For Multi-Grade Classrooms Author: Christina Dotson

For Multi-Grade Classrooms

*Daily Writing Prompts

Author: Christina Dotson

*Table of Contents

*Language Arts/Pathways Prompts

*Science Prompts (Cycle 3)

*Math Prompts

*Social Studies Prompts (Cycle 3)

*Bible Prompts (Cycle 3)

*General Prompts

*Language Arts/Pathways Prompts*Theme 1: Heroes

*Theme 2: My World and Others

*Theme 3: Living Things

*Theme 4: Spiritual Journey

*Theme 5: Friends and Family

*Theme 6: Environment

*Theme 7: Personal Feelings and Growth

*Theme 8: Yesterday

*Theme 9: Social Issues and Culture

*General Language Arts

What does it mean to be a

hero?

Pathways Theme: Heroes

Who do you know in real life whom you would call a

hero? What makes this person a hero?


Write about a famous person

whom you would call a hero. What makes this person a hero?


Who in your life looks up to you? Why do you think you are a hero to

this person?Pathways Theme: Heroes

Is it ever a bad idea to look up to someone as

a hero?Pathways Theme: Heroes

Who is your favorite Bible

hero and why?


Choose a character from your theme

book whom you think is a hero. What

makes him/her a hero?


Write at least one haiku on the topic of heroes. (5-7-5 syllable pattern)


Write an acrostic poem on the topic of heroes.


Talk with a classmate about what the word culture means. Write

about what you talked about.

Pathways Theme: My World and Others

Culture means how people live their lives. It includes things like religion, the homes people live

in, the foods they eat, the type of work they do, the language they speak, and their family structure.

What is your culture like?


Do you enjoy food, music, or

stories from another culture? Write about it.


If you could visit another country, which would you choose and why?


Would you enjoy spending time with a kid from another country

or culture?Pathways Theme: My World and Others

People in Bible times lived very differently than we do now. (They had a very different culture.) If you lived back in Bible times, how would your

life be different?Pathways Theme: My World and Others


book. How is his/her life and culture

different from yours?


Why do you think some people (both kids and adults) are

unkind to people who are different from

them?Pathways Theme: My World and Others

Maria’s family from Puerto Rico is coming to visit for a week. She has a boy cousin about her age,

but her cousin only speaks Spanish. Maria cannot speak any

Spanish.What advice would you give to Maria for how she can help her

cousin enjoy his visit?Pathways Theme: My World and Others

You already know that the Bible is God’s book.

Nature is sometimes called “God’s Second Book.” What do you think this means?

Pathways Theme: Living Things

Why do you think God created so many different

kinds of animals?


What is your favorite kind

of plant? Why?


How would your life be different if God

had designed people to live in the ocean instead of on land?


What is your favorite

animal and why?


Write about an animal that

would not make a good pet.


Choose an animal you have read about in your theme book.

What have you learned about this

animal?Pathways Theme: Living Things

What do you think is the most frightening

animal? What makes it so scary?


If you were a biologist (scientist who studies living

things), what would you most want to

study?Pathways Theme: Living Things

What does it mean to be a

Christian?

Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey

What do you do to get

closer to God?


Write a letter to God telling Him what you are thankful for.


Tell about a time when it was very hard for you to do what God wanted

you to do.Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey

What story from the Bible has helped you in your own life?


How important is it to go to church every Sabbath? Give reasons for

you answer.Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey


book. How has God worked in his/her

life?Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey

Write about a time God did something wonderful for you,

your family, or someone you know.


Write a poem about why

you love the Lord.


What makes someone a

good friend?

Pathways Theme: Friends and Family

What does your family like to do together?


Write a story about something fun you have done with a friend (or friends).


Why do you think God designed us to live together

in families?


Some people have friends that they only know on the internet. What do you like or dislike about this

idea?Pathways Theme: Friends and Family

Why do you think family members don’t always get

along?


Jack’s parents are divorced. He spends half his time with his mom and half his time with his dad. His mom is remarried and Jack has a

four-year-old stepbrother. He loves his family but sometimes he feels bad because none of his friends

have divorced parents. What would you say to Jack to help

him feel better?Pathways Theme: Friends and Family

Jenna has two close friends. Sometimes one friend will get jealous of another friend or feel left out. What can the girls do

to try to save their friendship?


Write an acrostic poem about

either family or friends.


Do you think it’s important for us to take care of

the earth?

Pathways Theme: Environment

Natural resources are things in nature that we can use. Choose

one or more of these natural resources and write about the

ways we use it:Trees

Land/SoilWaterRocks


To reduce means to use less of something. Reducing helps

the earth because we use fewer resources and make

less trash when we use less of something.

What things do you use that you can reduce?


To reuse something means to use it again. Think of

some things you use all the time that you usually throw

away. Write about some creative ways you could

reuse those things instead.


To recycle means to take old materials and make

something new from them. Talk with a classmate

about things that can be recycled. Write about what

you talked about.


Write a slogan and design a poster to convince people to reduce, reuse,

and recycle.Pathways Theme: Environment

Pollution is something harmful that people put into the water, ground, or air. With a partner, brainstorm ways that

people pollute the earth. Write about it.


Who does water

pollution hurt?


People litter when they throw trash where it doesn’t

belong. Is littering a big problem? Why or

why not?Pathways Theme: Environment

List as many ways as you can think of to help

the environment.


What makes you happy?

Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth

What makes you angry?


What makes you sad?


What are you afraid of?


What is the biggest problem you have ever had to struggle

through?Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth

What are some of your

gifts and talents?


What do you want to be

when you grow up? Why?


What is the biggest change that has

happened in your life so far?


Describe your personality.


Besides growing bigger, how have

you changed since you were six

years old?Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth


book. How has this character changed during the story?


Why is it important to learn about the past?

Pathways Theme: Yesterday

If you could travel back in

time, when and where would you

visit?Pathways Theme: Yesterday

The setting of a story refers to when and

where the story happens. How is the setting in your theme

book different from the setting of your life?


How has the world changed

since your parents were

your age?Pathways Theme: Yesterday

What do you think the world will be like in

50 years?Pathways Theme: Yesterday

An antique is something that was used in the past. Many

people collect antique furniture, cars, records, books,

farm equipment, coins…everything!

If you owned an antique, what would you want to own?


What do you think is the one invention that changed the

world the most?Pathways Theme: Yesterday

What have you learned about the past from reading

your theme book?


There are many different kinds of

people in the world. Why is this

a good thing?Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture

There are many different kinds of

people in the world. What problems

does this cause?Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture

Think about one of your closest

friends. How is he or she different

from you?Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture

An immigrant is someone who moves from another country. How might you feel if

you were a new immigrant to America?

Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture

A person who is prejudiced dislikes someone because they

are different. For instance, some people are prejudiced against people who have a different

color skin or a different religion. What kinds of problems do you

think prejudice causes?


What do you think is the

biggest problem in our country?


Think about a problem in the world, the country, or your town. What can you do to help fix this

problem?Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture

How does God want us to treat people who are

different?


There is a new girl in Eric’s Sabbath school class. The new girl, Laura, has Down’s Syndrome. Eric’s best friend whispers to Eric during class,

making fun of how Laura looks and how she talks. If you were

Eric, what would you do?Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture

Is it important to spell

correctly? Why or why not?

Language Arts: General

Is it important to use punctuation correctly? Why

or why not?


Is it important to always use complete

sentences? Why or why not?


Is it important to be able to

write well? Why or why not?


Is it important to know the different

parts of speech (noun, verb,

adjective, etc.)? Why or why not?


What are your favorite kinds

of books to read?


What is the worst book you have

read all the way through? What

made it so awful?Language Arts: General

What is the best book you have

read? What made it so great?


If you wrote a book, what would it be

about?Language Arts: General

What is your favorite

invertebrate animal? Why?

Science: Cycle 3

Arachnophobia is the fear of arachnids, such as spiders.

Write about something you are

afraid of.Science: Cycle 3

Why are insects

important?

Science: Cycle 3

Genetics is the study of how characteristics are

passed from one generation to the next. Choose one of

your parents or grandparents. In what ways

are you like this person?

Science: Cycle 3

Why do you think some people use

drugs?Science: Cycle 3

Imagine one of your friends in thinking about trying drugs. What would you say

to him or her?

Science: Cycle 3

What if the earth had the same amount of gravity as the moon? What would your life

be like?

Science: Cycle 3

Think of your favorite sport or game. How would this game be

different if there were no friction?

Science: Cycle 3

Would you rather lift 50 lbs of

feathers or 50 lbs of rocks? Explain

your answer.Science: Cycle 3

Stacy is afraid to ride The Maverick, a roller coaster at Cedar Point, because she’s afraid she will slip out when

it goes upside down. Use science to convince her to

ride it with you.

Science: Cycle 3

Which do you think was the more

important invention—the telescope or the microscope? Explain.

Science: Cycle 3

NASA would someday like to colonize, or send people to live on, the

moon. Would you like to be one of those

colonists? Why or why not?

Science: Cycle 3

What is you favorite

planet and why?

Science: Cycle 3

Mike saw a movie about an asteroid that was going to destroy all life on earth. Now he’s afraid this might really happen. Using what the Bible teaches, what

would you tell Mike?Science: Cycle 3

How important do you think it is to memorize the

multiplication tables? Give reasons for your

answer.Math

How would you explain to a

second grader what multiplication

is all about?Math

Write about one or more examples of how you have or could use multiplication in real

life (outside of school).

Math

Write about one or more ways you

have or could use division in real life (outside of school).

Math

What are some real-

world uses for geometry?

Math

What one thing have you learned in math that you think you will never use outside of school?

Math

Write about some careers that you

think require a lot of math.

Math

All our cell phones have

calculators. Why do we still learn

math?Math

Explain, using mostly words, how to figure out how much time has passed between 8:45 a.m. and 3:15

p.m.Math

Explain, using mostly words, how to figure out how

many inches are in three and a half feet.

Math

Explain, using mostly words, how to figure out how many years are in five decades and two centuries.

Math

How many real-world

applications can you think of for using fractions?

Math

Jackson thinks that ½ + ¼ is 2/6. Explain to him why he is

wrong.Math

Write a math word problem that uses both subtraction

and addition.

Math

Write a math word problem that uses

both multiplication and

division.Math

Write a math word problem that

requires at least three steps to

solve.Math

Write a math word problem

that uses fractions.

Math

Write a math word problem that involves elapsed time.

Math

Write a math word problem

that uses percent.

Math

Why is it important to be able to

read maps?Social Studies: Cycle 3

How many different kinds of

maps can you think of and what

are they used for?

Social Studies: Cycle 3

Is it important to know the

locations of other countries? Why or why not?


If you could visit any country in Europe, where would you go

and why?Social Studies: Cycle 3

If you were a Christian during the 12th century, would you have

been for or against the crusades? Give

reasons for your answer.


Who is your favorite

renaissance artist, musician, or scientist and

why?Social Studies: Cycle 3

If you could ask Martin Luther one question,

what would you ask and why?


Think about all the explorers you have

learned about. Which of these explorers would you have

enjoyed traveling with and why?


How did the invention of the printing

press change the world?


How did the invention of steam power change the

world?Social Studies: Cycle 3

What might your life be like if you were a kid in a

working class family during the industrial

revolution?Social Studies: Cycle 3

If you were in the armed forces

during World War I, what job would you want to have and


Which European country would you least want to live in during World War II and


Learning about the Holocaust can be

disturbing. Why do you think it is an important part of history to study?


How would you feel about the

Berlin wall if you lived in West

Berlin during the 1980s?


Why doesn’t God force us

to follow Him?

Bible: Cycle 3

What do you think Adam and Eve did during a typical day in the Garden of Eden?

Bible: Cycle 3

Did Abraham have a lot of faith in God? Defend your

answer.Bible: Cycle 3

Tell the story of a person from the

Old Testament who learned from his or

her mistakes.

Bible: Cycle 3

Imagine you are an Israelite kid watching

the sanctuary sacrifice for the first time. What would you think? How

would you feel?

Bible: Cycle 3

Why do you think John 3:16 is such a well-known Bible

verse?Bible: Cycle 3

If you could have been present for just one of Jesus’ miracles, which

miracle would you most want to see?

Bible: Cycle 3

Why didn’t most Hebrews

realize that Jesus was the

Messiah?Bible: Cycle 3

Why did Jesus let himself be

crucified?

Bible: Cycle 3

What are some signs of Jesus’

return? Have any of these signs happened yet?

Bible: Cycle 3

What do you think heaven will be like?

Bible: Cycle 3

If you had $1,000 to spend on someone else, how would you spend it?

General

If you designed a website to make the world a better place, what would your website be about?

General

Do you think kids your age should be allowed to use Facebook? Give reasons for your opinion.

General

How do you feel about school uniforms? Explain.

General

If you could give yourself a new name, what would you choose and why?

General

If you made a video to advertise your school, what would you show in your video? What would you say?

General

Do you think kids’ lives are easier than adults’ lives?

General

Write a poem! (Any kind, any school-appropriate topic.)

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“If I could _______, I would _________.”

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“I wish I never had to ______________ again.” (Explain why.)

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“People think I’m weird when I ______.” (Give details.)

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“I would rather _______ than _______.” (Explain why.)

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“Over the past year I ___________________.” (Give details.)

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“I think _______.”

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“I hope ________.”

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“I believe _________.”

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“I am ______ because I ______.”

General

Fill in this prompt and then write your response:“_____ is important to me because ________________.”

General

Write your own unique writing prompt. Write your response, as well.

General

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For Multi-Grade Classrooms Author: Christina Dotson