Give Us a New Month

Give Us a New Month

by | Aug 16, 2015 | Middle School Prompts

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

There are twelve months in a year. How many months have you lived through?

By now, anywhere from 120 to 168 months.

January is named after the Roman god Janus. He had two faces and could look forward and backward.

March is named after the god Mars. July is named for the famous emperor Julius Caesar. September, October, November, and December are derived from the Latin numbers for seven, eight, nine, and ten.

I think it’s time to (more…)

Feeling Twitchy?

Feeling Twitchy?

by | Aug 9, 2015 | Literature, Middle School Prompts, Sharon's Blog, Writing Prompts

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

It was a common practice long ago that travelers in inns slept in the same bed, even if they didn’t know one another. This seems strange to us and, yes, a little creepy now.

Here is a passage from Moby-Dick by Herman Melville in which the narrator Ishmael is telling us about how he decided not to sleep in the same bed with a harpooneer because Ishmael didn’t know how dirty the guy’s clothes would be (“his linen or woolen”) or even if he could trust him: (more…)

What Do You Do for Fun?

What Do You Do for Fun?

by | Jul 26, 2015 | Middle School Prompts, Sharon's Blog, Writing Prompts

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Some people like to put puzzles together. Others like to build forts, take hikes, or go camping. Some kids like to read or play a sport.

Derek Jeter, a now-retired New York Yankee, played baseball to have fun: “You gotta have fun. Regardless of how you look at it, we’re playing a game. It’s a business, it’s our job, but I don’t think you can do well unless you’re having fun.”

What do you do for fun? (more…)