Daily Writing Prompts - January

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January 1
On this day in 1892, Ellis Island opened.  Put yourself in the shoes of those first immigrants to the United States.  What do you think were some of their feelings, their hopes, and their fears? PDF

On January 1, 1752, Betsy Ross was born.  As you may know, she sewed the first American flag.  If you were asked to create a new flag for the United States, what would it look like?  Explain why you made your design choices. PDF

January 2
The drinking straw was patented on this day in 1888.  You have been asked to organize the first ever “Drinking Straw Olympics.”  What type of events would be you create for the event?  Remember…the main item for all events has to be the straw. PDF

On this day in 1975, a scientist discovered the winter home of at least twenty million monarch butterflies. After many years of research and butterfly tracking, it was discovered that they were migrating to the mountains of Mexico. Using resources in your classroom, learn five (5) facts about the monarch butterfly and write them in your own words. PDF

January 3
Author J.R.R. Tolkien was born on this day in 1892.  Tolkien is best known as the author of “The Lord of the Rings.”  This book recently became a movie.  Many people, possibly even you, enjoy comparing the original book to the movie.  Which do you think people should do first?  Read the book or see the movie?  Explain your thinking. PDF

Alaska became the forty-ninth state in 1959. Is Alaska a state that you would like to visit? Why or why not. If you have already visited Alaska, what did you like or not like about your visit? PDF

January 4
Jacob Grimm was born on this day in 1785.  Jacob and his brother are known for the “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.”  Which two fairy tales would you like to see combined?  Make a writing plan of how you would combine the characters, setting, plot, problem, and solution.  (If you have time, you may want to write the actual story.) PDF

January 4th is Trivia Day.  Using resources in the classroom, find some facts of your own to share with a classmate.  Try to find facts that aren’t well known and that may even surprise someone. PDF

On this day in 1809, Louis Braille was born. After suffering an accident and an eye infection, Louis went blind at three. He later went on to invent Braille raised dot system that is still used today by blind people for reading and writing. How do you think your life would be different if you were blind? If you are blind, how do you think your life would be different if you could see? PDF

January 5
On January 5, 1925, the first woman governor, Nellie Ross, was inaugurated in Wyoming.  Would you like to be the governor of your state?  Why or why not? PDF

Today is National Bird Day.  Keep track of all the birds you see today.  Use the Internet or a bird identification book to identify them. PDF

In 1933, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco began. The bridge later opened on November 30, 1936. Using resources in your classroom, learn five (5) facts about this engineering marvel and put them in your own words. Why is this such a special bridge? PDF

January 6
Poet Carl Sandburg was born on this day in 1878.  Select your favorite style (e.g. haiku, free verse, cinquain, etc.) of poetry and write a poem.   PDF

On January 6, 1912, New Mexico became the forty-seventh state. Using resources in your classroom, learn five (5) facts about this state and put them in your own words. Try to learn why New Mexico is referred to as the “Land of Enchantment.” PDF

January 7
In 1789, the first U.S. Presidential election was held.  If you were running for President at that time, what issue(s) would you have based your campaign on?  PDF

Today is Old Rock Day.  List all the possible uses for a rock.   PDF

January 8
Elvis Presley was born on this day in 1935.  Presley is well known as “The King of Rock and Roll.”  Do you have a certain song or type of music that you listen to depending on your feelings?  Explain why you listen to this song or type of music. PDF

January 9
The 1st U.S. balloon flight occurred on this day in 1793.  Would you like to take a ride in a hot air balloon?  Why or why not? PDF

January 9th is National Static Electricity Day.  Using resources in the classroom, learn five (5) facts about the cause of static electricity and summarize them in your own words.  PDF

On January 9, 1913, Richard Nixon was born. Before becoming our thirty-seventh President, he attempted to become the governor of California but lost the election. Using resources in your classroom, learn about what it takes to be a governor of a state. Are there any special requirements like the office of President? PDF

January 10
The first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly occurred on this day in London in 1946.  Using resources in the classroom, learn five (5) facts about the United Nations and summarize them in your own words.  PDF

On this day in 1901, the first major oil strike was made near Beaumont, Texas. This discovery began the Texas petroleum industry. There are a number of new energy sources that have been developed over the past decades. What do you think are the advantages/disadvantages to using various forms of energy. PDF

January 11
On this day in 1964 Luther Terry, the U.S. Surgeon General, shared the results of a study on the effects of cigarette smoke. The study had found that cigarette smoking was the cause of most lung cancer deaths. Create an ad or a persuasive paragraph encouraging people (of any age) not to smoke. PDF

Today is Secret Pal Day.  Select someone in your classroom or school.  Write that person a short letter explaining why you appreciate them.  Remember…don’t sign your name.  Have someone else deliver your special message.  PDF

January 12
January 12th is Work Harder Day.  Think of a way that you can work harder today.  This can either be at school or at home.  Write about your plan. PDF

On January 12, 1773, the first public, American museum opened. The museum in Charleston, South Carolina offered visitors the opportunity to learn about the natural history and culture of the region. Why do you think museums are important to our society and societies around the world? PDF

January 13
Today is “Make Your Dreams Come True Day.”  What are your dreams?  Write about the dreams you have for your future.  Explain how you are going to make them come true. PDF

On this day in 1910, the first radio broadcast was heard by a few people in New York city who had radio receivers. Later in 1915, Lee De Forest, the inventor of the vacuum tube, began to broadcast nightly opera concerts. Compare this early technology of listening to music to that which we have today. PDF

January 14
January 14th is “National Dress-Up Your Pet Day.”  How do you think our pets feel when we dress them up in clothing?  Describe what may be going on in a pet’s head while they are being dressed-up. PDF

January 15
On this day in 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born. We honor his birth the following Monday. He delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Beginning with those same words, write your own speech about your hopes for our world and its people. PDF

On this day in 1967, the first Super Bowl played.  Green Bay defeated Kansas City by a score of 35 to 10.  To make it to the Super Bowl, football teams must work together.  What do you think is the most difficult part of working with other students, or in teams, at school?  What are the advantages of working with others? PDF

On January 15, 1936, Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, established the Ford Foundation. This organization supports a variety of causes, including artistic and educational programs. If you were able to create your charitable foundation, what type of foundation would it be and who would you help? PDF

January 16
On January 16, 1932, Dian Fossey was born. Dian is well known for her work with the mountain gorillas in Africa. If you choose one endangered animal to research and become an expert on, which animal would you choose and why? (You may need to use resources in your classroom to learn which animals are endangered.) PDF

Today is “National Do Nothing Day.”  If you could invent your own day, what would it be called?  What would you want people to do on your special day? PDF

January 17
On this day in 1706, Benjamin Franklin was born.  Using resources in the classroom, learn five (5) facts about the Benjamin Franklin and summarize them in your own words. PDF

At 4:31 A.M., on January 17, 1994, an earthquake measuring 6.6 hit southern California. The quake caused nearly $20 billion in damage. Using resources in your classroom, learn about what engineers are doing today to help design buildings that can better withstand earthquakes. PDF

January 18
On January 18, 1803, the first official exploration of unknown spaces was undertaken by the United States government.  This exploration was conducted by Lewis and Clark.  Would you liked to have joined these two on their adventure?  Why or why not? PDF

On this day in 1779 Peter Mark Roget was born. Even though he did much work in mathematics and the motion picture industry, he is recognized most for publishing Roget's Thesaurus, the world's best-known thesaurus. Your teacher will provide you with 5-10 words. Using a Roget's Thesaurus, find at least one synonym for each of those words. PDF

January 19
January is “National Thank You Month.”  Take a minute and create a list of everyone who you could send a Thank You Card/Letter.  (This doesn’t have to be for a gift.)  Select at least one of these people and write them a card or letter. PDF

January 19th is “Popcorn Day.”  If you could invent your own flavor of popcorn, what would it be and why?  PDF

January 20
Today is “Cheese Day.”  Describe all the different ways you could eat cheese. PDF

January 21
Today is “National Hugging Day.”  Make a list of the people you would like to hug. PDF

January 22
On this day in 1984, the Apple Macintosh was introduced. Since 1984 computers have evolved a great deal. What do you think computers may look like in the next 20 years? Be sure to include a sketch with your writing.  PDF

January 23
Today is “National Measure Your Feet Day.”  Have everyone in your class measure their feet, collect the measurements and then find the following landmarks in your data:  mean, mode, median, maximum, and minimum. PDF

January 24
On this day in 1848, gold was discovered in California at Sutter's Mill by John Marshall.  Would you have liked to have been an early miner?  Why or why not?  What do you think it was like for these men? PDF

January 25
On January 25, 1924, the first Winter Olympics were held.  What is your favorite event to watch during the Winter Olympics?  Explain your answer. PDF

January 26
Today is “Australia Day.”  It marks the date that Australia was first settled in 1788.  Using resources in the classroom, learn five (5) facts about Australia and summarize them in your own words.   PDF

January 27
On this day in 1832, author Lewis Carroll was born.  His most famous piece of work was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Who is your favorite character in this book and why? PDF

January 28
Today is the birthday of Sesame Street character, Ernie's birthday.  If you could create a television show for kids, what type of a show would it be?  What is its name?  What type of information would it contain? PDF

On this day in 1915, the United States Coast Guard was founded. Use resources in your classroom to learn at least five (5) facts about the Coast Guard and their responsibilities. Be sure to write your facts in your own words. PDF

January 29
Today is “National Puzzle Day.”  What is your favorite type of puzzle to solve and why? PDF

January 30
On January 30, 1882, the 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was born.  Using resources in the classroom, learn five (5) facts about Roosevelt and summarize them in your own words. PDF

January 31
On this day in 1919, baseball great Jackie Robinson was born.  What do you think it takes to be a great athlete?  Write about the characteristics and qualities it takes for someone to reach a level of greatness in a sport. PDF

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