71 Engaging 6th Grade Writing Prompts to Inspire Great Writing

100

Picture a classroom where students eagerly request writing prompts after completing their assignments. It’s possible — with prompts that pique their interest and make writing feel rewarding. Use our collection of 6th grade writing prompts to meet standards, encourage cross-curricular connections, and spark a genuine desire to write. 

What should 6th graders write about?

The answer is simpler than you’d think — 6th graders should write about anything and everything! Consistent writing across short and long time frames, and for different purposes, builds well-rounded students.

Describing an epic food fight one day and solving a math problem through writing the next may seem random, but as long as you have a goal to produce variety, you’re meeting the 6th grade ELA Common Core standard of writing across disciplines. While 6th graders benefit from writing about diverse topics, it’s equally as important to guide them from simple sentences to complex structures, reasoned arguments, and more sophisticated storytelling. 

10 Creative Writing Prompts for 6th Grade

Sixth graders love to exaggerate, so why not use that to inspire great writing? Use their natural talents to push them beyond simple descriptions, encouraging them to use figurative language and explore symbolic meanings.

These creative writing prompts enable 6th graders to craft stories about real or imagined events with descriptive details and sensory language. 

• Describe the most epic food fight imaginable. 
• Imagine there’s a secret tunnel underneath your school. Where does it lead? 
• Describe the most crowded place you’ve ever been, including what you saw and how you felt. 
• Describe the most memorable trip you’ve ever taken. 
• If you were the main character of your favorite book, how would you change the story?
• Describe going to the zoo and discovering that all the animals could talk. 
• Write about the worst thing you’ve ever eaten, focusing on sensory details. 
• Imagine you were in charge of designing your town’s new playground. What would it be like? 
• Write a story where you have the ability to teleport. Where would you go and what would you do?
• Describe a classroom where everything is edible. 

There’s no right or wrong in creative writing, but it’s still intimidating for many young learners. Encourage summer learning activities for middle school to help build their confidence for the next school year through no-stress creativity. 

Use images to help students create vivid descriptions in creative writing 

Good creative writing depends on detailed descriptions. Teach students to paint pictures with their words using descriptive writing activities inspired by art or photographs. 

Descriptive Writing Photo Prompt Activity | Middle School ELA 6th 7th 8th Grade 
By UPBEAT ELA
Subjects: Creative Writing

Good descriptive writing is supposed to paint a picture, so what better place to start than with a photograph? Each photograph is accompanied by a specific descriptive writing prompt, and many of these prompts include challenges to include certain types of figurative language in the descriptions. This product can be printed as a journaling packet for each student, or the pages can be printed individually for in-class group work.

PHOTO WRITING PROMPTS: Close Reading and Writing with Photos (BUNDLE) 
By Literary Sherri
Subjects: English Language Arts
Standards: CCSS RI.6.7; W.6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.10, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.10, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.10; CCRA.R.7; W.2, W.3, W.4, W.10

Engage your middle school students in close reading skills, critical thinking, and meaningful writing! This 250-page writing resource includes 48 easily-displayable photos with photo analysis worksheets, task cards, and rubrics to go with them. The collection represents a range of populations, cultures, ethnicities, demographics, interests, and holiday celebrations that students will love writing about! 

10 Narrative 6th Grade Writing Prompts

Sixth graders are natural storytellers, even when they are just sharing a funny moment, they embellish the details to get a laugh. Use these 6th grade writing prompts to help them move beyond simple storytelling and into developing complex plots and exploring deeper character motivations.

Write a story about one of these scenarios:  

• A young boy wakes up in a different historical era. 
• How one character’s decision impacts the lives of many others.
• A character finds a time capsule buried in their backyard.
• A new student arrives mid-year and seems to have a secret power. 
• A young girl wakes up and realizes she’s invisible. 
• A group of old friends find a map leading to a hidden treasure. 
• A student comes to school and it’s full of all new people. 
• How a misdelivered letter changes the lives of two people. 
• How a chance encounter sparks an unlikely friendship. 
• A character learns to appreciate something they previously took for granted.

These narrative prompts only scratch the surface of the stories your students can tell. For more ideas, check out these writing prompts for middle school!

Help students unlock their narratives with rich vocabulary lists

Writing activities that require using words from different vocab lists help students build a bigger and better vocabulary to craft compelling narratives. 

6th Grade Vocabulary Writing Prompts, Creative Writing Activities for Sixth 
By The Literacy Dive
Subjects: Creative Writing, Vocabulary
Standards: CCSS W.5.10; L.5.4, 5.4a, 5.4c, 5.5c, 5.6, 6.4, 6.4a, 6.4c, 6.4d, 6.6

Make teaching vocabulary to your sixth-grade students more seamless! With this resource, students will be mixing dictionary skills and context clues to learn a new word in action. Each of the 40 vocabulary words is placed within a short paragraph with a writing prompt that follows.

10 Argumentative 6th Grade Writing Prompts

Let’s be honest, 6th graders are never short on opinions. Channel those unfiltered comments into constructive arguments that move beyond personal opinions. These argumentative writing prompts provide students with a well-structured outlet to give opinions on familiar subjects backed by claims, evidence, and reasoning. 

• Is school designed more for girls or boys? 
• Should gaming be considered a sport? 
• Should parents pay their kids for doing household chores? 
• Do social media influencers have a positive or negative effect on teens? 
• Would it be better if Netflix released episodes individually to reduce binge-watching? 
• Should students be required to take a foreign language course in school? 
• Is it better for a child to grow up in a big city or a small town? 
• Should parents have control over their child’s social media accounts? 
• Should college be free for everyone? 
• Are real Christmas trees better than artificial ones? 

Get a good start on argumentative essays with the power of choice

If these topics leave your students wanting to debate even more, give them multiple lists of argumentative writing prompts to choose essay topics from. When they pick something they feel passionate about or comfortable writing about, they’re more likely to get words on the page. 

6th Grade Argumentative Essay Writing Prompts List  
By The Art of Language Teacher
Subjects: Writing
Standards:  CCSS W.6.1, 7.1, 8.1, 9-10.1

This argument essay topic list is editable and will save you time planning your writing unit. The list of 19 topics isn’t too controversial yet still gets middle school kids talking and interested. From media to sports to beauty standards and school issues, this range of topics has an option to engage every writer.

Opinion Essay Writing Prompts for 5th, 6th and 7th Grade 
By Teach with Lyricallyneise
Subjects: Creative Writing
CCSS W.6.1a, 6.2; CCRA.W.2, W.3, W.4, W.5

This writing resource simplifies five-paragraph writing for students and strengthens their ability to express opinions in writing. Featuring 10 engaging topics, guided prompts, brainstorming activities, paragraph tips, and an editing checklist, it provides support for students who have not mastered writing five paragraphs. 

10 Informational 6th Grade Writing Prompts

Your more fact-focused 6th graders will appreciate a good informational writing prompt. Each of these prompts asks students to structure their writing effectively with headings, subheadings, and transitions.

• Write a recipe for your favorite dessert, including step-by-step instructions. 
• Summarize the plot of your favorite movie. 
• Explain how the characters in two different books or movies are similar. 
• Describe how to draw a specific object or scene. 
• Write a news article about a recent school event. 
• Explain to someone how to play your favorite game and write out the directions. 
• Describe how to use a cell phone to someone who has never used one. 
• Write a biography about your favorite celebrity. 
• Explain to an alien how the internet works in as much detail as possible. 
• Create a travel guide for a dream vacation.

Teach your students how to convey information through expository writing practice 

Expository writing is the art of explaining information with facts. This type of writing helps students build confidence in their informational writing skills by focusing on presenting information clearly and factually. 

Expository Writing Prompts (6th, 7th, 8th Grade) 
By Sarah Miller Tech
Subjects: Writing
Standards: CCSS W.8.2

Transform your 6th graders into expository writing whizzes with this no-prep resource! These five writing prompts will have your students explaining and engaging audiences with information in no time. 

Paired Passages with Writing Prompts and Passages RACE Strategy | 6th 7th grade
By Read Relevant
Subjects: ELA Test Prep, Writing
Standards: CCSS RI.6.1, 6.4, 6.10; W.6.1c, 6.1d, 6.4, 6.9, 6.10, 7.1, 7.1a, 7.1b, 7.2, 7.2b, 7.8, 7.10; CCRA.R.1, R.2; W.1, W.4, W.9, W.10; CCRA.L.6

Designed to help students master paragraph writing, this resource features 10 engaging informational paired passages and corresponding writing prompts. Using the RACE strategy (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain), students learn to analyze and respond to texts effectively. Included are a RACE Strategy Poster, a structured writing template, and 10 targeted worksheets. 

Cross-Curricular 6th Grade Writing Prompts

Remember when we mentioned that students should write about anything and everything? We meant it! This collection of engaging cross-curricular writing students will enable students to practice writing in any class, from Spanish to algebra. 

Their thoughtful responses will demonstrate that 6th graders should write in all subjects, not just language arts, for academic success. 

11 science writing prompts for 6th graders

Use these writing prompts to further your students’ knowledge in biology, environmental science, and more. 

• Explain how the human digestive system works. 
• Choose a weather event, like a hurricane or tornado, and write about it. 
• Explain the importance of renewable energy sources. 
• What is the cause of global warming? 
• What is the importance of biodiversity in an ecosystem? 
• How does stress impact the way people age? 
• Choose an Arctic or desert animal and explain how it’s adapted to survive in an extreme environment. 
• Write a report on the importance of recycling. 
• Describe the process of metamorphosis in insects. 
• What are the consequences if bee populations decline? 
• Explain how a plant grows from a seed. 

Don’t let your students’ writing skills get icy during the cold-weather months! Check out these winter ELA activities and seasonal writing prompts to warm up their pencils! Encourage students to write about how animals adapt to the cold, the science of snowflakes, or the impact of winter weather on local ecosystems.

Boost your students’ science literacy through writing

Help your students develop strong procedural writing skills with science writing prompts that connect scientific concepts to real-world applications. These work great as the basis for a cross-curricular science and language arts project. 

Scientific Procedures and Experimental Design Writing Prompts with Pictures 
By Science Lessons that Rock
Subjects: Biology, Creative Writing
Standards: CCRA.W.1; WHST.9-10.1

Designed for emerging bilingual students, this resource consists of 20 engaging writing prompts that get students to think and write about scientific phenomena. With a PDF of 20 writing prompts, a teacher answer key, and a Google Slides student version included, students can develop their knowledge of experimental design by answering thought-provoking scientific questions. 

10 6th grade social studies writing prompts 

Your future historians, political scientists, and geographers will enjoy these engaging social studies prompts.

• Write about what a typical day would look like in Ancient Egypt. 
• Compare and contrast two major world religions. 
• Explain the concept of supply and demand to a kindergartener. 
• Is reading a map still a useful skill? 
• Write about the impact of a specific geographical feature on the development of a civilization.
• Compare your student government to the federal government. 
• Explain how natural resources impacted the development of your town. 
• Create a travel brochure for a specific geographical region. 
• Write a biography for a past president you admire. 
• Which is the most important amendment in the Constitution? 

10 math writing prompts for 6th grade

Some people believe you’re either a “math person” or an “English person.” Dispel this myth with these fun math writing prompts. 

• Choose one mathematical concept and write a real-world scenario where you would use it.
• Choose a geometric shape and write a poem about it. 
• Describe a multi-step word problem you recently solved. 
• Write a step-by-step guide explaining a math concept you learned in class. 
• Describe a time when you used math outside a class to make a decision. 
• What are some strategies you’ve used to solve word problems? 
• When do you use fractions in everyday life? 
• Write a word problem that would stump your math teacher. 
• If you opened a lemonade stand, how much would you charge for a glass of lemonade? 
• Describe how you think your caregivers use math concepts that you’re learning at their jobs. 

Explore math through the power of words 

Help your 6th graders make sense of mathematical concepts with writing activities that connect concepts from class to real life. 

6th Grade Math Writing Prompts | 6th Grade Math Journal Writing Ideas 
By Make Sense of Math
Subjects: Algebra

These 35 6th grade math writing prompts are perfect to help your students explain their understanding of math concepts. The questions help students analyze and think deeply about topics like ratios and proportions or statistics and probability.

6th Grade Math Review Bell Ringers – Would You Rather Journal Prompts Warm Ups 
By Math Tech Connections
Subjects: Math Test Prep

This bundle of 125 Would You Rather math writing prompts is available as task cards or editable Google Slides. It covers 25 6th grade math concepts with five writing prompts for each concept. 

How To Use 6th Grade Writing Prompts

After you’ve wrapped up your first week of middle school activities and established routines with your students, you’ll undoubtedly be ready to see them start writing! You’ve laid down the foundation for a productive year, so now it’s time to dive in! 

Writing practice is invaluable, no matter the topic, but if you’re looking for a more strategic approach to writing prompts for 6th grade, try out these tips: 

• Instead of random journal prompts, tie them to ongoing units.
• Reintroduce prompts that have already been covered, encouraging students to delve into deeper layers of their writing. 
• Offer tiered prompts and/or choice boards with topics of varied complexity. 
• Connect writing prompts to current, real-world applications.
• Provide opportunities for students to write longer pieces to help them build organizational skills. 

Set your 6th graders up for success with TPT writing resources 

Sixth graders have a lot of years of writing ahead of them, so you’ll want to make sure they are prepared. As they make the transition from elementary to middle school, you’ll want to implement writing prompts and activities that focus on abstract thinking, the development of complex sentence structures, and the ability to organize and analyze information. 

There are hundreds of middle school writing resources to help your students with this transition, like independent work packets, worksheets, assessments, graphic organizers, and task cards. We’re certain you’ll find the perfect resource to ink-ourage your students!