First Week Writing Tasks Beyond "What I Did This Summer"

In high school, many students spent their summer working, babysitting younger siblings, or playing video games. I’m sure many were at the pool, had their quinceañera, or took a vacation too. Whichever summer students had, the essay prompt about it is boring, old, and super repetitive.

But we can all agree, students should be writing the first week of school in some way. Not just for a baseline, but also because it reactivates the brain into thinking critically, organizing thoughts, and getting ideas down on paper. All are vital skills in all subjects, especially ELA.

Personal essays are the easiest for students to jump into because honestly, the structure is a stream of consciousness and can use the pronoun “I”. Students don’t need any mini lessons to jog their memory to be able to write about what they did this summer.

I can see why so many teachers use this prompt, but we can’t anymore. These secondary students are ready to challenge their writing skills and do something that makes them think instead of roll their eyes and yawn. Let’s get them hooked!

Have students choose the type of writing they want to dive into, first. It’ll all be based on personal opinion, but not in journal format. Think: persuasive writing, argumentative writing, news writing, and improv writing tasks.

A mini lesson can be taught briefly to introduce the different types of writing and then show the students the prompt that matches each one. That way students can choose a type of writing they want to try, knowing what they’re getting themselves into.

Persuasive Writing Prompt:

What is one class you would think all students should take before graduating from high school that will prepare you for the future most? Write a one-page proposal, pitching your class to the administration of your school. Make sure to include what the class is called, what it involves, why it’s important, and any other details you think will persuade them to make this class a new requirement for graduation.

Argumentative Writing Prompt:

What is an unpopular opinion you have that others would likely not agree with? (Example: pineapple on pizza, socks with sandals, making the bed is a pointless chore, etc) Write a one-page argumentative essay explaining why your opinion is right and why everyone else in the world is wrong. Include details, examples, or facts that back up your opinion to argue your opinion is right.

News Writing Prompt:

Imagine you’re a news reporter for your local news station and you’re writing your segment for tonight’s 5 o’clock news. Choose one of these fictional breaking news headlines to finish out in journalistic writing style. Prepare your news reporter voice and interview made-up sources to complete this one-page news reporting task.

Breaking News Headlines:

1. Breaking news! Four monkeys escaped from the Blank Park Zoo onTuesday, January 20.
2. Breaking news! American astronaut Pedro Santiago ventured to the moon, successfully identifying a new species he’s calling Tookies.
3. Breaking news! Out of 100 high schools in Iowa, [Your] High School ranks the best in __________________________.
4. Breaking news! Elementary third grader saves neighbor from a house fire on Sunday morning.
5. Breaking news! The weather is the coldest its been since 2003, with windchills hitting -35 degrees on Friday.
6. Breaking News: Classes were interrupted this morning when a mysterious power outage shut down the entire town for exactly ten minutes.
7. Breaking News: Students arriving at school today were surprised to find the football field covered in hundreds of identical blue backpacks.
8. Breaking News: A routine science experiment took an unexpected turn when the school lab fire alarm went off during third period.
9. Breaking News: Students cheered this morning when the final bell rang ten minutes early, and no one knows why.
10. Breaking News: A missing school mascot costume was found this morning in the library’s return bin.

Improv Writing Prompt:

This is more like a challenge than a prompt because students will be drawing cards with the tone of voice and persona they’ll be writing in. The prompt generally is “Predict the Future: What will happen this year at [Your] High School?” This can be outlandish, serious, humorous, etc. It’s supposed to be fictional and exaggerated, taking on the persona and tone of their drawn cards.

Tones of Voice: serious, humorous, sarcastic, hyper, sad, angry, sleepy

Personas: president, cheerleader, parent, your teacher, army sergeant, kindergartener, lawyer, coach, Mickey Mouse, viral TikToker, salesperson, etc.

These prompts and various ways of writing should keep students engaged in their writing in the first week of school more than a journal entry about their summer. There’s choice, there’s variety, but they all have to be the same length so there’s no “this is the shortest prompt so I’ll do that one”-type of response. This should also alert you as the teacher to talented writers and those who might need extra support.

Jennifer Epping is an ELA and journalism teacher of 14 years who lives in Des Moines, Iowa. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and mass communication and English Education from Iowa State University, and a professional certificate in book and magazine publishing from New York University. She spent some time in book publishing in New York and found her passion in the classroom helping students find their voices. She loves spending time with her wife, Amanda, and their one-year-old son, Elliott, while also diving into as many books as possible.