4th Grade Common Core: W.4.1

According to Facebook's terms of service, you need to be at least 13 years-old to have a Facebook account. Do you think this is a fair rule?

Tell whether or not you think pizza should be served in the school cafeteria everyday.

Write a persuasive essay to show that you agree or disagree with the following statement: Keeping a wild animal in a zoo is inhumane.

Do you believe students should wear uniforms to school? Write a persuasive essay in favor or against uniforms.

Do you think all students should learn and use proper cursive handwriting. State your opinion and use details to support your point of view.

Should cell phones be banned in schools? Students express their reasons for and against having smart phones in the classroom.

Students must explain which character, in their opinion, is more intelligent: Harold or Chester.

With the charity dance just days away, Shauna wants to run and hide. But the dance is for a good cause and all her friends are going. She enrolls in a few dance classes and tries to learn enough not to embarrass herself. But on the night of the dance, she'll feel silly for a completely different reason.

Describe your favorite season. Tell what you like to do during that season.

Discover everything you wanted to know about spiny hedgehogs.

When Jameson eavesdrops on his Mom's phone conversation, he thinks his mom is setting up a play date with the younger boy down the street. Jameson pretends to study to get out of it, but after he wastes the entire afternoon bored in his room, he discovers he missed a lot of the conversation he was trying to overhear, and he also missed out on an afternoon of fun.

Bears don't wear glasses, but the spectacled bear from South America has circular markings that make it look like it's got spectacles.

Reese spends his entire weekend trying to beat his new video game, but when he finally does, he's run out of time to write his English essay. Or has he? Daylight Savings just might save his English grade.

Would you rather live in a castle, on a houseboat, or on a farm?  Why?  (writing ideas)

Erica's New Year's resolutions are a little too ambitious, but when her mom convinces her to come up with one resolution she can really stick with, Erica discovers the perfect plan for the New Year.

When Valerie has to present a personal item to the class as a way to get to know her, she can't figure out what to bring. Everything in her room is either too personal or doesn't say much about her. But a package from her favorite aunt just might contain the answer.

If you were a doctor, what kind of doctor would you be? (examples: childrens' doctor, veterinarian, eye doctor, dentist) Tell what your job would be like. (careers)

Do you think a monkey would make a good pet? Explain why or why not.  (persuasive writing topics)

Pretend you had $100, but you weren't allowed to keep it for yourself. You have to give it away to a charity or person. Who would you give the money to? What would you want the person to do with it? (creative writing; economics; character ed.)

If you could spend an afternoon with one member of your extended family, who would it be? Tell why you chose this person and tell what you do together.  (descriptive writing)

Describe one time when you were brave. (creative writing journal)

Describe one thing you're really good at. (personal narrative)

What do you like best about your home? (descriptive writing idea)

Do you have any brothers or sisters? If you do, describe what they're like. If you don't, tell whether or not you would like to have a brother or sister.  (creative writing; family)

Imagine you opened your own restaurant. Tell the name of your restaurant. Explain what the restaurant looks like, who works there, and what you serve.  (Writing ideas)

How old were you four years ago? Describe some things you can do now that you could not do then.  (critical thinking writing)

Meredith can't find any of the things she needs to get ready for school, including her homework. She knows she didn't put them away but where could they have gone?

Imagine you worked at a football stadium. What would your job be? (examples: quarterback, cheerleader, coach, referee, ticket seller) Describe what you would do while you were on the job.  (creative journal prompt)

Which superpower would you most like to have-- invisibility, super strength, or the ability to fly? Describe what kinds of things you would do with your powers. (creative thinking)

Imagine you were on a trip to the moon.  Describe the trip. Tell what you see and do. (Science writing journal topic)

Imagine you could have lunch with any celebrity. Who would it be? What kinds of things would you talk about?  (essay idea)

If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be? Describe the pet and how you would take care of it.

Describe several ways a person your age can earn money.  (Social Studies writing topics)

Write a descriptive essay about a fun fact many people don't know about you.

This worksheet tells what a couplet is and includes space for students to write three couplets of their own.

Imagine you were a wonderful painter and your parents would let you paint anything you wanted on your bedroom walls. What would you paint? Use lots of details to describe your artwork.  (descriptive writing essay)

Write a descriptive essay about what, in your opinion, is a big waste of money.

This is a different version of the above graphic organizer. This one has lines for students to write on.

Use this worksheet to write a spring-themed poem. Then color in the rainbow!

Each student use the template to write a haiku about their favorite animal. Thread the poems together with yarn and hang them in the classroom.

Justin and Mary are vacationing at their uncle's lake house, and when Uncle Thomas tells them about the Foggy Figure that haunts the lake, they're determined to see it with their own eyes. But the fog is holding a surprise they never would've suspected.

Make up a creative story about a girl or boy who goes fishing and catches something very unusual.

Students will read this informative article about spider monkeys--the acrobats of the rain forest! Then they'll answer questions, including a vocabulary activity and writing prompt.

If you could cook any meal for your family, what would you cook? Describe the meal and tell how you would make it.  (writing topic)

Honeydew is a bear who loves honey, but he comes into some trouble with the honeybees. Readers will answer questions and complete a writing prompt.

With this worksheet, students learn about haikus and write one of their own about spring. They can then color in the flower.

Cinderella's fairy godmother used her magic wand to create a beautiful dress and slippers. Imagine you had a fairy godmother. What kind of magic would she do?

Write fan mail to your favorite author. Includes sample template and detailed instructions.

Write a story titled, "My Journey on a Pirate Ship." You and your friends can star in the story.  (journal topics)

In this picture a boy is handing an apple to his teacher. Write a fun story to explain what's happening.

Write a story about a bat who couldn't fly.

This worksheet has a picture of a boy planting a tree. Color the picture and write a creative story to go along with the illustration.

Think of a time when you've won something. Tell what you won and how you won it.  (personal narrative)

This picture shows nervous young girl and her mother in a doorway. The girl is holding a rainbow lunch box.

Describe the oldest person you know. (descriptive paragraph writing)

Students imagine that they've woken up and found a dinosaur in the backyard. They write a story to describe the dinosaur and tell what they would do.

Invent a new kind of sandwich. Describe what is on it and how you would make it. (critical thinking and writing)

Complete the poem by adding descriptive adverbs to each action verb. Use words from the word bank, or think of your own.

Describe the youngest person you know. (descriptive writing topics)

The kids in this picture are having a snowball fight. Color the picture and write a story to describe the scene.