I Have a Dream Writing Prompt

Every morning  I like to have a writing prompt on my smart  board. My kids know that when they come in to sit down and to write in their prompt journals. This works for me because it keeps the class quite while I do my morning duties like attendance  lunch count, etc.... I also like doing this because I get insight into my students thoughts and feelings. I feel like I know my students better after reading their prompts. This also gives students writing practice everyday so I know where they strengths and weaknesses are, and I can monitor progress.

My prompts are generally whimsical, but when important days come up (like Dr. Martin Luther King Day) I like to have my students write about that. This is an example of the prompt I would use on Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

Good morning boys and girls! Today in your prompt journal I would like you to write about a dream you have for our country. Maybe you dream about ending hunger, crime, or drugs. While you write your prompt I would like you to think about Dr. Martin Luther King and his dream for everyone to be treated the same.

Normally after about 5 minutes after the bell rings I would ask students to pass their journals up and we would move on with our day. But I feel this is an important subject to talk about so I would ask for their opinions  and we would read I Have A Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This book is more suited  for older students about 4-5 grade.  It illustrates the I Have A Dream speech.

Let me know some prompts that you use in your class! I always need more!