Grades 3–12
Fantasy/SciFi, NarrativeSparksShare with students that today, they get to make the rules. In their writing, that is. First, they will dream up an ideal universe — no limits, only possibilities. Then, they will create five strict rules for living in this imagined universe, each one more ridiculous than the last.
STEP ONE
Before students make up any rules, they’ll take some time to imagine what their ideal universe consists of: envisioning a world designed exactly for them.
Display or pass out page 1 of the Five Rules for the Ideal Universe—Handout to guide students as they dream this universe.
After students think through the questions listed on page 1 for their own universe, they can either freewrite or sketch their vision—about five to ten minutes, depending on their age, is generally enough time to start to envision this alternate world.
STEP TWO
Once students have a general vision for this universe in mind, they’ll get down to rule-making. They can use page 2 on their handout to record their rules, or write them in a notebook.
Remind students that the rules should generally:
STEP THREE
It’s time to write! Share the prompt with students (also found on the top of page 3 of the handout):
As they write, students can choose to list their rules throughout your story (how they show up is up to them!), or to simply have their five rules influence the characters’ actions and behaviors. The choice is theirs, but either way, they should paint a picture of their ideal universe by adding vivid, sensory details related to the rules they created (e.g., My squirrel friend, Reggie, perched himself on the fence post by my bedroom window. He twitched his bushy tail and chirped, “Get out of bed, sleepyhead!”).
by 826 National
In this Spark, students will write an acrostic poem that can be used as a tool to introduce themselves to their classmates.
by Lauren Rudewicz and David Hutcheson, 826michigan
Students will define the word “ode” for themselves and identify the people and moments in their lives they’d like to celebrate in a poem.
by Katie Manning and Brandon Brown, 826LA
Students enter a Writing Laboratory, no lab coats required, and use methods of observation to embark on their writing process.
by Ola Faleti, 826CHI
Students draw inspiration from powerful change-makers to write celebratory, haiku poetry.
by Mariama Lockington, novelist and poet
Students revisit powerful memories to generate personal stories filled with heart.
by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
This poetry prompt from Rachel Eliza Griffiths asks students to consider the ordinary in their lives—then write a poem that celebrates those ordinary objects and figures.
by Julianna Lee Marino, 826NYC
In this Spark, students put on their detective hats and sleuth out places to add more details into their writing.
by Anna Griffin, 826 National
Students plot significant memories on a timeline in this reflective writing activity.
by the Team at 826CHI, with inspiration from Ryan Harty, 826michigan
In this activity, students practice analyzing a character’s internal motivations and fears and develop their own original characters.
by 826 National
Candy hearts are a Valentine’s Day staple, with their funny—even punny—sayings about love. In this Spark, students will lean into the world of youth slang to write some “sweet” sayings of their own.
by 826 National
IT’S ALIVE! In this Spark, students will play a version of the classic Exquisite Corpse activity to create new monster characters.
by 826 National
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by 826 National
These 10 prompts ask students to browse the 826 Digital Student Writing Gallery for writing inspiration.
by 826 National, in partnership with Academy of American Poets
What words do we carry with us? This Spark introduces students to the Poem in Your Pocket Day celebration and invites them to create a pocket-sized poetry zine.
by Spike Jonze, award-winning screenwriter and producer
A pair of prompts that invites students to consider how time, location, and dialogue can be used to construct a scene and build meaning.
by 826 National, inspired by student authors of 826 New Orleans
We are all parts of a whole, just like a pizza! In this Spark, students will think about all the things that make them who they are and then write a poem in the shape of a pizza.
by Paris Hyun, 826LA
Students will use creative thinking to innovate an imaginary elixir that targets a problem they see in the world.
by Maria Villareal, 826CHI
This activity prompts students to write words unspoken, in letters undelivered.
by Shavonde Chase, 826 Digital Educator Leader
In this writing prompt, students are asked to reflect on the choices they make when deciding whether or not to help someone.
by 826 New Orleans
Students will imagine what they would do if they were someone or something else.
by Jason Reynolds, The New York Times Best-Selling Author & National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
Students will write a personal narrative where they describe themselves as a place. Not a specific place, but all the things a "place" consists of.
by Mandy Seiner, 826NYC
Nouns, adjectives, verbs—and in this case—adverbs are the building blocks of super sentences. In this Spark, students will practice identifying and using adverbs in their writing.
by Klariza Alvaran, 826CHI
This spark activity is designed to get your students on their feet while reinforcing the need for strong dialogue in narratives.
by the Programs Team at 826 Boston
How is a scene different from a summary? In this Spark, students will explore the answer to that question and put both techniques into practice.
by Aarti Monteiro, 826NYC
Students identify the power of imagery in poetry, then practice putting this power to use in a poem about their neighborhood.
by Andrea Nelson, 826DC
In this Spark, students will imagine alternate worlds—one where the sun never sets, and one where the sun never rises—and develop a setting for a story that captures this environment.
by the Programs Team at 826 Boston
Writers have the power to make choices about the words and structures they use in their writing. In this Spark, students will learn how to wield that power with purpose.
by Kelly Jensen, writer and editor
Make space for creativity in nonfiction! Students will play with traditional nonfiction formats with these two writing prompts from Kelly Jensen, writer and editor.
by Liz Levine, 826NYC
Challenge students to rewrite a classic nursery rhyme with a twist.
Inspired by Angela Iton and Precediha Dangerfield, 826 Valencia
In this Spark, students will play a game of Bingo to improve their poems!
by 826 National
In this Spark, students will use backward thinking to create a four-panel comic strip story using the backward problem-solving skills of software developers.
by 826 National
Summer is all about writing for fun! In this Spark, you’ll find a BINGO board full of engaging writing prompts to keep skills sharp over the summer break.
by Louise McCune, 826 Valencia
Students play a spin-off version of Balderdash in this activity, working as budding archeologists who must use the power of observation to solve a few artifact mysteries.
by Jane Roschen, 826LA
In this activity, students will explore superhero traits or superpowers that they know or admire. What kind of jobs do they do? How do their powers help them achieve this?
by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
In this collection of poetry activities, young writers will explore a range of feelings and strengthen their emotional vocabulary. Activities are available in print and web versions!
by, Laura Lisabeth, Ph.D., 826NYC
Students will interview each other in order to create an interesting written portrait. This is a great exercise in journalistic writing and the ability to work together with classmates.
by Princess McDowell, the 826 Dallas Project
Whether students write to process, to remember, to imagine, or to heal, this collection of prompts asks students to recognize how their world has changed in response to COVID-19.
by author Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket
Students will anthropomorphize an inanimate object to produce interview questions and answers.
by Ada Limón
This poetry prompt from Ada Limón invites students to consider a personal connection to an animal.
by Karen Russell, novelist and short story writer
A hauntingly good pair of prompts! Students will reconsider the purpose of ghosts by either describing a haunted setting or writing from the perspective of a misunderstood ghost.
by Maria Villarreal, 826CHI
In this activity, students draw upon inspiration from existing text and the world around them to launch stories of their own.
by Nicolien Buholzer, 826LA
Why does kindness count? Students consider acts of kindness that they’ve experienced and reflect on the difference that kindness makes in the world.
by 826 National, in partnership with Academy of American Poets
In this Spark, designed for the "Dear Poet" project, students will learn more about voice: what it is exactly, and how to name the elements of it.
by Lindsay Stinson, 826LA
Students will learn to be empathetic towards those who are different by brainstorming scary characteristics of specific monsters and then developing more positive aspects to their nature.
by Maria Villareal, 826CHI
An effective writing prompt about a significant threshold.
by author Lisa Ko
This writing prompt from author Lisa Ko invites students to explore the impact of social movements by envisioning and writing from an ideal future.
by Rebecca Stead
Using a place with personal meaning, students will learn a strategy for getting over the hurdle of beginning the writing process.
by Neil Gordon, 826LA
Students teach a "pirate" how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and learn how to give effective instructions in the process.
by Maria Villarreal, 826CHI
In this activity, students illustrate a favorite word and explore what makes words meaningful through illustration, research, and discussion.
by 826 National
This activity reinforces the role of dialogue in a story, with students creating realistic conversation in A-Z fashion.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
Students reflect on what it feels like to stand up to bullying and write about a time when they used their voice to make a difference.
by Summer Medina, 826NYC
The “meet cute” is a tried-and-true way of introducing two characters destined for love or friendship. In this Spark, students will learn about the meet cute and then write their own.
by Catherine Calabro and Rachel Feder, 826michigan
A fun, free-writing task which challenges students to take cheesy pop lyrics and make them into their own original poems.
by Daniel José Older, author of Flood City
This Spark introduces students to the fantastical world of Flood City and prompts them to write a journal entry from the perspective of a Flood City resident.
by author and activist P. Carl
Author and activist P. Carl asks students to write dialogue that captures two distinct and opposing voices, crafting a scene of action and discord.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
Students write similes to express what their emotions feel like and build plans to treat others with kindness and empathy.
by Rae Baum, 826 Digital Educator Leader
This quick writing prompt invites students to jump into the fantasy genre, imagining what happens when faced with the unexplainable!
by Dave Eggers, 826 Valencia & 826 National
Through a series of short drawing activities, students will explore the ways observable details can have a major impact on their writing.
by Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
What are students made of? This activity prompts students to reimagine recipes and write about their life experiences.
by 826 National
With a little folding and loads of creativity, students make their own zines that feature abstract recipes.
by Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the U.S. and 2021 Inaugural Poet
Students recall “last times” in their lives and revisit the depth of their experience through writing.
by Maria Villareal, 826CHI
In this activity, students begin with the most essential details from various memories, helping them hone in on specifics without getting caught up in writer's block.
826 National and Cartoon Network
After writing about their personal and social identities, students discover that sometimes what makes us unique is what brings us together.
by the Team at 826CHI
In this activity, students create original monsters in archetypal protagonist and antagonistic roles by focusing on internal and external characteristics.
by 826 National, inspired by student authors of 826 New Orleans
In this Spark, students will pretend to be their favorite food and write about what that food would do on an average day.
by Christopher Ankney, Tom Bianchi, & Amy Wilson, 826michigan
In this fun, interactive game, students will build an understanding of the concept of synonyms. A strong grasp on how to use synonyms will improve students’ overall writing skills.
by Kendra Lappin, 826 Valencia
In this activity, students will learn how to use elaboration as a revision strategy.
by 826 National
Engage young writers of any age at home with this collection of 826 Digital writing prompts and activities.
by Sarah Kokernot, 826CHI
Students use illustrations as entry points to write stories about friendship from a new perspective.
by Jessica Thompson, 826 Dallas Project, and the Dallas Free Press
This Spark uses a popular improv game to show students the value of their ideas and the importance of keeping an open mind while writing.
by 826 National
The Character-O-Matic is a writing tool that helps students to create new characters. In this lesson, students will use it to create a character profile that reflects their own identies.
by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
Students consider the influence that labels hold and write portrait poems to empower themselves to describe their identities how they want to be seen, and with pride.
by 826 National, inspired by student authors of 826 New Orleans
In this Spark, students will write a poem that engages the reader in answering the question: Can you guess this food?
by Shani Foster, 826LA
What stories would your hoodie tell? In this fun and versatile writing prompt, students write from the perspective of a favorite piece of clothing.
by Pedro Estrada, 826LA
In this activity, students will examine narrative structure, explore the purpose and practice of myths, and put the two together to create their own original piece.
by Jessica Goodman
This Spark uses students’ favorite things to support their persuasive writing practice.
by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
In this social-emotional learning writing prompt, students write a poem describing the silliest creature they can imagine.
by Brittany Thierry, 826 New Orleans
In this Spark, students will write a diamante poem, using specific parts of speech to beautifully describe a topic of their choice.
by 826 National
This Spark engages students in journaling as a practice that builds writing stamina, helps sort through ideas, and makes space for processing big feelings.
by Dave Eggers, 826 Valencia & 826 National
Students will collectively create a running list of golden details—details and descriptions that are singular, completely original, and make one's subject unforgettable.
Inspired by Kendra Lappin, 826 Valencia
In this Spark, students will play a game of bingo to improve their narrative writing.
by Amani Nephew and Danny Kim, 826NYC
Writers have the power to evoke all kinds of emotions in their pieces. In this Spark, students will learn how to wield that power and develop the mood of a story.
by Meredith Goldberg-Morse, 826LA
In this activity, students write about a cause they are passionate about and imagine how they can create change in the world.
by Isaac Fitzgerald
In this Spark, students will mine their home and their habits for story and personal essay ideas.
by Rebecca Darugar, 826NYC
Students create an identity chart and write about parts of their identity most salient to them.
by Aarti Monteiro, 826NYC
This activity explores the way emotions change how we perceive settings. Students work in groups to create descriptions of apartments based on an emotion they draw from a hat.
by Julius Panoriñgan, 826LA
Students will use their knowledge of popular music to learn basic computer programming concepts.
by 826 National
Imagine you’re free to write about anything: no rules, no limits, only possibilities. "Infinite Words" invites students to share their writing for a chance to become a published author!
by Mandy Seiner, 826NYC
Nouns, adjectives, adverbs—and in this case—verbs are the building blocks of super sentences. In this Spark, students share action words that bring them joy and incorporate those verbs into a story.
by Leah Tribbett, 826 Digital Educator Leader
In this lesson, students tackle the art of writing authentic dialogue that reveals information about the characters, plot, and conflict.
by the Team at 826CHI
Students learn to incorporate setting as a key element of a story, starting with inspiration from collages.
by Ashlyn Anstee, 826LA
Students will be asked to take an existing 4-panel comic and create their own dialogue. This is a fun quick activity or warm-up exercise that will challenge students to write efficiently.
by Mindy Misener, 826michigan
This activity encourages young writers to identify the rules in their own poems and to then experience the joy of either smashing the rules outright or finding a graceful way to reimagine them.
by 826 National
Students discuss the 2021 inaugural poem by Amanda Gorman and write their own poems in response to "The Hill We Climb."
by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
In this social and emotional learning writing prompt, students create a poem that shares the "happys" in their life.
by Julia Sweeney, 826 Valencia
In this Spark, students will revise a piece of writing for sentence fluency.
by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
In this social-emotional learning writing prompt, students help their new friend Olly the Octopus overcome his feelings of overwhelm by writing about strategies that work for them.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
Students are inspired to write about a time that they felt accepted and appreciated for who they are.
by 826 National, inspired by Julianna Lee Mariano, 826NYC
Calling all ghostbusters! In this Spark, students will learn more about what makes a spooky story and then develop their own creepy characters, with a silly twist.
by Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
This activity prompts students to use words related to community and identity to reframe ancestral stories of resistance, growth, and survival.
by Asia Calcagno, 826CHI
Writing can be a powerful tool when working through feelings of grief, sadness, or anger. This Spark creates an intentional opportunity for youth to write and speak about what is on their minds.
by Bryan Wilson, Educator Leader, Bureau of Fearless Ideas
In this lesson students will work together to revise a scene from a first draft by adding descriptive details.
by 826 National
This Spark provides students with the opportunity to get to know their classmates by sharing personal stories about a specific topic.
by Debra Mitchell, 826CHI
Students pose questions to the magic 8 ball in this activity centered on character motivation.
by Ashley Houston-King, 826 Digital Educator Leader
Students will learn about representation, self-advocacy, and the work of Marley Dias before writing about this young advocate.
by 826 National and Cartoon Network
In this twist on a classic game, students will practice intentional inclusivity with their classmates, as well as brainstorm other ways to continue building community throughout the school year.
by Kathy Seipp, 826 Digital Educator
Invite students to write freely with this lesson that includes directions for students to set up a writer's journal and favorite journal prompts.
by 826 National
By combining two classic games, students will learn how storytelling and art can build community or help them break through writer’s block.
by 826 National, in partnership with Academy of American Poets
In this Spark, designed for the "Dear Poet" project, students explore the many ways you can connect to a poem and the poet who penned it.
by 826 National, inspired by student authors of 826 New Orleans
Usually, an ode is written in celebration, but this Spark asks students to write an anti-ode—a poem about something they can’t stand!
by David Ehrenhaft
Daniel Ehrenhaft asks students to consider perspective in a piece of their writing with this reflective spark.
by Nathalie Lagerfield, 826CHI
Students will imagine (and write about) their own fantastical worlds, using the cover illustrations of magazines as inspiration.
by author of the Annabelle Unleashed series Leslie Margolis
Leslie Margolis invites students to consider their own personhood and what determines or defines it with two short prompts.
by G.D. Falksen
Students draw inspiration from a real or fictional location and use this sense of place to develop an in-setting document.
by Aracelis Girmay in collaboration with Aarti Monteiro & Nico Garbaccio, 826NYC
What lives inside a word? Find out how to trace connections between two dissimilar words with this playful Spark from award-winning poet Aracelis Girmay.
by Jessica Thompson, 826 Dallas Project, and the Dallas Free Press
In this Spark, students will learn more about conducting interviews and practice by interviewing a classmate.
by Mariama J. Lockington and Peter Calhoun Hall, 826NYC
In this Spark, students will write haikus from two different perspectives, one of a hero and one of an engineer, to design a secret lair for a superhero.
by Lindsay Thompson, 826 Digital Educator Leader
Encourage students to confront abstract, messy topics in their writing with philosophical journal prompts.
by Laura Lisabeth, Ph.D., 826NYC
In this activity, students explore Instagram as a form of public rhetoric and practice using hashtags as a way to engage with larger communities.
by The New York Public Library
At a time of rising book bans, The New York Public Library invites all teens to reflect on the essential freedom to read.
by Jillian Wasick, 826 Valencia
To jumpstart their own poems, students take inspiration from the poetry of the others.
by Molly Sprayregen, 826CHI
In this social-emotional learning writing prompt, students reflect on the sound of feelings and use onomatopoeias in their poetry.
by 826 National
Students consider perspectives of activists speaking up against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd and use imagery to capture protest scenes in writing.
by Asia Calcagno, 826CHI
Writing can be a powerful tool when working through feelings of grief, sadness, or anger. This Spark creates an intentional opportunity for youth to write and speak about what is on their minds.
by Phil Stamper, author
With this pair of prompts, students look to the past and future for writing inspiration.
by 826 National
Students will identify their favorite sensory memories and transfer them to a visual heart map.
by Shani Foster, 826LA
What if the room rained with glitter every time you got excited? In this Spark, students imagine a world where their feelings are expressed as visible, out-of-this-world weather.
Bryan Wilson, 826 Digital Educator Leader with Julie Solarek, Literacy Specialist
Travel back in time and space by prompting students to reflect on their path and progress as a writer. Students will create a writing roadmap of their year and then "walk the path" together.
by author Tiphanie Yanique
In this Spark, students will explore two taboo emotions, desire and fear, by mapping where these feelings dwell in their bodies and using tactile language to describe their impact.
by Louise McClune, 826 Valencia
In this activity, students work as budding archeologists and creatively reimagine ways for archaeologists and historians to use artifacts to tell stories.
by Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
Author bios offer students another opportunity to express themselves through writing and to feel like a real author. This Spark walks students through the process of writing one.
by 826 National
I Spy is a classic guessing game. In this Spark, students will play a game of I Spy to practice adding details to their writing.
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