High School Writing Activities

Writing activities engage students and can help build better writing habits.

Writing activities for high school students can be exciting and rewarding. Students, if properly motivated, can have fun while learning new communication skills, writing habits and a better understanding of the English language. Students will appreciate the break from the common essay formats, but some might also be afraid of their own abilities, or lack thereof. Good writing skills will follow a student to college and through his or her career, which is why engaging them early in the process is so important.

Journalism for a Day

Let your students interview anyone of their choosing, including one another, and have them write a narrative story or news article about what they have learned. Reporting on what they have heard is a great way to allow students how to tell a cohesive story while keeping an audience in mind. Instruct them to spend at least 20 minutes with the interviewee, with or without recording equipment, and have them keep notes. The story they write afterwards can be creative, straight reporting, or in any style they choose to express what they learned.

Poetry for Beginners

Challenging high school students to express themselves through poetry allows them to play with language in a way they most likely have never tried before. Start with simple poetry, such as haiku, limerick or rhyme, but have them concentrate on a single style at a time. While having them read the type of poem you have chosen, simultaneously encourage them to write about things they know or are interested in. Poetry is great as a gateway tool for writing because of its short length, and is oftentimes less threatening to students nervous about their writing abilities.

Use Writing Promps

A writing prompt is a phrase, idea, or text that helps a student write. Writing prompts give students the chance to come into a preconceived narrative and write their own conclusion, or answer a question using their own words. When students encounter writing prompts, they have a springboard from which to jump into further narrative and learn different aspects of writing. They do not have to worry about every process of writing, but instead can focus on bringing the story home. This is a great tool for beginners that can encourage students to explore ideas and viewpoints they would not ordinarily have chosen. A writing prompt can be as simple as asking "what are you optimistic about?" or as complex as asking them to write a narrative about objects, places or events.

Creative Non-Fiction

Creative non-fiction writing activities for high school students can be rewarding to students who are easily bored with the essay format and generic writing prompts. Asking a student to talk about him or herself can yield exploratory and insightful papers. This is recommended for any student who is interested in writing, as it can force students of any level to express themselves clearly and to an audience. Creative non-fiction writing prompts can begin simply by asking a student about a time they learned something, about a time they were scared or about a time when they overcame an obstacle. Encourage them to write freely and try to keep a cohesive narrative.

References

• Education.com: High School Writing Activities
• Web English Teacher: Creative Writing
• Scribd: 501 Writing Prompts

Resources

• Learning Things: High School Writing Activities