NARRATIVE Options:
1.[Being Unprepared] Because you have
been sick, out of town, busy at work, or working on other homework, you didn't
have as much time to study for an important test as you needed. Everyone going
to school has been in this situation. Think of a specific test that you took
that you felt unprepared for and narrate the events. Tell your readers about
the preparation that you were able to do, the reasons that you didn't get to
prepare as well as you wanted, taking the test, and any significant events that
happened after you took the test. Your paper should help readers understand
what it felt like to be unprepared.
2.[Lightbulb
Moment] Think
of an experience when you realized that you suddenly understood an idea, a
skill, or a concept you had been struggling with -- it might be something
related to a class that you took or a specific athletic skill you were trying
to perfect. For instance, you might think about trying to understand how to
identify iambic pentameter in a poem or how to complete a Taylor Series problem
in your Calculus class. Or you might consider trying to perfect your free
throws and suddenly understanding how your follow-through was affecting your
success. Write a narrative that tells the story of your movement toward
understanding. How did you finally come to understand? What changed your
perceptions and gave you a new understanding? Your paper should help readers
understand how you felt to struggle with the idea or skill and then to
understand.
3.[Childhood Event] Choose a vivid time
from your childhood — You might think of the first
time that you rode a school bus, of a time when you went to the principal's
office, the first A you earned on a test or paper, earning money to buy
something that you really wanted, and so on. Narrate the events related to the
childhood memory that you've chosen so that your readers will understand why
the event was important and memorable.
4.[Achieving a Goal] Think of a time when
you achieved a personal goal — you might have finally completed a marathon or
triathlon, or you might have bettered your score on the SATs or another test,
or you might have learned how to use a piece of software like Microsoft Word or
Excel. Tell your readers about the story of how you met your goal. Be sure that
your readers understand why the goal is important to you.
5.[The Good and the
Bad] Think
about an event in your life that seemed bad but turned out to be good. Maybe
you got injured and while you were waiting for your broken leg to heal, you
learned how to use a computer. What makes the event change from bad to good may
be something that you learned as a result, something that you did differently
as a result, or something that happened that wouldn't have occurred otherwise.
Tell the story of the event that you experienced and help your readers
understand how an event that seemed negative turned out to have valuable
consequences.
6.[Being a Teacher] Teaching someone else
how to do something can be rewarding. Think of a skill that you've taught
someone else how to do. Perhaps you taught someone else how to swim, showed
someone how to bake a souffle, or helped someone
learn how to study more effectively. Think about the events that made up the
process of teaching the skill, and narrate the story for your readers.
7.[Changing Places] Every place has
things that change — sometimes as the result of economics, sometimes because
different people are involved, and sometimes for no clear reason that you know
about. Think of a change to a place that you know well. Perhaps the local
grocery store you grew up with as Smith and Bros. Grocery was bought out by a
regional chain like Food Lion or Winn Dixie. Maybe the First National Bank of
Smithburg suddenly becomes NationsBank. Perhaps the change was more personal --
an older sibling moves out of the house and your family changes the room to a
guest room or an office. Think of a specific change and narrate the events that
occurred. Readers should know the details of the change, and they should know
how you feel about the changes that occurred.
8.[Personal Rituals] Describe a personal
ritual that you, your friends, or your family have.
Think about the personal steps that you always go through when you prepare for
an exam. Do you sit at a desk, spread books and notes across your bed, or use
the kitchen table? Do you have to have something to drink...soda, water, jolt? There are numerous things that we do for which we
create our own personal rituals. Choose one event — studying for a test,
writing a paper, dressing and warming up before a game, or preparing and having
a special family meal. Narrate the events that take place when you complete
your ritual so that your readers understand the steps that the ritual includes
and why you complete them.
9.[Standing Up] Choose a time when
you did something that took a lot of nerve, a time when you didn't follow the
crowd or a time when you stood up for your beliefs. Perhaps your friends were
urging you to do something that you were uncomfortable with and you chose not
to cave into peer pressure. Maybe you took a stance on a political issue that
was important in your community, or you might have Whatever
you choose, think about the details of the event and write a story that tells
about what happened. Your narrative should show your readers why you decided to
make a stand or try something that took nerve, give specifics on the events,
and share how you felt after the event.
10. [Disagreeing] Think of a time when
you disagreed with a decision that had been made and did something about it.
The decision might have been made by someone you know personally — your Biology
teacher announced a new policy to grade for spelling and grammar on your
quizzes and homework, or an older family member decides to cancel a
subscription to a magazine that you liked to read. You might have responded by
discussing your concerns with your principal or dean, or you might have decided
to get a part-time job to earn enough money to buy the magazine yourself. Or
the decision could have been made by someone you never met — perhaps your
school board decided to change the lines in your school district so that you
would have to go to a different school, or your state legislature has passed a
bill that you disagreed with. Your response might have been to write a letter
to the editor, to your state representative, or to the school board. Whatever
happened, your job is to write a paper that narrates the events that occurred
-- from the decision that was made to your response. Be sure that your paper
gives enough details that your readers understand why you disagreed with the
decision and why you felt that your response was appropriate.
PERSUASIVE Options
1. Persuade the school
board to pay for your class to go to Disney World or
2. Persuade your mother
to give you a bigger allowance.
3. Persuade a student to
stay in school.
4. Persuade your mother
to let you borrow the car.
5. Persuade your little
brother or sister to do your chores.
6. Persuade your parent
to allow you to get a drivers license.
7. Persuade your parents
to take over your chores.
EXPOSITORY Options
1. Explain why you admire a particular person.
2. Explain why someone
you know should be regarded a leader.
3. Explain why parents
are sometimes strict.
4. If you had to be an
animal, which would you be and why?
5. Explain why you
especially enjoyed a particular teacher.
6. Explain why some
cities have curfews for teens.
7. Explain how moving
from place to place affects teens.
8. Describe the major
stressors in teens' lives.
9. Explain the likely
consequences of dropping out of school.
10. Describe some
productive ways students can spend their leisure time.
11. Explain why dealing
with their parents' divorce can be difficult for many teens.
12. Describe three things
you would like to change about the world and explain why you would change them.