Some students start to lose interest in writing in middle school, but this is a critical period for writing and an excellent time to help them discover themselves. They want to be heard at this age, so we need engaging, and thought-provoking writing prompts to help draw their voices out in their writing. We have compiled a list of fun writing topics that will elicit emotional and meaningful pieces of writing for your middle schoolers. Have a look at these 35 sixth-grade writing prompts that are sure to help your kids develop their voices and express their opinions in their writing.
Personal Experiences and Reflections
1. How was your first hospital experience?
2. What would you do if you could not use the internet for a month?
3. What would you do if cell phones stopped working tomorrow?
4. If you could, would you go to live on an alien planet?
5. What do you value most about your family?
6. Who is the most important person in your life?
7. What would you do if you were the only person on the planet?
8. What would you do if you had unlimited money?
9. Would you ever get a tattoo? Why or why not?
10. Can you tell me a time that you wished you could trade places with another person?
11. What is your favorite childhood memory, and why?
12. How was your first year of middle school? Why?
13. Which do you value more? Time or money? Why?
14. Would you rather live a short meaningful life or a long boring life? Why?
Creative and Imaginative Thinking
15. How do you think leaves would look if they could grow on Mars? Why?
16. Why do you think there are more insects than mammals?
17. If you could build an ecosystem, what would it be like?
18. Write a poem about a time that you felt outraged.
19. How would the world function without the internet for a day?
20. If you owned a country, what would it be like?
21. Which Harry Potter house do you think best suits your personality and why?
22. Whales don’t sing as much as before because of noise from boats on the water. Write a journal response explaining how we can help the whales sing again.
23. Are scorpions spiders or insects? Why?
24. Do blobfish look the same on land as they do at the bottom of the ocean? Why or why not?
25. Do you think time is real? Why or why not?
26. Write a letter to a friend convincing them to go skydiving.
27. If you had to lose one sense, which would you choose to lose and why?
Education and Learning
28. Should we teach math in school? Why or why not?
29. Do you think college is worth it? Why or why not?
30. Interview a grandparent and report how life was different when they were growing up.
31. Interview a doctor and report their experience in the hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak.
32. Write a journal entry outlining what your response to COVID would be if you were president.
33. Can plants grow in space? Why or why not?
34. Convince me that online learning is better than learning in a classroom.
35. How can we stop an asteroid from hitting the Earth?
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