Middle School Creative Writing Activities

Looking to spark creativity in your classroom this Thanksgiving season? These 10 Thanksgiving-themed story starters are perfect for getting your students' imaginations flowing! Designed for grades 4 and up, these engaging and open-ended prompts let students craft their own festive, adventurous, and even magical stories.
Use these story starters as:

• Bell ringers to jumpstart creative writing sessions
• Writing centers or stations for independent work
• Extension activities when students need an extra challenge
• Fun, seasonal writing prompts for November or Thanksgiving-themed lessons

Included Story Starters:

• “While preparing the Thanksgiving feast, you discover the turkey is enchanted! It starts talking and asks you to help it break a 100-year-old curse. What will you do?”
• “A UFO lands in your backyard on Thanksgiving Day. The aliens are friendly, but they want to join your dinner. What happens next?”
• And 8 more fun and imaginative prompts!

Why You’ll Love This Resource:

• Easy to Use: Simply print and go! Perfect for quick lesson planning.
• Engaging & Fun: Each prompt is designed to capture students’ attention and foster creative thinking.
• Flexible Use: Ideal for writing centers, bell work, or independent writing projects.
• Perfect for November: Add a festive twist to your writing lessons during the Thanksgiving season.

This FREE resource will keep your students engaged and excited about writing. Download today and watch their Thanksgiving tales come to life!

Blush Notes 8.5 x 11 inches 200 Pages for Notebooks and journals

Discover a world of reading through our engaging book review platform! Students can dive into captivating stories, share their thoughts on what they've read, discuss their favorite parts, and rate the books they love. Unlock the magic of literature and connect with fellow bookworms, exchanging ideas and recommendations. Whether you're seeking thrilling adventures, heartwarming tales, or mind-bending mysteries, our platform is the perfect space to express your opinions and uncover hidden literary gems.

 Join the community of young readers and embark on a journey of knowledge and imagination!

FREE infograph about Dad on Father's Day!

What's Inside:

Inside this freebie you'll find a prompt for learners to write out their own story, using several adjectives, nouns, and verbs. More instructions on the activity page.

Copyright © Early Childhood Essentials

If you like this freebie, do me a favor and if you share this with someone, send them the *link* to download as they have access to links and other resources for my content. Please don't simply make hard copies as they won't easily be able to click and follow. Thank you in advance!

This is a free preview of the William Shakespeare play script - Macbeth. The full play script is available for just $4.75 by following the link above.

This is a free preview of a play script for William Shakespeare's Macbeth, which has been written to be suitable for ages 9 to 14. Macbeth tells the story of a fierce warrior who meets three strange witches on his way home after a battle. The witches tell him that he will be King. At first Macbeth thinks they are lying but then he starts to believe the witches' prophecies.

He sends a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, who persuades him to kill the King and claim the throne. He does this but the couple find the guilt too much, and then the previous King’s sons come back for revenge. The story ends in death for Macbeth, as Macduff and Malcolm come to claim back the throne!

⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻

The play script is a mix of modern English with some of the famous lines from the real play mixed in as well. I hope you enjoy it – good luck!

There are 18 speaking roles with parts for up to 30 students; the language is a mix of Shakespearean and more modern English. Ideal for theatre performances or plays, reading activities or guided reading sessions.

Also ideal for older students who need to know the story better without getting wrapped up in the difficult language - Shakespeare is easy to understand if you understand the story!

⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻

In our Shakespeare Play Script Collection we also have:

• Hamlet
• Richard III
• Macbeth
• A Midsummer Night's Dream

If you want a Christmas play script we also have some fun alternatives:

• Elf
• The Santa Clause
• A Christmas Carol (A School Remix)
• A Christmas Carol (A Traditional Version)
• The Grinch

Other similar or relevant resources:

• Other William Shakespeare Resources
• World History Resources

⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚

For more great resources follow my store ⇉⇉ CLICK HERE

Also, don't forget to leave feedback to earn TeachShare credits to spend!

15 Minute Composing Challenge (Freebie)

Bring creativity and excitement into your classroom with this fast-paced, Gothic-themed writing challenge!

This 15 Minute Composing Challenge (Freebie) introduces students to the Gothic genre through engaging timed writing tasks. Perfect for middle school and high school students, this free resource gives a taste of the full 15 Minute Composing Challenge while helping students improve their creative writing skills in a fun and structured way.

Students will plan, write, and review their stories using Gothic quotes to inspire suspenseful narratives. Whether working individually or in groups, this quick exercise promotes critical thinking, creativity, and reflection—all in just 15 minutes!

What’s Included:

• Task cards with Gothic quotes for students to use in their writing
• Structured timing: 3 minutes to plan, 10 minutes to write, and 2 minutes to review
• Teacher instructions to pace the activity and guide students

Use this freebie to spark student interest in creative writing, or as a warm-up to more detailed lessons. If you enjoy this free resource, explore the full version for more prompts and activities!

This freebie offers just a taster of what the complete resource provides. If you found these prompts engaging, the full version includes more quotes, a wider range of activities, and extra tools to deepen your students' exploration of Gothic literature. Check out the full version with 5 different prompt cards, plus 3 beginner prompt cards and 2 extension prompt cards: 15 Minute Activity: Gothic Creative Short Story Writing Prompts & Activity

P.S. Follow EduHive Learning Resources for more creative teaching tools, and feel free to share your feedback—I would love to hear from you! Bee

Keywords: creative writing, composing challenge, Gothic literature, writing prompts, middle school writing, high school writing, ELA activities, quick writing exercise, free TeachShare resource, teacher, educator, homeschooling/homeschool, tutoring/tutor.

Printable Bucket List

This bucket list is a list of 3 things you want to do in your life – students or staff will choose 3 and then share with a partner or out loud to a group. This is a great way to increase classroom community.

Use during New Year's, beginning or end of the school year, or as a fun brain break. It can also go with several stories like:

"How Full is Your Bucket" by Mary Reckmeyer

"Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by David Messing

"Stay: A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List" by M. Sarah Klise

Click HERE to see our other AVID resources. We also have several great AVID bundle options available down below!

AVID Mega Growing Bundle

AVID Teambuilding Bundle

AVID Writing Bundle

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This packet includes 2 essay templates that are useful for students who are just beginning to write an essay or for students who are going to write a rough draft after brainstorming.

If you download this product and like it, please leave me a quick positive review! :)

Introduce your students to the world of Idiomatic Expressions. They will be intrigued to learn of the history behind these strange sayings. Multiple Common Core Standards emphasize the importance of literary devices and figurative language in the areas of Reading, Writing, and Language.

This digital lesson presents 12 idioms with strong historical connections. The idiom is presented with a historical photo supporting the backstory of the saying. A brief historical explanation is provided along with today's interpretation of the expression.

A QUIZLET LINK is included for review or assessment.

Students find the history behind the idioms quite interesting...

Toot Your Own Horn

White Elephant Gift

Nose to the Grind Stone

Burn Your Bridges Behind You

Bury the Hatchet

Sleep Tight

Hit the Hay

Throw in the Towel

Kick the Bucket

Beat Around the Bush

Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Hold Your Horses

This FREE Sample of the Pull a Prompt activity uses the novelty of a pull tab flier but with 10 fun narrative writing prompts, all based on a single character. It’s low-prep, easy for new teachers and subs, fun for elementary kids, and allows for student choice. Included are a PDF file with the Maddy & Sam the Superheroes story characters (includes color and B&W versions) with 10 writing prompts, 2 Word Bank levels with 20 words per level, and a Google Slide that includes the color version of the character, a setting, and a song to help set the mood.

To use, teachers print out the character flier in either color or B&W and cut apart the prompts. If desired, print out the word banks and cut apart. Then students team up, select which prompt they want to write about and a word bank, and that’s it! To really help set the mood, display the character Google Slide on the board and crank the volume up. 

In my own 5th grade classroom, I asked my students to pair up in 10 teams, which meant I had teams of 2s and 3s. Ahead of time, I’d printed out a single copy of the flier and cut the strips apart, and printed a few of each of the word banks. Each team came up, selected a prompt to tear off the page and a word bank, and then got to work. On my interactive TV, I displayed the image and let the music play on a loop. While the kids discussed the prompt with their partners, they cut the words apart and determined which words they would use and how/when. Kids collaborated and wrote for nearly an hour and still begged for more time.

This resources includes:

• 1 Character flier (included both in color and a similar photo in B&W) with 10 different writing prompts for students to choose from.

• Word banks: 2 different levels of word banks with 20 words per bank.

• Google slideshow with 1 slide that include the color character image , a background setting image, and a song or soundtrack to help set the mood.

If you like this sample, you may like the full product:

Pull a Writing Prompt

You may also like: (links to similar products)

• FREE Picture Writing Prompt Sampler
• Picture Writing Prompts: Set 1
• Picture Writing Prompts: Set 2
• Picture Writing Prompts: Set 3
• Picture Writing Prompts with Word Banks

I'd love to hear how you use this resource in your classroom! Feel free to email me at iteachiwrite@yahoo.com with any questions or suggestions you may have. And don't forget to rate this product in order to earn TeachShare Credits for future purchases!

Copyright © iTeach & iWrite by Betsy Newmeyer.

All rights reserved by the author.

Permission to use for single classroom use only.

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Students use a die to decide the format, topic, and rhetorical appeal that they will use for this persuasive writing assignment. This is meant to be a fun, amusing activity for students learning about rhetorical appeals. One sheet is colored for posting online, the other is in black and white for printing.

Check out my Author's Purpose Dice Roll Writing Activity, and my Character Reading Response Dice Roll Writing Activity as well!

Enhance collaboration, writing and public speaking skills with Story Starters! This AVID resource provides engaging story starters that encourage students to finish a story and present it to their peers. This activity fosters collaboration and communication within small groups or whole class settings, while also providing a fun way to improve public speaking skills. Download the Google Slides digital resource today and see the positive impact it can have on your students' teamwork and confidence!

*Check out the full version including 100 Story Starters HERE!

*Save 30% with this Public Speaking Bundle!

*Save 30% with this Public Speaking Card Game Bundle!

*Save over 30% with the AVID bundle!

Directions:

• Display the Google Slide Story Starter OR print them out so students have different stories to choose from.
• Students will complete the engaging story starter by writing for 3 minutes.
• Students can use the picture provided to help guide them in their stories, or choose to take a different route and be creative on their own.
• Students will be split into groups of 4-6.
• Each student will present their story to their small group while practicing public speaking skills.

What's Included:

• 3 Story Starter Prompts with Images
• 1 Directions Page

*This resources is available for Outschool teachers to purchase without the need for extra licenses.

Check out other AVID resources HERE!

Check our other Writing Resources HERE!

Check out more Collaboration resources HERE!

Check out more Public Speaking resources HERE!

This is a free sampler of my Seasonal Activities for Older Kids and includes pages from all three of my morning work resources for middle schoolers: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Why should little kids have all the seasonal and holiday fun? Give your older students some thematic fun this year! This freebie is a great way to try out these resources to see if they're a good fit for your classroom or homeschool!

One full color worksheet, containing two half-page morning work activities, is included for each of the three units, plus the black and white version of each for easier printing. These are also great for early finishers or as a way to add a little holiday joy to the classroom or homeschool! These are no-prep...just print and go!

These three units are also available in a money saving bundle. Buy the bundle to save 20%!

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Unlock your students' potential with our comprehensive Opinion Writing Pack for Grades 3-6. This all-in-one resource includes essential tools to help young writers express their thoughts clearly and confidently. This FREE download will provide you with the brain dump pre-write graphic organizer. To get the full Opinion Writing Pack for Grades 3-6, CLICK HERE! Read below to see what's included in the full Opinion Writing Pack!

What's Included:

• Sentence Frames: Scaffold students' writing with structured sentence starters.
• Paragraph Guides: Step-by-step guides to organizing their thoughts into coherent paragraphs.
• Publishing Paper: Professionally designed templates for final drafts, perfect for classroom displays and portfolios.

Key Features:

• Aligned with Grades 3-6 Standards: Tailored to meet educational standards and foster skill development in opinion writing.
• Engaging and Student-Friendly: Clear instructions and visually appealing designs keep students motivated.
• Versatile Use: Ideal for writing centers, homework assignments, or whole-class instruction.

Why You'll Love It:

• Boosts Confidence: Provides the necessary support for students to develop their opinion writing skills.
• Saves Time: Ready-to-use materials that integrate seamlessly into your existing curriculum.
• Promotes Independence: Encourages students to structure their writing independently with the help of structured guides.

Whether you're introducing opinion writing for the first time or looking to enhance your current curriculum, our Opinion Writing Pack for Grades 3-6 is the perfect solution. Enhance your classroom's writing program and watch your students thrive!

Want to skip ahead and grab the full writing pack? Click here!

I hope you find this resource just as helpful for your students as it has been for mine! If you have any questions or would like to share feedback, please reach out to me on Instagram: MrsBaileyandHerClass.

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©MRSBAILEYANDHERCLASS2024

Use this quick & easy freebie in your classroom while teaching personal narrative writing! This checklist is for students to use in order to monitor and self-assess their writing. This product comes two to a page, so it is very convenient to print!

Freebies & Discounts:

Be sure to follow my store on TeachShare.com to stay up to date on all my new products, including products that are FREE and on discount!

Comments:

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this product and found it useful. I really love reading how you are using my products in your classroom :) thank you in advance for taking the time to leave a review!

10 colorful, themed Valentine's Day stationary sheets with lines and addressings. Also, 10 black and white images to write and color. Students can write to family members and friends to express their emotions and gratitudes. Easy to use--just xerox and let students choose their favorites. Fun to give and get!

This is a free preview of the William Shakespeare Play Script - Richard III. The full play script is available for just $4.75 by following the link above.

The play script is suitable for ages 9 to 14. Richard III tells the story of Richard – a humpbacked member of the royal family who had a deep desire to be king. However, he was fifth in line to the throne with four close family members ahead of him. The play follows the story of his murderous journey to the top, and his eventual demise to Henry at the Battle of Bosworth.

⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻

The play script is a mix of modern English with some of the famous lines from the real play mixed in as well. I hope you enjoy it – good luck!

There are 20 speaking roles with parts for up to 30 students. The language is a mix of Shakespearean and modern English. Ideal for theater performances or plays, reading activities or guided reading sessions.

Also ideal for older students who need to know the story better without getting wrapped up in the difficult language - Shakespeare is easy to understand if you understand the story!

⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻

In our Shakespeare Play Script Collection we also have:

• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Hamlet
• Macbeth

If you want a Christmas play script we also have some fun alternatives:

• Elf
• The Santa Clause
• A Christmas Carol (A School Remix)
• A Christmas Carol (A Traditional Version)
• The Grinch

Other similar or relevant resources:

• Other William Shakespeare Resources
• World History Resources

⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚

For more great resources follow my store ⇉⇉ CLICK HERE

Also, don't forget to leave feedback to earn TeachShare credits to spend!

Free Sample Mood Board – Imaginative Writing with Creative Prompts

Compliments the Imaginative Writing Mood Boards Set

This free sample mood board serves as a 'taster' for the full set of Imaginative Writing Mood Boards, offering a visually captivating prompt to inspire creative storytelling for high school students in both USA and Australia. Designed to spark imaginative writing, this mood board is perfect for a wide variety of classroom activities, from quick writing warm-ups to extended creative assignments.

Two Board Options for Maximum Flexibility

This sample includes:

• One Mood Board with a Writing Prompt: Ideal for guided writing tasks or structured assignments.
• One Mood Board without a Writing Prompt (the image remains the same): Perfect for open-ended creative exploration, allowing you to tailor tasks to your classroom and student needs.

The two board options reflect the format of the paid version, which includes 10 additional boards with similar flexibility.

How to Use This Freebie

Classroom Suggestions:

• Printed or Digital Use: Print the mood board on cardstock or laminate it for reuse, or project it onto an interactive whiteboard/digital platform to engage the entire class.
• Adaptable for Different Writing Levels: Use as a quick prompt or expand into a longer creative writing task, making it suitable for diverse skill levels and abilities.

Preview the Full Set

If you find this resource engaging, explore the complete set of 11 Imaginative Writing Stimulus 'Mood Boards': Creative Prompts - High School for even more creative inspiration.

The full version includes:

• 10 Unique Mood Boards: Carefully designed to spark creativity, available in PDF and PowerPoint formats (this freebie makes this set 11 boards).
• Two Versions of Each Board: With and without writing prompts, ensuring flexibility to suit your classroom goals, lesson objectives, and student needs.
• Adaptable PowerPoint Presentation: Customizable to add learning intentions, success criteria, or additional instructions.
• Accompanying Writing Prompts Document: Editable Word and PDF versions in both USA and AU English, allowing you to tailor prompts to your classroom vernacular.

Check out the full set here: 11 Imaginative Writing Stimulus 'Mood Boards': Creative Prompts - High School

Terms of Use

This freebie is licensed for single-classroom use only.

• Please do not share, resell, or redistribute this file in any form, including online platforms.
• If your colleagues are interested, direct them to the EduHive Learning Resources store on TeachShare to purchase their own licensed copy.

Acknowledgments

Graphics and design elements are sourced from Rawpixel and Canva, used under appropriate licensing. Images and elements cannot be modified or adapted in any way and are intended solely for educational purposes within your classroom. All components are protected by copyright.

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Thank you for downloading this freebie! Your support allows us to create more high-quality educational resources.

• Leave Feedback: Share your thoughts and suggestions to help us improve!
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Happy storytelling,
Bee
EduHive Learning Resources

Keywords:

creative writing | imaginative writing | writing prompts | literature | stimulus boards | mood boards | middle school | high school | ELA resources | English resources | independent learning | writing warm-ups | USA spelling | Australian spelling | digital teaching tools | printable writing prompts | classroom display

Ring in the new year with this NO PREP acrostic poem goal writing activity! Students can choose their favorite words and write their own acrostic poem on the printable template while spelling out the words HAPPY NEW YEAR. Enjoy as morning work, center activity, brain break, or for your New Year's Party!

Find this and more:

New Year's Bundle

Directions:

• Print the template in color or black and white
• students write a word or phrase to describe what they hope the new year will bring for them or what goals they have for the new year
• In an acrostic poem, each line starts with a capital letter that spells out the poem's theme vertically
• Acrostic poems don't need to rhyme, but all the other poetic devices like alliteration, similes, and rhythm are often used to create an effect on the reader

What's included?

• 1 "Happy New Year" acrostic poem template in Color
• 1 "Happy New Year" acrostic poem template in Black and White

New Year's Resources

Writing Resources