9th grade english writing assignments

Free Printable Writing Worksheets for 9th Grade

Writing-focused ELA worksheets for Grade 9 students: Discover a variety of free printable resources to enhance your students' language arts skills and inspire creativity in their writing journey.

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Explore printable Writing worksheets for 9th Grade

Writing worksheets for Grade 9 ELA are essential tools for teachers to help their students develop and strengthen their language arts skills. These worksheets cover a wide range of topics, including grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing techniques, all tailored to the specific needs and abilities of ninth-grade students. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can provide targeted practice and reinforcement of key concepts, ensuring that their students are well-prepared for the challenges of high school English courses. Furthermore, these Grade 9 ELA worksheets can be easily adapted to suit the individual needs of each student, making them an invaluable resource for educators looking to differentiate their instruction and support the diverse learning needs of their students. Writing worksheets for Grade 9 ELA are, therefore, an indispensable part of any successful language arts curriculum.

Quizizz is an excellent platform for teachers to create engaging and interactive worksheets, quizzes, and other educational materials for their Grade 9 ELA students. With its user-friendly interface and extensive library of pre-made content, Quizizz makes it easy for educators to design customized learning experiences that cater to the unique needs and interests of their students. In addition to writing worksheets for Grade 9 ELA, Quizizz offers a variety of other resources, such as multimedia presentations, flashcards, and games, that can be seamlessly integrated into lesson plans to support and enhance students' learning. By utilizing Quizizz in their classrooms, teachers can not only save time and effort in creating and managing their instructional materials but also foster a more engaging and collaborative learning environment for their Grade 9 ELA students.

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Ninth grade language arts

IXL offers more than 100 ninth grade language arts skills to explore and learn! Not sure where to start? Go to your personalized Recommendations wall to find a skill that looks interesting, or select a skill plan that aligns to your textbook, state standards, or standardized test.

Reading strategies

A. main idea.

• 1 Determine the main idea of a passage

B. Audience, purpose, and tone

• 1 Which text is most formal?
• 2 Identify audience and purpose
• 3 Compare passages for subjective and objective tone
• 4 Compare passages for tone

C. Literary devices

• 1 Identify the narrative point of view
• 2 Interpret the meaning of an allusion from its source
• 3 Recall the source of an allusion
• 4 Interpret figures of speech
• 5 Classify figures of speech: euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox
• 6 Classify figures of speech: review
• 7 Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone

D. Analyzing literature

• 1 Match the quotations with their themes
• 2 Analyze short stories: set 1
• 3 Analyze short stories: set 2
• 4 Identify elements of poetry

E. Analyzing informational texts

• 1 Analyze the development of informational passages: set 1
• 2 Analyze the development of informational passages: set 2
• 3 Trace an argument: set 1
• 4 Trace an argument: set 2
• 5 Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts: set 1
• 6 Analyze rhetorical strategies in historical texts: set 2

F. Novel study

• 1 Analyze passages from To Kill a Mockingbird : Part 1
• 2 Analyze passages from To Kill a Mockingbird : Part 2

G. Nonfiction book study

• 1 Analyze passages from Night : Part 1
• 2 Analyze passages from Night : Part 2

H. Business documents

• 1 Read workplace emails and memos
• 2 Read business letters and notices

I. Graphic organizers

• 1 Read graphic organizers

Writing strategies

J. organizing writing.

• 1 Order topics from broadest to narrowest
• 2 Organize information by topic

K. Topic sentences and thesis statements

• 1 Choose the topic sentence that best captures the main idea
• 2 Identify thesis statements

L. Developing and supporting arguments

• 1 Distinguish facts from opinions
• 2 Identify stronger and weaker evidence to support a claim
• 3 Choose the best evidence to support a claim
• 4 Identify supporting evidence in a text
• 5 Evaluate counterclaims
• 6 Choose the analysis that logically connects the evidence to the claim
• 7 Transition logically between claims, evidence, analysis, and counterclaims
• 8 Classify logical fallacies

M. Persuasive strategies

• 1 Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements
• 2 Use appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in persuasive writing

N. Creative techniques

• 1 Use personification

O. Writing clearly and concisely

• 1 Transitions with conjunctive adverbs
• 2 Avoid double, illogical, and unclear comparisons
• 3 Identify sentences with parallel structure
• 4 Use parallel structure
• 5 Remove redundant words or phrases

P. Active and passive voice

• 1 Identify active and passive voice
• 2 Rewrite the sentence in active voice

Q. Editing and revising

• 1 Use the correct frequently confused word
• 2 Identify and correct errors with frequently confused words
• 3 Identify and correct errors with frequently confused pronouns and contractions
• 4 Correct errors with commonly misspelled words
• 5 Correct errors with signs
• 6 Correct errors in everyday use
• 7 Suggest appropriate revisions

R. Research skills

• 1 Understand a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions)
• 2 Recognize the parts of a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions)
• 3 Use in-text citations (MLA 8th–9th editions)
• 4 Identify plagiarism

S. Prefixes and suffixes

• 1 Word pattern analogies
• 2 Word pattern sentences
• 3 Words with pre-
• 4 Words with re-
• 5 Words with sub-
• 6 Words with mis-
• 7 Words with un-, dis-, in-, im-, and non-
• 8 Words with -ful
• 9 Words with -less
• 10 Words with -able and -ible

T. Greek and Latin roots

• 1 Sort words by shared Greek or Latin roots
• 2 Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words
• 3 Use words as clues to the meanings of Greek and Latin roots
• 4 Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots
• 5 Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots

U. Homophones

• 1 Use the correct homophone
• 2 Identify and correct errors with homophones

V. Foreign words and expressions

• 1 Use etymologies to determine the meanings of words
• 2 Use context as a clue to the meanings of foreign expressions
• 3 Use the correct foreign expression

W. Word choice and usage

• 1 Choose the word whose connotation and denotation best match the sentence
• 2 Use words accurately and precisely
• 3 Replace words using a thesaurus
• 4 Explore words with new or contested usages

X. Analogies

• 1 Analogies
• 2 Analogies: challenge

Y. Context clues

• 1 Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context
• 2 Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context
• 3 Use context to identify the meaning of a word

Z. Reference skills

• 1 Use dictionary entries
• 2 Use dictionary definitions
• 3 Use dictionary entries to determine correct usage
• 4 Use thesaurus entries

Grammar and mechanics

Aa. sentences, fragments, and run-ons.

• 1 Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory?
• 2 Identify sentence fragments
• 3 Identify run-on sentences
• 4 Choose punctuation to avoid fragments and run-ons

BB. Phrases and clauses

• 1 Is it a phrase or a clause?
• 2 Identify prepositional phrases
• 3 Identify appositives and appositive phrases
• 4 Identify dependent and independent clauses
• 5 Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex?
• 6 Combine sentences using relative clauses
• 1 Form and use plurals: review
• 2 Form and use plurals of compound nouns

DD. Pronouns

• 1 Identify and correct errors with subject and object pronouns
• 2 Subject and object pronouns review
• 3 Pronouns after "than" and "as"
• 4 Identify and correct pronoun errors with "who"
• 5 Use relative pronouns: who and whom
• 6 Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that
• 7 Identify vague pronoun references
• 8 Identify all of the possible antecedents
• 9 Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person

EE. Verb types

• 1 Identify transitive and intransitive verbs
• 2 Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns
• 3 Identify participles and what they modify
• 4 Identify gerunds and their functions
• 5 Identify infinitives and infinitive phrases

FF. Subject-verb agreement

• 1 Identify and correct errors with subject-verb agreement
• 2 Identify and correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement
• 3 Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects

GG. Verb tense and mood

• 1 Form the progressive verb tenses
• 2 Form the perfect verb tenses
• 3 Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense
• 4 Identify the verb mood
• 5 Correct errors with verb mood

HH. Adjectives and adverbs

• 1 Choose between adjectives and adverbs
• 2 Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives
• 3 Good, better, best, bad, worse, and worst
• 4 Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs
• 5 Well, better, best, badly, worse, and worst

II. Conjunctions

• 1 Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions

JJ. Misplaced modifiers

• 1 Misplaced modifiers with pictures
• 2 Select the misplaced or dangling modifier
• 3 Are the modifiers used correctly?

KK. Restrictive and nonrestrictive elements

• 1 What does the punctuation suggest?
• 2 Commas with nonrestrictive elements
• 1 Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, interrupters, and antithetical phrases
• 2 Commas with series, dates, and places
• 3 Commas with compound and complex sentences
• 4 Commas with coordinate adjectives
• 5 Commas: review

MM. Semicolons, colons, and commas

• 1 Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses
• 2 Use semicolons, colons, and commas with lists
• 3 Semicolons, colons, and commas: review

NN. Dashes, hyphens, and ellipses

• 1 Use dashes
• 2 Use hyphens in compound adjectives
• 3 Decide whether ellipses are used appropriately

OO. Apostrophes

• 1 Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns
• 2 Identify and correct errors with compound and joint possession

PP. Capitalization

• 1 Correct capitalization errors

QQ. Formatting

• 1 Formatting quotations and dialogue
• 2 Capitalizing titles
• 3 Formatting titles
• 4 Formatting and capitalizing titles: review

30 Writing Prompts For 9th Grade Students

What’s up, 9th graders?

Writing’s a big deal, but forget grades for a second.

It’s more like figuring out who you are and how to totally rock your thoughts.

That’s where our writing prompts come in – like training wheels for your writing brain.

We’ve got a bunch of awesome prompts here to get you thinking, writing all sorts of stuff (stories, arguments, even deep thoughts!), and maybe even have a blast doing it.

So, grab a pen, open your laptop, and unleash your inner writing superstar!

Writing Prompts for 9th Graders

Imagine a world where AI has evolved to a point that machines have become sentient and have emotions, desires, and their own society. However, not all is peaceful. The machines have started an invasion against the human race. Write a short story about a day in the life of a teenager during this invasion. Describe this world in your own unique way. How have things changed for the humans and machines?

Picture yourself as a stray cat navigating through an urban city. Your life is filled with adventure, close encounters, and fleeting friendships. Your perception of the world is starkly different from that of humans. Write a journal entry as this stray cat, capturing your experiences, challenges, and observations of the human world around you.

Aliens have made contact with Earth and they’ve sent an ambassador to discuss their intentions and establish relations. Unexpectedly, they choose you, a 9th-grade student, to be their human counterpart due to your unique ability to understand their language. Write a letter to the UN Secretary-General explaining your new role, what you’ve learned from the aliens, and your recommendations for next steps.

Your school’s most beloved cookie recipe has mysteriously vanished. Rumors are swirling about a secret society of teachers being responsible. You decide to investigate. Write a detective-style story detailing your investigation and uncovering of the great cookie conspiracy. Don’t forget to include surprising twists!

You’ve found an old snow globe in your attic. But this isn’t a regular snow globe; whatever you draw and place in the globe becomes part of the miniature world inside. One day, you accidentally drop in a sketch of a terrifying creature. Write a suspenseful short story about how you handle the situation and the unexpected adventures that follow.

You discover that your best friend has been a time traveler all along. They’ve been trying to alter events to prevent a future catastrophe, but things aren’t going as planned since someone is trying to act as a villain. Write a narrative story detailing your adventures in time travel with your friend and the moral dilemmas you face when deciding whether or not to alter history.

A dollar bill goes through many hands and sees many places. Imagine what stories it could tell if it had consciousness. Write a story from the perspective of a dollar bill, narrating its journey from the moment it was printed. Make sure to incorporate a variety of scenarios and environments.

Your ordinary, somewhat boring town suddenly becomes exciting when a masked superhero starts appearing. This hero doesn’t have any superpowers, but they use their resources and wits to help people. Write a newspaper article detailing the superhero’s latest daring rescue, the mystery surrounding their identity, and the town’s reaction.

Choose your favorite fairy tale and reimagine it. Set it in the gothic world and replace the magical elements with modern technology or social media. How would Cinderella’s story change if she had an appearance of fear? What if Rapunzel lived in a high-rise apartment building that is floating on a river? Write a modern version of your chosen fairy tale, showcasing how this scenario would affect the story.

Jules Verne took us on an imaginative journey to the center of the Earth. Now it’s your turn. You and a group of scientists embark on a journey to the Earth’s core. However, the world you find beneath our feet is unlike anything ever discovered. Write a detailed adventure log of your journey, describing the fantastic sights and dangers you encounter along the way.

Imagine you have the power to create a new society from scratch. A utopia, where every citizen is content, fulfilled and their mental health being apt at all times. What would this place look like? How would it function? Write an essay detailing your vision for your utopia, including its government structure, education system, healthcare, and social norms.

You stumble upon a time machine and decide to visit your future self ten years from now. The person you meet, however, isn’t quite what you expected. Write a conversation between your current and future self, exploring the surprises and the wisdom your future self imparts.

Suppose you have the ability to switch bodies with your pet for a day. What adventures would you embark on? What might you learn about your pet and yourself? Write a narrative essay recounting your day as your pet, detailing your adventures and new perspective on life.

You receive a large, unexpected package in the mail. It’s not your birthday or any special occasion, and the package is not labeled. Curiosity piqued, you open it to find something extraordinary. Write a story describing the unboxing of this mystery gift and how its contents change your life.

Imagine you decide to run for Student Body President. Your platform is unconventional, focusing on changes never proposed before, and your campaign tactics are even more out-of-the-box. Write a campaign speech that outlines your unique platform and explains why you’re the right candidate for the presidency.

You find yourself stranded on a desert island with only three items of your choosing. Survival is your top priority, but you also need to find a way to signal for help. Write a survival guide that details how you’d use the three items to stay alive and get rescued.

Your local library is believed to be haunted. Late at night, strange sounds can be heard and books mysteriously fly off the shelves. You and a group of friends decide to investigate. Write a thrilling short story documenting your spooky adventures and the secrets you uncover.

You’ve always been fascinated by mythology and its creatures. One day, during a hike in the woods, you encounter one of these mythical beasts. Write a story about your encounter, the creature you meet, and the impact this experience has on you.

Think about a major historical event and reimagine it with a significant twist. What if the outcome had been different? What if a key figure had made a different decision? Write an alternate history story based on this event, showing how this new version could have changed the course of history.

Imagine waking up one day and all forms of technology have stopped working. No cell phones, no internet, no cars – nothing. Write a 24 hour timeline story on how it impacts your daily routine and society in general.

One day, gravity simply stops working. People and objects start to float uncontrollably. How do you and others cope with this new reality? Write a detailed narrative exploring the immediate and long-term effects of this phenomenon on daily life and human society.

You suddenly find yourself in a fantasy world filled with magical creatures and enchanted forests. However, you’re not a warrior, wizard, or rogue, but a simple cook. Write a story about how you use your unique skills and wit to become an unlikely hero and save the day.

You’re part of an interstellar exploration team sent to investigate a long-abandoned space station. Upon arrival, you find eerie signs that suggest you might not be alone. Write a thrilling short story about your team’s exploration of the space station, the mysteries you uncover, and the harrowing situations you encounter.

While on a deep-sea dive, you stumble upon a lost city submerged beneath the ocean. The city is in remarkably good condition and filled with clues about a previously unknown civilization. Write an adventure log detailing your exploration of this underwater city, the artifacts you discover, and the implications of your findings.

One day, an invisible barrier appears around your town, trapping everyone inside. No one can see it, but they can feel it, and nothing can pass through it. Write a story about how the people in your town adapt to their new circumstances and how they work together to understand and overcome the barrier.

You’ve discovered a portal to another dimension where the laws of physics don’t apply, and everything is topsy-turvy. What’s more, you can’t find your way back! Write a descriptive narrative detailing your adventures in this strange dimension and how you finally manage to return home.

In a small corner of your town, there is an old antique shop filled with curiosities. One day, you discover that the items sold there have a magical or supernatural element. Write a series of diary entries about your experiences with these unusual antiques and the enigmatic shop owner.

You’ve been accepted to a prestigious school, but instead of traditional subjects, students are taught unusual skills like time manipulation, lucid dreaming, or telepathy. Write a letter to your old friends detailing your experiences at your new school, including your favorite classes, classmates, and unexpected challenges.

Every night at exactly midnight, hauntingly beautiful music can be heard echoing throughout your neighborhood. No one knows where it’s coming from. One night, you decide to find out. Write a story about your nocturnal adventure to uncover the source of the music and what you discover in the process.

You come across an old, dusty video game in a thrift store. The game is fun but you soon realize it has a mind of its own – it’s haunted! Write a gripping short story about your eerie encounters with this haunted video game and how you confront the digital ghost.

Loved these prompts? 

Here are some other options you can explore. 

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School 

Spark the imaginations of your middle schoolers with these captivating creative writing prompts! From thrilling adventures to heartfelt reflections, this post offers prompts designed to inspire creativity, improve writing skills, and ignite a passion for storytelling. Unleash their literary genius today!

Writing Prompts for Romeo and Juliet

Discover a treasure trove of writing prompts inspired by Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Unleash your creativity as you explore forbidden love, feuding families, and tragic destiny. Dive into the world of Verona and let your imagination soar with these captivating prompts.

Harry Potter Writing Prompts

Discover a magical world of creativity with these captivating writing prompts from the pen of J.K. Rowling! Dive into the enchanting universe, conjure your own spells, and embark on thrilling adventures. Are you ready to cast your writing spell?

Fall Writing Prompts for Middle School

Get your creative juices flowing this fall with our collection of captivating writing prompts for middle schoolers! From spooky tales to introspective musings, these prompts will inspire students to unleash their imaginations and craft captivating stories. Don’t miss out on this autumn adventure!

Opinion Writing Prompts for 4th Grade

Unlock your 4th grader’s inner wordsmith with these captivating opinion writing prompts! From defending favorite superheroes to arguing for the best ice cream flavor, this blog post is packed with engaging ideas to ignite their creativity and critical thinking skills. Let the persuasive penmanship begin!

Founder and Chief Content Curator @ Digital Phrases

I'm a writer, words are my superpower, and storytelling is my kryptonite.

Curriculum Guide for 9th Grade English

How Can Having an English Major Help You Become a Paralegal?

A freshman-year English course is one of the most important of a student's high school career because it serves as a foundation for future coursework in preparation for college or the workforce. A ninth-grade English curriculum should help a student become more comfortable with communicating to a variety of audiences and effectively interpreting what he reads so as to build his intellectual skills.

Completing a variety of reading assignments is a major part of a ninth grader's English curriculum. Students read common freshman books such as "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, which presents the idea of the brutality of unchecked political power using satire. Students also could read "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, a book about the struggles of race, bigotry and justice. Critical thinking and comprehension questions are an important supplement to the readings.

Another important part of a ninth-grade English curriculum is requiring students to master their writing skills. Students should learn correct sentence structures and know how to write an effective thesis paragraph. In addition, assignments require freshmen to produce a strong writing outline and to craft various types of essays, including a persuasive essay or a response-to-literature essay. A ninth-grade English curriculum allows students to delve into creative writing assignments such as producing plays, poems and short stories. Students also hone their note-taking skills in lectures and in their personal reading time as well as buttress their test-taking skills.

Grammar/Vocabulary

A staple of a ninth-grade English class is coverage of grammar rules. Students must master the use of nouns and verbs as well as learn how to avoid run-on sentences and fragments. In addition, they learn the difference between passive and active voice. Reviewing vocabulary words to strengthen their understanding of terminology used in books and to acquire new words they can introduce into their own writing assignments also is critical.

Speaking/Research

Ninth graders must complete assignments such as giving oral presentations to hone their public-speaking skills. They learn how to organize a speech, make eye contact and produce informative or persuasive speeches. To prepare their speeches, they must become acquainted with their school or local library and understand how to locate certain books, scholarly journals or periodicals on any given topic.

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• Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute; Ninth Grade English; Jeremiah Gadsden

YaShekia King, of Indianapolis, began writing professionally in 2003. Her work has appeared in several publications including the "South Bend Tribune" and "Clouds Across the Stars," an international book. She also is a licensed Realtor and clinical certified dental assistant. King holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ball State University.

Curriculum  /  ELA  /  9th Grade

English Language Arts

9th Grade ELA Course Summary

In 9th Grade English Language Arts, students explore the theme of personal identity through diverse, rigorous, and relevant texts: Born a Crime , Of Mice and Men , The Central Park Five , In the Time of the Butterflies , The Taming of the Shrew , and thematically aligned texts: short stories, articles, poems, and digital media . Students will consider how factors like race and gender as well as the social and political context of characters’ lives impact who they are, how they experience the world, and how they use their voices to effect change for themselves and others. Across the 5 units, students deepen their paragraph writing skills through narrative, opinion, analytical, and informational writing tasks.

Building upon the knowledge and English Language Arts skills they’ve developed in previous years, students deeply engage with complex texts through both independent reading and guided Close Reading, prepare for and engage in longform whole class discussions including Socratic Seminars , and write multi-paragraph responses to Essential Questions by gathering evidence and effectively communicating their thoughts. 

Explore this curriculum

9th Grade Standards Map

Pacing Guide

9th Grade Book List

Me, Myself, and I: Examining Personal Identity in Short Texts

Students explore the factors that contribute to and impact one’s personal identity through their reading of short stories, poems, and nonfiction.

You Laugh But It’s True: Humor and Institutional Racism in Born a Crime

Students explore how Trevor Noah leverages elements of fiction such as characterization, figurative language, and tone to develop his complex argument about institutional racism and its impact on identity development.

Power, Justice, and Culpability: Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five

In this unit, students read John Steinbeck's classic novella,  Of Mice and Men , and the 2011 nonfiction text,  The Central Park Five  by Sarah Burns. 

¡Viva Las Mariposas! Voice and Agency in In the Time of the Butterflies

Students will examine how Julia Alvarez structures her historical fiction novel and gives voice to the four Mirabal sisters as they come of age under Trujillo's dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. 

Gender and Power in The Taming of the Shrew

Through their reading of Shakespeare's play and supplemental texts, students examine the thematic ideas of gender and power, making connections between the play and contemporary societal messages. 

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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?

50 Awesome Writing Prompts for 9th Graders

Guidelines can encourage creativity. That might sound rather strange. After all, guidelines remove possibilities by their very nature. However, interested individuals should remember that total creative freedom can lead to decision paralysis.

Meanwhile, a good set of guidelines can give people somewhere solid to start from without being so restrictive that it cripples their imagination. As such, writing prompts can be very useful for getting the best creative writing out of 9th graders and other high school students.

Here are 50 awesome writing prompts for 9th graders

1. what is success.

There is neither a right answer nor a wrong answer for this question. Instead, the whole point is to get high schoolers to think about their criteria for success, which can see considerable variation from individual to individual.

2. What Is Failure?

This isn’t as straightforward as just a reverse of the above question. Asking high schoolers to write about their criteria for failure can be more illuminating than asking them to write about their criteria for success, if only because people tend to spend less time thinking about these things.

3. What Is the Greatest Challenge You Have Encountered So Far?

Challenges are relative. As such, high people can write about whatever challenge comes to mind for them. For that matter, they can write about either a challenge they have overcome or a challenge they are still struggling with.

4. What Is Your Proudest Moment?

This writing prompt is meant to get high schoolers to share something about themselves. Their proudest moment could be tied to their greatest success or something else altogether.

5. Have You Ever Had to Give Up Something to Get Something Else You Wanted More?

Opportunity cost refers to the best thing people have passed up on by making a choice. Generally speaking, Investopedia and other sources talk about it in the context of economics. However, it also applies to day-to-day life. As a result, people should have no problem thinking of something even if it is as simple as passing up on a snack because they wanted to leave room for something tastier.

6. Describe Your Favorite Food

It doesn’t matter what high schoolers describe as their favorite food so long as they can explain their choice.

7. Describe Your Favorite Activity

Similarly, what matters here is how well high schoolers can explain their choice of a favorite activity.

8. Describe Your Favorite Place

This could be anywhere from a favorite place to be to a favorite place to experience.

9. Describe Your Favorite Work of Art

Likewise, this could be anything from a song or a sculpture to a photo or a painting.

10. Describe Your Favorite Historical Figure

High schoolers should be able to name at least some historical figures. This is just a matter of choosing the one who appeals to them the most.

11. What Is the Most Interesting Animal?

There are some very unusual animals out there. To name an example, Discover states starfish eat by extending their stomaches into their prey. Undoubtedly, high schoolers can think of more.

12. If You Were an Animal, What Animal Would You Be?

Meanwhile, this writing prompt is more about which animals high schoolers think might be fun, cool, or otherwise interesting to be.

13. Choose a Friend or a Family Member. If They Were an Animal, What Animal Would They Be?

Here, high schoolers are encouraged to think about what characteristics define the people around them and what animals they associate with those characteristics.

14. What Is Something You Would Never Give Up?

Everyone has things they would never give up. Those things can range from principles to prized possessions.

15. If You Could Switch Your Personality Traits, What Would You Take Out and What Would You Put In?

This writing prompt encourages people to think about a couple of questions. One would be which of their personality traits they dislike. The other would be what personality traits they prize the most.

16. What Makes Someone an Adult?

Adulthood is a somewhat nebulous concept. As a result, it can be interesting to get high schoolers to think about what makes people adults, which requires them to think about what adulthood even means.

17. What Is Something You Look Forward to in the Future?

High schoolers are at a transformative point in their lives. It is natural for them to think about what is to come.

18. What Is Something You Regret About the Past?

Most high schoolers presumably wouldn’t have a huge cause for regret. That is fine because even a minor regret counts as a regret.

19. What Is One Thing You Know For Certain About Yourself?

The Harvard Business Review points out that self-reflection is an important life skill. This writing prompt is a chance for people to describe something about themselves, whether positive, negative, or even neutral.

20. What Is the One Thing That Makes You Who You Are?

On a related note, this writing prompt is also reflective, though more concerned with something that has had a huge impact on making them who they are.

21. What Stresses You Out?

The Mayo Clinic mentions the importance of identifying stressors before being able to come to grips with them. As such, one could consider this to be practice for stress management as much as creative writing.

22. How Do You Like to De-Stress?

A natural complement to writing about stressors would be writing about ways to relieve the stress from stressors.

23. How Would You React If You Had to Spend a Week On Your Own?

Just about everyone benefits from having company. However, different people can have different degrees of need for it. This writing prompt asks people to imagine how they would fare without company for a long but not too long time.

24. What Would You Do If You Had to Spend a Week On Your Own?

Meanwhile, this writing prompt is more about asking people how they would spend a great deal of time on their own.

25. If You Could Go Anywhere in the World, Where Would You Visit?

Travel is a popular pastime. Due to this, even high schoolers might have thought about where they would like to go. If not, there is no harm to them putting some thought into the topic.

26. Do You Want a Pet?

Everyone agrees that pet ownership is a major responsibility. Even the CDC is no exception to the rule. This is about asking high schoolers whether they want a pet if they have full responsibility for their pet’s wellbeing.

27. What Would You Get If You Could Get Whatever Pet You Wanted?

With that said, most people find it much more fun to think about what pets they would get if they were limited by neither budget nor other practical considerations.

28. What Is Your Favorite Season?

Different people have different favorite seasons. It can be interesting to see what high schoolers pick and how they justify their picks.

29. Where Do You See Yourself 10, 20, and 30 Years From Now?

High schoolers are at the point when they should start thinking about their life trajectory. Due to this, a writing prompt about where they see themselves at different points in the future can be very fitting.

30. Create an Alien

Fantastical writing prompts can be just as useful as their more down-to-earth counterparts. This one asks high schoolers to come up with an alien life form. What they come up with can say a lot about who they are as people.

31. Create a Holiday

Asking high schoolers to create a holiday can serve much the same purpose, if only because of what it says about their priorities.

32. What Is the Best Superpower?

It isn’t uncommon for fantastical writing prompts to have surprisingly reasonable answers. After all, “best” is very much in the eye of the beholder, meaning people can have very practical reasons for choosing one superpower over another.

33. What Is Something You Are Thankful For?

Once again, this is a writing prompt that encourages a bit of self-reflection, which is often beneficial for personal growth.

34. What Is a Present-Day Issue You Care About?

High schoolers can be surprisingly attentive to sociopolitical issues. It can be interesting to see what they care about when it comes to these things.

35. What Is a Principle You Consider Important?

People don’t necessarily make conscious choices when picking up core principles. Even so, it is good to think about these things from time to time. This writing prompt is meant to get high schoolers to do exactly that by thinking about what guides them through their day-to-day lives.

36. Nature or Nurture?

Nature versus nurture is a long-running debate. It won’t be settled anytime soon, but it can be interesting to see what people have to say on the matter.

37. Are People Inherently Good or Inherently Bad?

Speaking of which, this question is another long-running debate with profound consequences for human society as a whole. Even now, it continues to show up in Scientific American and other sources for very good reasons. The answer isn’t as important as how people craft their answers.

38. Do People Deserve Second Chances?

This is yet another question with answers that say more about the answerers than about the topic itself. Of course, that is what makes it interesting in the first place.

39. What Is the Weirdest Dream You Have Ever Had?

For something lighter, there is always the option of asking people to write about the weirdest dream they have ever experienced.

40. What Is Something You Want to Do Before You Die?

Alternatively, there is also the option of asking people about the things that they want to do at some point in their lives. Some people will bring up something perfectly ordinary. Other people will try to describe the adventure of a lifetime. Either option is valid.

41. Describe the Sight of a Dog to Someone Who Can’t See

Sometimes, simple things are only simple because of shared context. This writing prompt is meant to challenge high schoolers by getting them to think about the best way to describe the look of something to someone who has never seen anything in their life.

42. List 10 Things You Know to Be True

Writing prompts don’t need to be complicated. Even something as straightforward as this can encourage people to write and write well.

43. List 10 Things You Know to Be False

The reverse of the above writing prompt has the same potential for creating writing.

44. What Makes a Person a Person?

Personhood is a complicated topic. For proof, look no further than those championing the idea of animal personhood, as described by National Geographic . It can be beneficial for high schoolers to think a bit about what makes a person a person.

45. What Is Intelligence?

The idea of intelligence isn’t any easier to pin down than the idea of personhood. Due to that, it can also be a good idea for high schoolers to think a bit about the meaning of intelligence.

46. What Would You Choose If You Had to Choose Between Beauty, Health, and Intelligence?

People often have to make tough choices. Thought exercises are a good way for them to think their way through such situations rather than hesitate because of decision paralysis.

47. Describe Someone Who Has Been a Major Influence On You

No one stands alone. As a result, all of us have been influenced by our friends, our family members, and the other people around us. This writing prompt asks high schoolers to discuss one such individual.

48. Describe Something That Has Been a Major Influence On You

Of course, we can be influenced by books, events, and other things, which can have a huge impact on our day-to-day lives. Asking people to write about these sources of influence is just as worthwhile as asking them to write about the people who have shaped them.

49. What Is the Meaning of Life?

There are plenty of sources that claim to know the meaning of life. Unfortunately, it is hard to say which ones are right and which ones are wrong, meaning people are going to have to decide which answers are the right answers for them. This writing prompt is meant to get them thinking about what they see as important in life.

50. What Is the Greatest Challenge of Your Generation?

As mentioned earlier, high schoolers can be surprisingly attentive to sociopolitical issues. Even if they aren’t, chances are good that they have thoughts on the greatest challenges awaiting their generation, if only because of the shared experiences that have shaped them and their classmates.

You can also read:

• 50 Writing Prompts for 5th Graders That Aren’t Boring or Lame
• 50 Writing Prompts for 6th Graders That Aren’t Boring
• 50 Writing Prompts for 7th Graders That Aren’t Boring
• 70 Awesome Writing Prompts for 8th Graders

Janine is passionate about parenting. As a mother of 5 she knows a thing or two about how to raise children. She has a love for food, travel, and making sure her children stay on the right path.

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Elementary School

Middle school, high school, ets criterion sm library, grade 9 prompts, ws freshman survival (expository).

The principal has asked for student essays for next year’s “Freshman Survival Guide.” Write an article that compares and contrasts eighth grade with ninth grade. Focus on providing information and particular details to help new freshmen adjust to ninth grade.

• Scoring Guide 4PT Scale
• Scoring Guide 6PT Scale

WS What is a Friend? (Expository)

“That’s what friends are for.” Most people know the word “friend,” but everyone has a different idea of what makes a friend. Write an essay that defines the word “friend” and include clear examples and anecdotes to explain your definition.

WS Heroes (Expository)

Your school newspaper is printing a series of articles about heroes and heroines. Write about someone who is a hero or heroine to you. That person may be someone you know or someone you have read about or seen on television. Explain in particular detail why you believe this person is heroic.

WS Best Activity (Expository)

Everyone is good at some activity in school. Where do you shine? Write an essay that explains why it is good for a person to play a competitive sport, participate in musical performances, belong to a school organization, or otherwise excel at something in school. Include specific examples and details in your explanation.

WS Experience (Narrative)

“Experience is the best teacher.” In a personal narrative, share a specific time in your life that illustrates this quotation. Make sure to tell what you learned from the experience.

WS Helping Others (Narrative)

“Help yourself by helping others.” Share a personal experience that illustrates this quotation. Develop your narrative by using sensory details and events from your own life.

WS Today in School . . . (Narrative)

In an article for your school newspaper, share your most meaningful school-related experience from the past year. Make the experience come alive with vivid details and dialogue.

WS Save Art (Persuasive)

The school board has decided to eliminate the school art program because of budget constraints. Write a letter arguing for or against the school board’s decision. Use particular examples to support your argument.

WS Movie Choice (Persuasive)

As a class project, your English teacher wants to view and analyze a current movie. In preparation for this unit, she would like students to recommend a movie to study. Using specific reasons and details, write an e-mail that convinces your teacher to use the movie of your choice.

WS Assemblies (Persuasive)

Your principal has reduced the number of school assemblies for the year. The school newspaper editor wants you to write about the decision. Write an editorial either defending the decision or urging the principal to reconsider. Use specific reasons and examples in your argument.

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