Three excellent writing prompts await your social studies class. They'll consider the reasons for the collapse of European imperialism. They'll use the five W's to answer each question in paragraph form.

Here is a wonderful template for learners to use as a way to show what they know about WWII. Each slide is prepared with three to four photos of wartime memorabilia for your class to research and write about. There are nine slides total...

Introduce your young writers to the basic five-paragraph essay. The fun part of this presentation is the stance of the essay used to illustrate the format. The writer of the model essay contends that the Twilight series is a terrible...

What role did Chiang Kai-shek play in the Chinese Communist Revolution? Young analysts compose three responses to three prompts related to Marxist Theory, the Chinese Communist Revolution, and Chiang Kai-shek.

After exploring the life of Jewish people in Europe during the Middle Ages, have the class complete three writing prompts. They'll compose three responses that discuss anti-Semitism, Jewish contribution, and persecution of Jewish people.

Practice the strategy of summarizing to gain meaning and knowledge from an informational text. Young readers highlight supporting details and main ideas, and then they use this to summarize two articles: "The Great Quake" and "What...

Fifth graders conduct research. They explore how to give an oral presentation with visual aids. Students have the opportunity to create a proposal which could help alleviate world hunger. They brainstorm different ways children could...

Budding historical analysts take to describing the road to Latin American independence. They'll respond to three writing prompts which require them to describe or analyze specific events in Latin American history. 

World War II led to the collapse of the colonial empires that Europe had created before the turn of the century. Budding historians examine Imperialism's historiography. They compose three responses that discuss the roles of Indian caste...

A lot happened after communism fell in the Soviet Union. Your pupils answer three prompts about this time period that require them to compose short essay responses for each. They describe Russia's move toward communism, the impact of the...

The class responds to three writing prompts focused on WWII. They describe the role Adolf Hitler played in the war, compare and contrast German and British views of the war, and explain the geographical scope of the war at its height.

A biography writing lesson with a tasty twist! Kids create a "visual biography" in which each pizza slice represents a paragraph, and toppings represent supporting details. They learn research techniques, note-taking skills, and how to...

Spice up your writing! Your amateur writers will benefit from concentrating on understanding and improving verb use in writing. An introductory activity addresses weak verbs. A second exercise helps them see the importance of strong...

Improve writing skills by finding a personal writing style, using descriptive language effectively, and using precise language. Middle schoolers discuss individual style in writing and formal and informal language. They utilize figures...

Werner Herzog's film, Lessons of Darkness is the topic of this lesson on art, politics, and culture. Learners discuss the concepts of utopia, dystopia, detournment, and Scorched Earth then compose a paper which describes dystopian reality.

Developing nations tend to deal with economic issues differently from developed nations. Learners explore modern economic issues, including the Latin American economy, a cash-crop economy, and an industrial economy, by responding to...

The effects of changes in the Latin American government are the topic of this writing exercise. Challenge your class to read and respond to three prompts that describe the Sandinistas of Nicaragua, Latin American immigration to the US,...

Can your class describe the roles Porfirio Diaz, Benito Juarez, Pancho Villa, and Emiliano Zapata played in the Mexican Revolution? Can they explain why many Latin American economies depend on a single cash crop? If they can, then...

Any revolution is going to impact both society and economy. The class works to grasp the effect of industrialization on the environment, government, and politics. They respond to three critical thinking questions which require them to...

Why did communism develop in an unindustrialized Russia? What human rights were violated under Joseph Stalin? And, how did the Soviet Union become industrialized? These are the writing prompts your class will work to answer with complete...

Has your class just finished reading about WWII and you need a way to let them show what they know? Hand them this three-question writing prompt. They'll need to describe the role Winston Churchill played in the war, the Rape of Nanking,...

Explore modern economic issues occurring after WWII. The class responds to three short-answer questions on postcolonialism, changes in the global economy after 1945, and the ties that bind many nations to the colonial powers that...

Change is an inevitable factor in all existence, and your class has the task of examining three different patterns of change that affect our modern world. Question one focuses on advancements that have prolonged the average life...

What kinds of changes have marked the 20th century? Kids consider three patterns of change in Latin America: modernization, urbanization, women's rights and status, and democracy.