What Would You Write in a Letter to the Editor? 305. If You Had a Column in The New York Times, What Would You Write About?

306. What Movies, Shows, Books, Music, Games or Other Works Have Made a Strong Impression on You? 307. What Work of Art Has Changed Your Life? 308. Who Is Your Favorite Visual Artist? What Is Your Favorite Work of Art? 309. Which Photograph Stays In Your Memory? 310. What Would You Like to Learn to Make by Hand? 311. Are You Intimidated by Classical Music and Art? 312. Do You Love to Dance? 313. Have You Ever Performed for an Audience or Shared Creative Work With Others? 314. What Show Do You Wish Your School Would Stage? 315. How Would You Design Your Ideal Museum? 316. What Broadway Show Would You Most Like to See? 317. What Are the Most Memorable Works of Visual Art You’ve Ever Seen? 318. What Could You Read, Listen to or Watch to Stretch Your Cultural Imagination? 319. How Often Do You Read, Watch or Listen to Things Outside of Your Comfort Zone?

320. How Did You Grow and Change This School Year? 321. Do You Like School? 322. What Motivates You to Learn? 323. Would You Want to Go to a School Like This One? 324. What ‘Pop-Up’ Classes Do You Wish Your School Offered? 325. How Is What You Are Studying in School Relevant to Your Life and the Larger World? 326. Do You See the Point in Learning Math? 327. How Much Do You Speak Up in School? 328. How Diverse Is Your School? 329. Is Your School a Safe Learning Space? 330. How Comfortably Can You Speak Your Mind at School? 331. Are You Able to Be Your Whole Self at School? 332. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 333. How Have You Learned About Slavery? 334. How Much Have You Learned About Black History? 335. Has a School Assignment or Activity Ever Made You Uncomfortable? 336. Are You Stressed About School? 337. How Good Are You at Handling Challenging School Work? 338. Do You Need a Homework Therapist? 339. What Are You Doing to Change Your School? 340. What Are Your Thoughts on Riding the School Bus? 341. Is the Diversity of Your School Accurately Reflected in Its Promotional Materials? 342. How Have Your Teachers Shaped Who You Are? 343. Does Your Teacher’s Identity Affect Your Learning? 344. Has a Teacher Ever Changed Your Mind-Set? 345. Would You Want to Be a Teacher Someday? 346. What Have Been Your Experiences With Substitute Teachers?

347. How Prepared Are You For College? How Well Do You Think You’ll Do? 348. What Worries You Most About the College Admissions Process? 349. How Much of Your Real Self Have You Revealed on Applications? 350. What Worries Do You Have About College? 351. Do You Intend to Study Abroad While You Are in College? 352. Are You Worried About the Rising Cost of Attending College? 353. Do You Talk to Your Family About the Cost of College? 354. Do You Want Your Parents to Live Nearby When You Go to College? 355. What Specialty College Would You Create?

Work & Careers

356. What Jobs Are You Most Curious About? 357. How Much Does Having a ‘Dream Job’ Matter to You? 358. Would You Pursue a Career If You Knew You Likely Would Not Make Much Money? 359. Will You Follow in Your Parents’ Footsteps? 360. Would You Consider Moving Overseas for a Job? 361. Do Your Summer Plans Include Employment? 362. Would You Consider Serving in the U.S. Armed Forces? 363. What Volunteer Work Would You Most Like to Do? 364. Have You Had a Job Recently? What Has the Experience Been Like?

365. Do You Have Satisfying Friendships? 366. How Alike Are You and Your Friends? 367. Do You Have Any Unlikely Friendships? 368. How Have Your Friends Helped You? 369. Do You Like Your Friends? 370. How Often Do You Text Your Friends Just to Say ‘Hi’? 371. Have You Ever Been Left Out? 372. Do You Ever Feel Lonely? 373. Have You Ever Had a Significant Friendship End? 374. Do You Have Any Close Friends? 375. How Many Close Friends Do You Need? 376. How Do You React When Your Friendships Change? 377. What Have Your Friends Taught You About Life? 378. What Have You Learned About Friendship This Year? 379. Do You Have Any Intergenerational Friendships? 380. What Makes a Great Conversation?

Dating, Love & Relationships

381. How Much of a Romantic Are You? 382. What Does Love Feel Like to You? 383. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating? 384. Have You Ever Been Ghosted? 385. Do You Want to Get Married Someday? 386. Would You Want to Be Proposed to on a Jumbotron? 387. If You Got Married, Would You Want to Keep Your Last Name or Take Your Partner’s?

388. What Are You Doing to Take Care of Your Health? 389. What Rules Do You Have for Staying Healthy? 390. Do You Have Any Bad Health Habits? 391. Do You Have More Good Habits Than Bad? 392. What Do You Think Are the Secrets to a Long Life? 393. How Well Do You Sleep at Night? 394. Do You Enjoy Taking Long Walks? 395. Do You Learn Better After Moving Around? 396. Do You Have a Healthy Diet? 397. What Is Your Relationship With the Weight-Loss Industry? 398. How Strong Is Your Sense of Smell? 399. Have You Ever Jumped Into Ice-Cold Water? 400. How Is Your Mental Health These Days? 401. Do You Ever Get the ‘Bad News Blues’? 402. How Do You Hold It Together When You’re Feeling Stressed? 403. How Does Your Body React to Stress? 404. How Do You Practice Self-Care? 405. What’s Your Favorite Mood Booster?

Sports & Games

406. What Kinds of Games and Puzzles Do You Like? 407. What Are Your Favorite Games? 408. How Would You Change Your Favorite Sport? 409. Have You Ever Learned Something From a Professional Athlete? 410. Have You Ever Felt Too Much Pressure to Win? 411. What Is Your Favorite Rivalry? 412. What Role Have Coaches Played in Your Life? 413. Have You Witnessed Bad Behavior in Youth Sports? 414. Do You Like a Comeback Story? 415. Would You Ever Want to Run a Marathon? 416. Would You Make a Good Ump?

417. What Is Your Dream Travel Destination? 418. What Is Your Most Memorable Family Vacation? 419. How Would You Spend Your Ideal Family Vacation? 420. Would You Ever Go on a Solo Vacation? 421. What Do You Think You Would Learn From Traveling to All 50 States? 422. What Are the Places in the World That You Love Most? 423. What City or Town Most Captures Your Imagination? 424. How Good Is Your Sense of Direction? 425. How Much Do You Know About the Rest of the World?

Shopping, Looks & Fashion

426. What’s Your Favorite Item of Clothing? 427. What Does Your Unique Style Say About You? 428. What Does Your Hairstyle Say About You? 429. Are You a Sneakerhead? 430. Do You Like Getting Dressed Up? 431. Could You Stop Shopping for an Entire Year? 432. Are You an Ethical Consumer? 433. What Would You Wait All Night in the Rain to Buy? 434. Do Politics Ever Influence How or Where You Shop? 435. Do You Wear Clothes for the Logo? 436. Would You Like to Be a Fashion Model? 437. How Do You Feel About Your Body? 438. How Do You Feel About Your Height? 439. How Do You Feel About Tattoos?

Meals & Food

440. What Foods Bring Up Special Memories for You? 441. What Foods Are Closely Linked to Someone You Love? 442. Who Is the Best Cook You Know? 443. How Do You Celebrate Your Culture Through Food? 444. What Do You Eat for Dinner on a Typical Weeknight? 445. What Are the Most Popular Dishes in Your House? 446. Are You Now, or Have You Ever Been, a Picky Eater? 447. What Are the Best Places to Eat in Your Town? 448. What Foods Best Represent Your Hometown? 449. What Are the Essential Foods to Eat Where You Live? 450. What New Flavor Ideas Do You Have for Your Favorite Foods? 451. What Convenience Foods Make You Happy? 452. How Do You Like Your Pizza? 453. Would You Ever Consider Becoming Vegetarian? 454. Would You Eat Food Grown in a Lab? 455. Have You Ever Experienced Food Insecurity? 456. What Do You Think Your Favorite Book or Movie Character Eats For Dinner?

Holidays & Seasons

457. Do You Make New Year’s Resolutions? 458. What Healthy Habits Do You Hope to Build in the New Year? 459. How Do You Celebrate Spring? 460. What Are Your Favorite Memories of Spring? 461. What Are Your Plans This Summer? 462. What’s the Most Memorable Thing That Happened to You This Summer? 463. What Were Your ‘Mundane Joys’ of Summer? 464. What Are Your Memories of Halloween? 465. What’s Your Favorite Halloween Costume, Past or Present? 466. How Much Scare Can You Handle in Your Halloween Entertainment? 467. What Does Thanksgiving Mean to You? 468. What Has Been Your Most Memorable Thanksgiving? 469. What Will You Talk About on Thanksgiving? 470. Did You Take Part in Any Thanksgiving or Post-Holiday Traditions?

Animals & Nature

471. How Do Animals Provide Comfort in Your Life? 472. What Have You Learned From Animals? 473. What Are Your Experiences With Animal Adoption or Fostering? 474. How Do You Feel About the Spiders, Insects and Other Tiny Creatures in Your Home? 475. How Do You Get Your Nature Fix? 476. What Are the Most Memorable Things You’ve Seen or Experienced in Nature? 477. What Is the Coolest Thing You Have Seen in Nature? 478. Have You Ever Tried to Grow Something?

Environment

479. How Are You Doing Your Part for the Environment? 480. How Concerned Are You About Climate Change? 481. Do You Experience Climate Anxiety? 482. Do You Think You Make Good Climate Choices? 483. Would You Change Your Eating Habits to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? 484. Could You Live an Entire Day Without Plastic? 485. How Good Are You at Recycling? 486. How Have You Experienced Extreme Weather?

487. How Similar Are Your Political Views to Those of Your Parents? 488. How Important Is It to You to Have Similar Political Beliefs to Your Family and Friends? 489. Is Your Online World Just a ‘Filter Bubble’ of People With the Same Opinions? 490. Do You Think You Live in a Political Bubble? 491. How Do You Talk With People Who Don’t Share Your Views? 492. What Do American Values Mean to You? 493. What Does Your Country’s National Anthem Mean to You? 494. Are You Optimistic About the State of the World? 495. Have You Ever Changed Your Mind About a Hot-Button Issue? 496. How Have School Shootings Shaped Your Experience as a Student? 497. How Has the Threat of Gun Violence Affected You? 498. How Do You Feel About Active-Shooter Drills in Schools?

The Pandemic

499. What Does the End of the Pandemic Emergency Mean to You? 500. How Have the Last Two and a Half Years Made You Who You Are Today? 501. How Would You Describe Your Pandemic Experience in Six Words? 502. How Have You Commemorated Milestones During the Pandemic? 503. Do You Think You Have Experienced ‘Learning Loss’ During the Pandemic? 504. How Has the Pandemic Changed Your Relationship to Your Body? 505. What Have You Learned About Yourself During This Lockdown? 506. How Will We Remember the Coronavirus Pandemic?

507. Would You Want to Live to 200? 508. Would You Want to Live Forever? 509. Would You Like to Be Cryogenically Preserved (Frozen!) Upon Your Death? 510. Would You Want to Live a Life Without Ever Feeling Pain? 511. Would You Like to Be Famous? 512. Would You Want to Be a Child Star? 513. Would You Like to Be a Farmer? 514. If You Had an Extra Billion Dollars, What Cause Would You Support With Your Philanthropy? 515. Do You Think You Will Ever Travel to Space? 516. What Fantasy Invention Would You Want to Exist in Reality? 517. If You Could Have Any Animal Feature, What Would It Be? 518. What Fictional House Would You Want to Stay In? 519. What Scientific Mysteries Do You Want Solved? 520. What Idea Do You Have That Is Ahead of Its Time? 521. What Era Do You Wish You Had Grown Up In? 522. Do You Like Your First Name? Would You Change It If You Could? 523. What Would You Like to Ask Your 40-Year-Old Self? 524. What Items Would You Place in a Time Capsule for Future Generations? 525. If the World Was Ending, What Would You Want to Say?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.

Opinion and Informational Text Sets: Reading and Writing from One Text Set (+ a Freebie)

This past year I have been wrapping up a project that has been quite the labor of love: Monthly Text Sets. The monthly text sets solve a list of problems I consistently ran into when teaching 4th Grade ELA. But first, what are the monthly text sets? The monthly text sets are a set of nonfiction passages based around one topic. Students use the passages/articles to write in response to reading. The text set includes an opinion or informational writing prompt and reading comprehension questions. This means that you can use ONE set of texts to teach both reading and writing. 

What does each monthly text set include? 

• 2 – 3 Nonfiction Passages based around one topic
• Comprehension Questions aligned to standards
• Writing Prompt for Opinion or Informational Text-based writing in response to reading
• Graphic Organizer for Students
• Teacher Model Graphic Organizer
• Teacher Model Essay
• Differentiated for Grades 3-5

Reading Comprehension

Each text set includes 2 – 3 passages/articles (texts). They are nonfiction topics and the texts are differentiated for grades 3-5. The 4th and 5th grade articles sometimes remain the same, but the questions are different for each grade level. The questions follow the type of questions students might see on a state test such as the Florida State Assessment, and are aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Even if your state doesn’t exactly follow common core standards and they have their own, the questions are based on skills as well such as main idea, text structure, cause and effect, etc. 

You can see examples of the question types below. Each grade level is included. I kept it this way so that even if you teach another grade level, you can differentiate for your students if needed. Don’t forget to grab this  free shark text set before you go! Click here or on any of the images. 

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension

4th Grade Reading Comprehension

5th Grade Reading Comprehension

You will also get a link that gives you access to the Standards Alignment Google Sheet. This way you can keep track of which standards each text set is covering. If you wanted to cover a specific skill, you have an easy way to track and access which standards are covered in which text set. 

The writing portion includes a prompt in which students will write using both texts to respond. The prompt for this text set is an informational writing prompt:

Write an essay in which you explain the importance of sharks in the ocean ecosystem. 

If you are familiar with my writing units, then you know that boxes and bullets are the standard around here. I have a lot of thoughts about that, but the gist is that they are so simple and provide a consistent structure for your students. Each text set includes a boxes and bullets graphic organizer for students and a teacher example to model or guide your students. Depending on where you are in your writing instruction, you can also have students do this in their notebook.

Writing paper is also included for a final published piece. Depending on how long you have and/or if you are in test-prep mode, you may choose to have students write a rough draft on notebook paper or in their writing notebook and then write a final copy on the publishing paper. Then, display in your classroom or hallway for the world to see all of your students’ amazing writing! 

The plan and example essay includes 2-3 body paragraphs. So your students will be writing 4 – 5 paragraph essays. Depending on which you prefer to have your students write, you’ll just add/remove a body paragraph.

• Paragraph 1: Introduction
• Paragraph 2: Body Paragraph 1
• Paragraph 3: Body Paragraph 2
• Paragraph 4: Conclusion

There is also an editable teacher plan and essay available as a PowerPoint and Google doc so that you can edit and adapt the essay to your needs.

You might also use a Google Doc/PowerPoint to write the essay with your students and use the example as a guide. 

What are the topics for each month? 

One of my favorite parts about these text sets is that they have a monthly theme. HOWEVER, most topics can be used at any point in the year. Some topics are month-specific such as “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day” in January and “The Benefits of Bees” in April (it mentions Earth Day), but you can definitely fit these into to your current curriculum. And I have to tell you that even though all 12 months have been released, we’re still creating these each month. 

• January:   MLK Day (Opinion Writing Prompt)  → Read the blog post here.
• February: Equality in Education: Mary McLeod Bethune and Thurgood Marshall (Informational Writing Prompt)
• March: Ants: Perk or Pest? (Opinion Writing Prompt)
• April: The Benefits of Bees (Informational Writing Prompt)
• May: Save the Sea Turtles (Informational Writing Prompt)
• June: Shark Shenanigans (Informational Writing Prompt) Grab this one for FREE here or at the end of this post.
• July:  Hurricanes (Informational Writing Prompt)
• August: Video Games: Helpful or Harmful? (Opinion Writing Prompt)
• September: Homework: Helpful or Harmful? (Opinion Writing Prompt)
• October: Bats: Benefit or Bother? (Opinion Writing Prompt)
• November: Paid to Play: Should College Athletes be Paid? (Opinion Writing Prompt)
• December: Polar Bear Problems (Informational Writing Prompt)

WHY use monthly text sets? 

Let’s talk about WHY you might want to use text sets in your classroom. While teaching 4th grade in a self-contained classroom, I consistently felt like we were giving our students too many texts to grapple with. At any point in time, we juggled some (and sometimes ALL ) of the following texts: 

• Read Aloud (chapter book)
• Read Aloud (picture book)
• Writing Mentor Text (picture book)
• Reading Text Sets (passages as part of a center or independent practice)
• Guided Reading Text (small groups)
• Shared Reading Text (textbook used in whole groups or small groups)

        (This is  JUST  for Reading)

• Writing Text Sets for test prep or writing in response to reading (In 4th and 5th Grade, this was ALLLLL the time.)
• Science Textbook
• Social Studies Text

When you list it out like that, it’s a LOT of texts. And they all serve a purpose. And they’re all important.  But we continuously ran into problems. 

❌We couldn’t fit them all in. (Shocking, right?)

❌We felt behind or overwhelmed because we were trying to do too much and unable to get in #allthethings.

❌Science and social studies were not getting the time they deserved. And honestly, I don’t think the future of our world can afford to not make science and social studies a priority.

The bottom line is we were trying to use TOO. MANY. TEXTS. One big issue that I began to see is that we treated the texts that we were using for writing as if we didn’t have to actually read them. As if we didn’t have to read them closely, dissect, analyze, and synthesize to produce a clear and concise essay with a controlling idea, supporting details, voice, etc. And, of course, in a way that did not copy the text. You and I both know that’s a lot to ask of a 4th grader (or 3rd grader or 5th grader or quite frankly – an adult.)

There had to be a better way.  So I decided to ELIMINATE or INTEGRATE.

✅Eliminate  the texts that we didn’t  need to use, that didn’t support other content area standards or that didn’t offer high-engaging content or just weren’t the best quality of texts in the first place. If my students weren’t interested in it and it didn’t align to other content area standards – I needed to find better texts. 

✅ Integrate  Science and Social Studies into our ELA curriculum.

How do the monthly text sets fit into this? 

Each monthly text set can be used for both Reading and Writing. The topic of each text set is either high-engaging or supports Social Studies/Science standards. It may not directly align with science or social studies standards, but topics support those areas. For example, many of the animal topics discuss life cycles and roles in the ecosystem.  

HOW do I teach writing using the text sets? 

If you’re looking for more support in  teaching writing, then you may be interested in the complete writing units . Both the  informational and opinion writing unit include daily lesson plans, PowerPoints that help you navigate writing workshop. 

Are you ready to try the monthly text sets?

If you’re ready to give the monthly text sets a try in your classroom, you can grab the Sharks Text Set freebie by clicking on the button below.

Just click here or on the image below to snag them.