Writing Prompts For High School Seniors
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Of all the resources we publish on The Learning Network, perhaps it's our vast collection of writing prompts that is our most widely used resource for teaching and learning with The Times.
We've published iterations of this post in the past — 200, 401 and even 650 prompts — but never before have we gathered all our prompts, for both personal and argument writing, into one categorized list.
Admittedly, the list is huge. In fact, there are 1,219 questions below on everything from video games and fashion to smartphones and parenting, and each prompt links to a Times article as well as to additional subquestions that can encourage deeper thinking.
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Arts & Entertainment
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Music
75. What Songs Are on Your Favorite Playlist?
76. What Are You Listening To?
77. What Musicians or Bands Mean the Most to You?
78. What Music Inspires You?
79. Who in Your Life Introduces You to New Music?
80. Do You Think You've Already Forged Your Lifelong Taste in Music?
81. How Much Is Your Taste in Music Based on What Your Friends Like?
82. What Are Your Earliest Memories of Music?
83. Will Musical Training Make You More Successful?
84. What Role Does Hip-Hop Play in Your Life?
85. Which Pop Music Stars Fascinate You?
86. Who Is Your Favorite Pop Diva?
87. What's Your Karaoke Song?
88. Which Artists Would You Like to See Team Up?
89. How Closely Do You Listen to Lyrics?
90. What Song Lyrics Do You Consider Literature?
91. What Current Musicians Do You Think Will Stand the Test of Time?
92. What Artists or Bands of Today Are Destined for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
93. What Musician, Actor or Author Should Be a Superstar, but Hasn't Quite Made It Yet?
94. What Artists Do You Believe Are the Future of Music?
95. What Can You Predict About the Future of the Music Industry?
96. What Artists Do You Consider 'Sellouts'?
97. How Much Can an Artist Borrow From Earlier Musicians Before It Becomes Stealing?
98. Who Does Hip-Hop Belong To?
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Television
99. What Are Your Favorite TV Shows?
100. What Are the Best Things You've Watched, Read, Heard or Played This Year?
101. What Are Your TV Habits?
102. Do Your Television Viewing Habits Include 'Binge-Watching'?
103. What Role Does Television Play in Your Life and the Life of Your Family?
104. What Television Shows Have Mattered to You?
105. How Often Do You Watch a Television Show When It Originally Airs?
106. Have You Fallen Into 'Friends' or Any Other Older Television Shows?
107. What Old Television Shows Would You Bring Back?
108. Why Do We Like Reality Shows So Much?
109. What Ideas Do You Have for a Reality Show?
110. What Reality TV Show Would You Want to Be a Guest Star On?
111. Should Children Be Allowed to Compete on TV?
112. What Are Your Favorite Cartoons?
113. What Are Your Favorite Commercials?
114. What Makes a Good Commercial?
115. How Much Are You Influenced by Advertising?
116. Does Reality TV Promote Dangerous Stereotypes?
117. Do TV Shows Like '16 and Pregnant' Promote or Discourage Teenage Pregnancy?
118. Is '13 Reasons Why' Raising Awareness About Teenage Suicide, or Glamorizing It?
119. Do You Watch Hollywood Awards Ceremonies?
120. Why Do We Like to Watch Rich People on TV and in the Movies?
121. Should the Private Lives of Famous People Be Off Limits?
122. Should We Be Privy to the Lives of Celebrities' Children?
123. Do You Think Child Stars Have It Rough?
124. Does TV Capture the Diversity of America Yet?
125. Is TV Too White?
126. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe?
127. What Makes a Good TV Show Finale?
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Video Games
128. Should Video Games Be Considered a Sport?
129. What Have You Learned Playing Video Games?
130. What Are Your Favorite Video Games?
131. Do You Play Violent Video Games?
132. Should Stores Sell Violent Video Games to Minors?
133. Do Violent Video Games Make People More Violent in Real Life?
134. When Should You Feel Guilty for Killing Zombies?
135. Who Are Your Opponents in Online Gaming?
136. Do You Like Watching Other People Play Video Games?
137. How Excited Are You About the Possibilities of Virtual Reality?
138. Can a Video Game Be a Work of Art?
139. What Game Would You Like to Redesign?
140. How Sexist Is the Gaming World?
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Movies & Theater
141. What Are Your Favorite Movies Ever?
142. What Were the Best Movies You Saw in the Past Year?
143. What Movies Do You Watch, or Reference, Over and Over?
144. What Movies, Shows or Books Do You Wish Had Sequels, Spinoffs or New Episodes?
145. What Have You Learned From Movies?
146. Do You Like Horror Movies?
147. Are 'Dark' Movies O.K. for Kids?
148. What Is Your Favorite Comedy?
149. Are There Topics That Should Be Off Limits to Comedy?
150. What Is Your Favorite Sports Movie?
151. Who Are Your Favorite Movie Stars?
152. Would You Pay Extra for a 3-D Movie?
153. Where, and How, Do You Watch Movies?
154. What Are the Best Live Theatrical Performances You've Ever Seen?
155. Have You Ever Stumbled Upon a Cool Public Performance?
156. Have You Ever Performed for an Audience or Shared Creative Work With Others?
157. Does Live Theater Offer Something You Just Can't Get Watching Movies or TV?
158. Is Hollywood Becoming More Diverse?
159. What — if Anything — Does the Current Hollywood Film Industry Lack?
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Books & Reading
160. What Are the Best Books You've Read?
161. Read Any Good Books Lately?
162. What Are Your Favorite Young Adult Novels?
163. What Do You Want to Read This Summer?
164. What Books Do You Think Every Teenager Should Read?
165. What Role Have Books Played in Your Life?
166. Do You Read for Pleasure?
167. Do You Have a Favorite Novelist?
168. To What Writer Would You Award a Prize?
169. Has a Book, Movie, Television Show, Song or Video Game Ever Inspired You to Do Something New?
170. When Have You Seen Yourself and Your Life Reflected in a Book or Other Media?
171. Who Are the Characters That Authors Should Be Writing About?
172. Do You Prefer Your Children's Book Characters Obedient or Contrary?
173. How Much Power Do Books Have to Teach Young People Tolerance of Others?
174. Do You Read E-Books?
175. Are Paper Books Better Than E-Books?
176. Would You Trade Your Paper Books for Digital Versions?
177. Does Reading a Book Count More Than Listening to One?
178. What Childhood Classic Would You Like to See Turned Into a Movie or TV Show?
179. Are Shortened Versions of Classic Adult Literature Right for Young Children?
180. Is There Any Benefit to Reading Books You Hate?
181. Do You Read or Write Poetry?
182. What Memorable Poetry Have You Ever Read or Heard?
183. What Magazines Do You Read, and How Do You Read Them?
184. Do You Enjoy Reading Tabloid Gossip?
185. Are There Books That Should Be Banned From Your School Library?
186. Do We Still Need Libraries?
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Writing
187. What Purpose Does Writing Serve in Your Life?
188. Why Do You Write?
189. Are You a Good Storyteller?
190. What's Your Favorite Joke?
191. Do You Keep a Diary or Journal?
192. Do You Have a Blog?
193. Do You Want to Write a Book?
194. When Do You Write by Hand?
195. Do You Write in Cursive?
196. Do You Write in Your Books?
197. What Is Your Most Memorable Writing Assignment?
198. Do You Ever Write About Challenges You Face in Life?
199. What 'Mundane Moments' From Your Life Might Make Great Essay Material?
200. What Would You Write in a Letter to the Editor?
201. If You Had a Column in The New York Times, What Would You Write About?
202. Would You Ever Write Down a Secret and Bury It in the Ground?
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The Arts
203. What Is Your Favorite Type of Art?
204. What Are Your Favorite Works of Art?
205. What Work of Art Has Changed Your Life?
206. What Are the Most Memorable Works of Visual Art You Have Seen?
207. Which Photograph Stays In Your Memory?
208. What's the Coolest Thing You've Ever Seen in a Museum?
209. Do We Need Art in Our Lives?
210. How Important Is Arts Education?
211. What Has Arts Education Done For You?
212. Can Graffiti Ever Be Considered Art?
213. Should Graffiti Be Protected?
214. Can You Separate Art From the Artist?
215. Is It Possible to Separate Art From the Artist Who Created It?
216. Are There Subjects That Should Be Off-Limits to Artists, or to Certain Artists in Particular?
217. Should Society Support Artists and Others Pursuing Creative Works?
218. Should Displays of Art Be Welcome in All Public Spaces?
219. Does Pop Culture Deserve Serious Study?
220. What Do You Think of the Obamas' Portrait Choices?
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Parenting
450. How Close Are You to Your Parents?
451. How Are You and Your Parents Alike and Different?
452. Will You Follow in Your Parents' Footsteps?
453. Are You Being Raised to Pursue Your Dreams?
454. Do You Have Helicopter Parents?
455. Do Your Parents Spy on You?
456. How Permissive Are Your Parents?
457. How Much Freedom Have Your Parents Given You?
458. At What Age Should Children Be Allowed to Go Places Without Adult Supervision?
459. Should Children Be Allowed to Wear Whatever They Want?
460. How Do Your Parents Teach You to Behave?
461. How, and by Whom, Should Children Be Taught Appropriate Behavior?
462. How Should Parents Discipline Their Kids?
463. When Does Discipline Become Child Abuse?
464. Should Parents Bribe Their Children?
465. Should Parents Make Their Children Clean Their Room?
466. How Do You Make Parenting Difficult for Your Parents?
467. How Often Do You Fight With Your Parents?
468. What Advice Would You Give to Your Mom, Dad or Guardian on How to Be a Better Parent?
469. Do Your Parents Try Too Hard to Be Cool?
470. Do You Ever Feel Embarrassed by Your Parents?
471. Do Your Parents Support Your Learning?
472. Do You Talk About Report Cards With Your Parents?
473. Do You Want Your Parents to Stop Asking You 'How Was School?'
474. How Much Do Your Parents Help With Your Homework?
475. Have Your Parents and Teachers Given You Room to Create?
476. How Closely Do Your Parents Monitor Your App Use?
477. Should Parents Limit How Much Time Children Spend on Tech Devices?
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Family
478. Who Is Your Family?
479. How Do You Define 'Family'?
480. What Have You and Your Family Accomplished Together?
481. What Events Have Brought You Closer to Your Family?
482. How Has Your Family Helped or Hindered Your Transition to a New School?
483. What's Your Role in Your Family?
484. Have You Ever Changed a Family Member's Mind?
485. How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings?
486. Is Your Family Stressed, Tired and Rushed?
487. What Are Your Family Stories of Sacrifice?
488. What Possessions Does Your Family Treasure?
489. What Hobbies Have Been Passed Down in Your Family?
490. What's the Story Behind Your Name?
491. What Are Your Favorite Names?
492. How Have You Paid Tribute to Loved Ones?
493. What Does the World Need to Know About an Important Person in Your Life?
494. What Do You Know About Your Family's History?
495. Did Your Parents Have a Life Before They Had Kids?
496. What Family Traditions Do You Want to Carry On When You Get Older?
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Childhood Memories
497. What Is Your Earliest Memory?
498. What Was Your Most Precious Childhood Possession?
499. What Is Your Most Prized Possession?
500. What Objects Tell the Story of Your Life?
501. What Do You Collect?
502. What Were Your Favorite Childhood Shows and Characters?
503. Do You Have Childhood Memories of Being Read Aloud To?
504. What Were Your Favorite Picture Books When You Were Little?
505. What Things Did You Create When You Were a Child?
506. What Places Do You Remember Fondly From Childhood?
507. What Food or Flavor Do You Remember Tasting for the First Time?
508. What Do You Wish You Could See, Hear, Read or Experience for the First Time All Over Again?
509. What Childhood Rules Did You Break?
510. Have You Ever Felt Embarrassed by Things You Used to Like?
511. Do You Wish You Could Return to Moments From Your Past?
512. Was There a Toy You Wanted as a Child but Never Got?
513. What's the Best Gift You've Ever Given or Received?
514. Have You Ever Given, or Received, a Perfect Gift?
515. What's the Most Memorable Thing You Ever Got in the Mail?
516. Have You Ever Lost (or Found) Something Valuable?
517. What Nicknames Have You Ever Gotten or Given?
518. What Are Your Best Sleepover Memories?
519. What Old, Worn Out Thing Can You Just Not Part With?
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Growing Up
520. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past?
521. Is Modern Culture Ruining Childhood?
522. Are Adults Hurting Young Children by Pushing Them to Achieve?
523. Is Childhood Today Too Risk-Free?
524. Do We Give Children Too Many Trophies?
525. What Have You Learned in Your Teens?
526. What Do You Remember Best About Being 12?
527. What Personal Achievements Make You Proud?
528. What Are You Grateful For?
529. What Are Some Recent Moments of Happiness in Your Life?
530. What Rites of Passage Have You Participated In?
531. What Advice Would You Give Younger Kids About Middle or High School?
532. What Have You Learned From Older People?
533. What Have You Learned From a Younger Person — and What Have You Taught An Older Person?
534. What Can Older People Learn From Your Generation?
535. What Do Older Generations Misunderstand About Yours?
536. Do You Recognize Yourself in Descriptions of 'Generation Z'?
537. What Should We Call Your Generation?
538. When Do You Become an Adult?
539. Do You Have 'Emerging Adult' Skills?
540. When You Are Old Enough to Vote, Will You?
541. When Should You Be Able to Buy Cigarettes, Drink Alcohol, Vote, Drive and Fight in Wars?
542. Does Your Generation Have Too Much Self-Esteem?
543. Is Your Generation More Self-Centered Than Earlier Generations?
544. Do You Think Anxiety Is A Serious Problem Among Young People?
545. Is Our Culture of Online Shaming Out of Control?
546. Do 'Shame and Blame' Work to Change Teenage Behavior?
547. Do You Think Teenagers Can Make a Difference in the World?
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Overcoming Adversity
548. What Challenges Have You Overcome?
549. What Are Your Secret Survival Strategies?
550. What Do You Do When You Encounter Obstacles to Success?
551. When Have You Failed? What Did You Learn From It?
552. When Have You Ever Succeeded When You Thought You Might Fail?
553. What Life Lessons Has Adversity Taught You?
554. Does Suffering Make Us Stronger and Lead to Success?
555. Which Is More Important: Talent or Hard Work?
556. Are You Hopeful About the Future?
557. When Have You Reinvented Yourself?
558. What Work Went Into Reaching Your Most Difficult Goals?
559. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness?
560. How Often Do You Leave Your 'Comfort Zone'?
561. What Do You Gain From Pursuing Something You Do Really, Really Badly?
562. When Was the Last Time You Did Something That Scared or Challenged You?
563. What Are You Afraid Of?
564. What Are Your Fears and Phobias?
565. What Are Your Personal Superstitions?
566. Do You Like Being Alone?
567. How Often Do You Cry?
568. Do You Ever Feel Overlooked and Underappreciated?
569. How Have You Handled Being the 'New Kid'?
570. How Do You Deal With Haters?
571. How Do You React When Provoked?
572. What Good Can Come from Disagreements?
573. When Should You Compromise?
574. Have You Ever Changed Your Mind About a Hot-Button Issue?
575. What Role Does Stress Play in Your Life?
576. Does Stress Affect Your Ability to Make Good Decisions?
577. How Do You Relieve Stress?
578. How Important Is Keeping Your Cool?
579. Is 'Be Yourself' Bad Advice?
580. Do People Complain Too Much?
581. What's Your Favorite Mood Booster?
582. How Do You Find Peace in Your Life?
583. Does Your Life Leave You Enough Time to Relax?
584. Do You Set Rules for Yourself About How You Use Your Time?
585. What Did You Once Hate but Now Like?
586. What Kind of Feedback Helps You Improve?
587. Is Trying Too Hard to Be Happy Making You Sad?
588. Does Achieving Success Always Include Being Happy?
589. Do Adults Who Are 'Only Trying to Help' Sometimes Make Things Worse?
590. Have You Ever Felt Pressured by Family or Others in Making an Important Decision About Your Future?
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Your Personality
591. What Makes You Happy?
592. What Motivates You?
593. What Are You Good At?
594. What Is Your Personal Credo?
595. When in Your Life Have You Been a Leader?
596. Are You More of a Leader or a Follower?
597. Do Great Leaders Have to Be Outgoing?
598. How Well Do You Perform Under Pressure?
599. How Well Do You Take Criticism?
600. Are You Hard or Easy on Yourself?
601. How Full Is Your Glass?
602. Do You Have a Hard Time Making Decisions?
603. How Much Self-Control Do You Have?
604. How Good Are You at Waiting for What You Really Want?
605. What Role Does Procrastination Play in Your Life?
606. How Good Are You at Time Management?
607. What Kind of Time Management Skills Are You Learning from the Adults in Your Life?
608. How Do You Remember What You Need to Remember?
609. How Productive and Organized Are You?
610. Under What Conditions Do You Do Your Best Work?
611. How Do You Express Yourself Creatively?
612. Can Creativity Be Scheduled?
613. Are You a Good Listener?
614. When and For What Reasons Do You Seek Silence?
615. Are You a Perfectionist?
616. How Competitive Are You?
617. Do You Perform Better When You're Competing or When You're Collaborating?
618. Has Modesty Ever Prevented You From Celebrating an Achievement?
619. How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
620. How Stoic Are You?
621. How Do You Cope With Grief?
622. How Good Are You at Saying Goodbye?
623. Do You Take More Risks When You Are Around Your Friends?
624. Do You Unknowingly Submit to Peer Pressure?
625. Have You Ever Felt Pressured to Betray Your Beliefs?
626. How Easy — or Hard — Is It for You to Say No When You Want To?
627. How Do You Handle Fear?
628. Do You Think You're Brave?
629. How Much of a Daredevil Are You?
630. What Activities Make You Feel Most Alive?
631. What Pranks, Jokes, Hoaxes or Tricks Have You Ever Fallen For or Perpetrated?
632. How Impulsive Are You?
633. Are You a Novelty-Seeker?
634. How Do You Deal With Boredom?
635. How Often Do You Talk to Yourself?
636. What Annoys You?
637. Do You Apologize Too Much?
638. Do You Know How to Say 'I'm Sorry?'
639. Do You Have Good Manners?
640. How Materialistic Are You?
641. Are You a Saver or a Tosser?
642. Are You a Hoarder or a Minimalist?
643. Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert?
644. Are You Popular, Quirky or Conformist?
645. Are You a Nerd or a Geek?
646. What Would Your Personal Mascot Be?
647. What Assumptions Do People Make About You?
648. How Strong Is Your Sense of Smell?
649. What Animal Are You Most Like?
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Religion & Morality
650. What Is the Role of Religion or Spirituality in Your Life?
651. How Important Is Your Spiritual Life?
652. Do You Believe That Everything Happens for a Reason?
653. How Much Control Do You Think You Have Over Your Fate?
654. Can You Be Good Without God?
655. Are You Less Religious Than Your Parents?
656. Can You Pass a Basic Religion Test?
657. What Can You Learn From Other Religions?
658. Do You Believe That Everything Happens for a Reason?
659. How Important Do You Think It Is to Marry Someone With the Same Religion?
660. How Trustworthy Are You?
661. How Comfortable Are You With Lying?
662. When Do You Lie?
663. Have You Ever Lied to Your Parents or Done Something Behind Their Backs?
664. Can You Spot a Liar?
665. What Ethical Dilemmas Have You Faced?
666. Have You Ever Had to Make a Sacrifice to Help Someone You Care About?
667. Have You Ever Donated Your Time, Talents, Possessions or Money to Support Anyone in Need?
668. When Is the Last Time You Did Something Nice for a Stranger?
669. Do Bystanders Have a Responsibility to Intervene When There is Trouble?
670. Do Leaders Have Moral Obligations?
671. Have You Ever 'Paid It Forward'?
672. Can Kindness Become Cool?
673. What Acts of Kindness Have You Witnessed or Participated In?
674. Is Teenage 'Voluntourism' Wrong?
675. Have You Ever Taken Something You Weren't Supposed To?
676. When Is Looting Morally O.K.?
677. Do You Ever Eavesdrop?
678. How Much Do You Gossip?
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Role Models
679. Who Are the People – Famous or Not – You Admire Most?
680. Who Are Your Heroes?
681. What Is a Hero?
682. Do We Need More Diverse Superheroes?
683. Who Is Your Role Model?
684. Who Inspires You?
685. What Makes Someone a Great Leader?
686. What Acts of Bravery Have You Witnessed?
687. What's the Best Advice You've Gotten?
688. What Are Some 'Words of Wisdom' That Guide Your Life?
689. Who Outside Your Family Has Made a Difference in Your Life?
690. If You Had Your Own Talk Show, Whom Would You Want to Interview?
691. To Whom, or What, Would You Like to Write a Thank-You Note?
692. What Leader Would You Invite to Speak at Your School?
693. What Six People, Living or Dead, Would You Invite to Dinner?
694. Who's Your 'Outsider Role Model'?
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Gender
695. Have You Ever Been Told You Couldn't Do Something Because of Your Gender?
696. Do Parents Have Different Hopes and Standards for Their Sons Than for Their Daughters?
697. How Do Your Parents Share the Responsibilities of Parenting?
698. How Do Male and Female Roles Differ in Your Family?
699. Do You Consider Yourself a Feminist?
700. What Does Feminism Mean to You?
701. What Have You Learned From the Women in Your Life?
702. What Experiences Have You Had With Gender Bias in School?
703. Is School Designed More for Girls Than Boys?
704. Why Do Boys Lag Behind Girls in Reading?
705. Does Separating Boys and Girls Help Students Perform Better in School?
706. Is Single-Sex Education Still Useful?
707. What Does it Mean to Be 'a Real Man'?
708. Do We Need to Teach Boys and Men to Be More Emotionally Honest?
709. What Have Been Your Experiences With Catcalling or Other Kinds of Street Harassment?
710. What Should We Do to Fight Sexual Violence Against Young Women?
711. How Should the Problem of Sexual Assault on Campuses Be Addressed?
712. What Is Your Reaction to the #MeToo Movement?
713. Why Aren't There More Girls in Leadership Roles?
714. Do Professional Women Need a 'Girls' Lounge'?
715. Why Aren't More Girls Choosing to Pursue Careers in Math and Science?
716. Why Aren't More Girls Pursuing Careers in Computing and Tech Fields?
717. Now That Women Can Serve in All Combat Roles in the U.S. Military, Should They Also Be Required to Register for the Draft?
718. Do Female Athletes Get Short Shrift?
719. Should Sports Be Coed?
720. Should the Boy Scouts Be Coed?
721. Do You Believe in Equal Rights for Women and Men?
722. Does the U.S. Constitution Need an Equal Rights Amendment?
723. Is It Harder Being a Girl?
724. Do We Need New Ways to Identify Gender and Sexuality?
725. Should Toys Be More Gender-Neutral?
726. Should There Be More Boy Dolls?
727. What Rules Should Apply to Transgender Athletes When They Compete?
728. Are Women Better at Compromising and Collaborating?
729. Do Boys Have Less Intense Friendships Than Girls?
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Race & Ethnicity
730. Is America 'Backsliding' on Race?
731. Why Is Race So Hard to Talk About?
732. How Often Do You Interact With People of Another Race or Ethnicity?
733. Do You Ever Talk About Issues of Race and Class With Your Friends?
734. What Is Your Racial and Ethnic Identity?
735. Have You Ever Tried to Hide Your Racial or Ethnic Identity?
736. Have You Experienced Racism or Other Kinds of Discrimination in School?
737. Is Your Generation Really 'Postracial'?
738. What's the Racial Makeup of Your School?
739. Does Your School Seem Integrated?
740. Should Schools Strive for Racial Diversity Among Teachers?
741. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism?
742. Is 'Black Panther' a 'Defining Moment' for the United States — and Particularly for Black America?
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Your Neighborhood & Home
743. How Much Does Your Neighborhood Define Who You Are?
744. What's Special About Your Hometown?
745. What Marketing Slogan Would You Use for Your Town or City?
746. What Would You Name Your Neighborhood?
747. Who Are the 'Characters' That Make Your Town Interesting?
748. Who Is the 'Mayor' of Your School or Neighborhood?
749. What Do the Types of Dogs in Your Neighborhood Say About Where You Live?
750. What Would a TV Show About Your Town Spoof?
751. What 'Urban Legends' Are There About Places in Your Area?
752. Do You Know Your Way Around Your City or Town?
753. How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?
754. What Is Your Favorite Place?
755. What's Your Favorite Neighborhood Joint?
756. What Is Your Favorite Street?
757. Do You Hang Out in the Park?
758. How Much Time Do You Spend in Nature?
759. How Do You Get Your Nature Fix?
760. What Small Things Have You Seen and Taken Note Of Today?
761. What Buildings Do You Love? What Buildings Do You Hate?
762. What Are the Sounds That Make Up the Background Noise in Your Life?
763. What Sounds Annoy You?
764. What Public Behavior Annoys You Most?
765. Have You Ever Interacted With the Police?
766. What Local Problems Do You Think Your Mayor Should Try to Solve?
767. What Ideas Do You Have for Enhancing Your Community?
768. Where Do You Think You Will Live When You Are an Adult?
769. Do You Think That in Your 20s You Will Live in a City?
770. Would You Most Want to Live in a City, a Suburb or the Country?
771. Do You Think You Might Like Communal Living When You're an Adult?
772. What Would Your Ideal City Look Like?
773. What City or Town Most Captures Your Imagination?
774. Would You Want a Bike Share Program for Your Community?
775. Is Your Bedroom a Nightmare?
776. What is Your Favorite Place in Your House?
777. What's Your Favorite Room?
778. How Important Is Keeping a Clean House?
779. Do You Need to De-Clutter Your Life?
780. Does Keeping a Messy Desk Make People More Creative?
781. Do You Plan on Saving Any of Your Belongings for the Future?
782. With Your Home in Danger, What Would You Try to Save?
783. What Would You Grab in a Fire?
784. What Would You Put in Your Emergency 'Go-Bag'?
785. Who Lived Long Ago Where You Live Now?
786. What Would Your Dream Home Be Like?
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Sports & Games
929. What's the Most Impressive Sports Moment You've Seen?
930. Who Is Your Favorite Athlete, and Why?
931. Who Are Your Sports Heroes?
932. What Sports Teams Do You Root For?
933. When Has a Sports Team Most Disappointed You?
934. Do You Participate in March Madness?
935. Does Being a Fan Help Define Who You Are?
936. How Far Would You Go to Express Loyalty to Your Favorite Teams?
937. How Much Should Fans Be Allowed to Distract Opposing Teams?
938. What Fan Memorabilia Would You Pay Big Bucks For?
939. Are You a Fair-Weather Fan?
940. Are You a Football Fan?
941. Do You Watch the Super Bowl?
942. Should Parents Let Their Children Play Football?
943. Should High Schools Drop Football Because Too Many Players Are Getting Injured?
944. If Football Is So Dangerous to Players, Should We Be Watching It?
945. Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense?
946. Does a Championship Game Always Need to Have a Winner (and a Loser)?
947. Should There Be Stricter Rules About How Coaches Treat Their Players?
948. Do Fans Put Too Much Pressure on Their Favorite Professional Athletes?
949. Does Better Sports Equipment Unfairly Improve Athletic Ability?
950. Should Technology in Sports Be Limited?
951. What Extreme Sports Interest You Most?
952. Are Some Extreme Sports Too Extreme?
953. Is Cheerleading a Sport?
954. Should Cheerleading Be an Olympic Sport?
955. Has Baseball Lost Its Cool?
956. Do Sports Teams Have a Responsibility to Hold Players to a Standard for Their Personal Conduct?
957. Should Athletes Who Dope Have to Forfeit Their Titles and Medals?
958. How Big a Deal Is It That an N.B.A. Player Came Out as Gay?
959. Should Women's Basketball Lower the Rims?
960. Should College Football Players Get Paid?
961. Should Colleges Fund Wellness Programs Instead of Sports?
962. Where Should Colleges and Sports Teams Draw the Line in Selling Naming Rights?
963. Is 'Redskins' an Offensive Name for a Team?
964. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams to Use Native American Names and Mascots?
965. What Are Your Thoughts on Sports Betting?
966. Should Sports Betting Be Legal Everywhere?
967. How Young Is Too Young to Climb Mount Everest?
968. Should Girls and Boys Sports Teams Compete in the Same League?
969. Why Do You Play Sports?
970. What Kinds of Games and Puzzles Do You Like?
971. Do You Enjoy Playing Games or Solving Puzzles?
972. What Are Your Favorite Board Games?
973. What Are Your Favorite Games?
974. What Rules Would You Like to See Changed in Your Favorite Sports?
975. How Would You Change Your Favorite Sport?
976. What Game Would You Like to Redesign?
_________
Travel
977. Where Do You Want to Travel?
978. What Is Your Fantasy Vacation?
979. What Would Your Fantasy Road Trip Be Like?
980. What Crazy Adventure Would You Want to Take?
981. What Local 'Microadventures' Would You Like to Go On?
982. How Would You Spend Your Ideal Family Vacation?
983. How Has Travel Affected You?
984. What Kind of Tourist Are You?
985. What Are the Best Souvenirs You've Ever Collected While Traveling?
986. What Famous Landmarks Have You Visited?
987. What's the Coolest Thing You've Ever Seen in Nature?
988. What Do You Think You Would Learn From Traveling to All 50 States?
989. How Much Do You Know About the Rest of the World?
990. Would You Like to Live in Another Country?
991. Would You Want to Be a Space Tourist?
992. If You Could Time-Travel, Where Would You Go?
993. How Good Is Your Sense of Direction?
_________
Holidays & Seasons
994. How Do You Celebrate Your Birthday?
995. Should the United States Celebrate Columbus Day?
996. A Short Fall Break, but What Should We Call It?
997. Will You Be Wearing a Halloween Costume This Year?
998. When Does a Halloween Costume Cross the Line?
999. Should Halloween Costumes Portray Only 'Positive Images'?
1,000. Dressing Up Like Creepy Clowns: Freedom of Expression or Public Nuisance?
1,001. Do You Like Scary Movies and Books?
1,002. What Is the Scariest Story You Have Ever Heard?
1,003. Do You Believe in Ghosts?
1,004. Do You Believe in Astrology?
1,005. What Are Your Thanksgiving Traditions?
1,006. Will Your Family Members Disagree With Each Other About Politics This Thanksgiving?
1,007. What Has Been Your Most Memorable Thanksgiving?
1,008. What Do You Look Forward to Most – and Least – During the Holiday Season?
1,009. What Are Your Tips for Enjoying the Holiday Season?
1,010. How Will You Spend the Holiday Break?
1,011. What Does Santa Claus Mean to You?
1,012. Do You Look Forward to New Year's Eve?
1,013. Do You Make New Year's Resolutions?
1,014. How Do You Fight the Winter Blues?
1,015. What Would You Do on a Snow Day?
1,016. What Are Your Experiences With Severe Weather?
1,017. How Do You Feel About Valentine's Day?
1,018. How Do You Celebrate Spring?
1,019. What Would Your Fantasy Spring Break Be Like?
1,020. What Are You Looking Forward to This Summer?
1,021. What Would Your Ideal Summer Camp Be Like?
1,022. What Are Your Favorite Summer Hangouts?
1,023. What's Your Favorite Summer Food?
1,024. What Is Your Favorite Summer Movie?
1,025. What's on Your Summer Reading List?
1,026. Do You Have a Summer Job?
1,027. What Did This Summer Teach You?
1,028. Do You Choose Summer Activities to Look Good on Applications?
1,029. What Are the Best Things You Did This Summer?
1,030. How Do You Prepare to Go Back to School?
1,031. How Can People Make the Most of Long Holiday Weekends?
1,032. What's Your Sunday Routine?
1,033. What Work, Sport or Pastime Do You Like to Do at Night?
1,034. Would Life Be Better Without Time Zones?
_________
Shopping & Cars
1,035. Do You Ever Hang Out at the Mall?
1,036. How Would You Make Over Your Mall?
1,037. Do You Shop at Locally Owned Businesses?
1,038. What's Your Favorite Store?
1,039. To What Company Would You Write a Letter of Complaint or Admiration?
1,040. To What Business Would You Like to Give Advice?
1,041. Do Politics Ever Influence How or Where You Shop?
1,042. Do Companies Have a Responsibility to Contribute Positively to Society?
1,043. Should We Think Twice Before Buying Online?
1,044. Is Amazon Becoming Too Powerful?
1,045. How Much Do You Trust Online Reviews?
1,046. Should Companies Collect Information About You?
1,047. Could You Stop Shopping for an Entire Year?
1,048. What Are the Best Things You've Acquired Secondhand?
1,049. Did You Take Part in Any Post-Thanksgiving Shopping?
1,050. What Time Should Black Friday Sales Start?
1,051. How Important Is It to Have a Driver's License?
1,052. Are You a Good Driver?
1,053. Do You Have a Dream Car?
1,054. Would You Like to Ride in a Car That Drives Itself?
1,055. Should Distracted Driving Be Punished Like Drinking and Driving?
1,056. Should Texting While Driving Be Illegal in Every State?
1,057. Is Drinking and Driving Still a Problem for Teenagers?
1,058. If Teenagers Are Such Bad Drivers, Should They Be Allowed to Drive?
1,059. Are Self-Driving Vehicles the Wave of the Future?
_________
Science & Health
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Science & Environment
1,060. How Green Are You?
1,061. How Do You Try to Reduce Your Impact on the Environment?
1,062. Do You Ever Feel Guilty About What, or How Much, You Throw Away?
1,063. What Could You Live Without?
1,064. Should Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags Be Banned?
1,065. What Are Your Thoughts About Wind Power?
1,066. Do We Crank Up the A.C. Too High?
1,067. How Concerned Are You About Climate Change?
1,068. How Should Nations and Individuals Address Climate Change?
1,069. If You Were President, What Would You Do About Climate Change?
1,070. Should Schools Teach About Climate Change?
1,071. How Do You Celebrate Earth Day?
1,072. Should Developers Be Allowed to Build in and Near the Grand Canyon?
1,073. Should Scientists Try to Help People Beat Old Age So We Can Live Longer Lives?
1,074. Should Extinct Animals Be Resurrected? If So, Which Ones?
1,075. How Do You Think Dinosaurs Went Extinct?
1,076. Given Unlimited Resources, What Scientific or Medical Problem Would You Investigate?
1,077. What Are the Five Greatest Inventions of All Time?
1,078. What Would You Invent to Make the World a Better Place?
1,079. When Is It O.K. to Replace Human Limbs With Technology?
1,080. Should Fertilized Eggs Be Given Legal 'Personhood'?
1,081. Do You Think Life Exists — or Has Ever Existed — Somewhere Besides Earth?
1,082. Do You Believe in Intelligent Alien Life?
1,083. Will Humans Live on Mars Someday?
1,084. Would You Want to Be a Space Tourist?
1,085. What Would You Name a New Star or Planet?
Animals & Pets
1,086. How Do You Feel About Zoos?
1,087. Do Gorillas Belong in Zoos?
1,088. Is It Unethical for a Zoo to Kill a Healthy Giraffe?
1,089. Should Farm Animals Have More Legal Protections?
1,090. Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering?
1,091. Is It Ethical to Genetically Engineer Animals?
1,092. When Is Animal Testing Justified?
1,093. Should Certain Animals Have Some of the Same Legal Rights As People?
1,094. Should Circuses Be Animal Free?
1,095. Is This Exhibit Animal Cruelty or Art?
1,096. Should You Go to Jail for Kicking a Cat?
1,097. Should You Feel Guilty About Killing Spiders, Ants or Other Bugs?
1,098. Should Emotional Support Animals Be Allowed on College Campuses?
1,099. Are Emotional-Support Animals a Scam?
1,100. What Are the Animals in Your Life?
1,101. What's Your Relationship Like With Your Pet?
1,102. How Well Do You Know Your Pet?
1,103. Should We Be Concerned With Where We Get Our Pets?
1,104. What Does a President's Choice of Pet — or Choice Not to Have a Pet at All — Say About Him?
1,105. What Have You Learned From Animals?
1,106. What Are Your Thoughts on Cats?
1,107. Would You Want to Hang Out at a Cat Cafe?
1,108. Why Do We Love Watching Animal Videos So Much?
1,109. What Are Your Most Memorable Stories About Wildlife?
Exercise & Health
1,110. Do You Like to Exercise?
1,111. Do You Get Enough Exercise?
1,112. How Has Exercise Changed Your Health, Your Body or Your Life?
1,113. How Much Do You Think About Your Weight?
1,114. How Often Do You Engage in 'Fat Talk'?
1,115. What Are Your Healthy Habits?
1,116. What Health Tips Have Worked for You?
1,117. What Rules Do You Have for Staying Healthy?
1,118. What Habits Do You Have, and Have You Ever Tried to Change Them?
1,119. Do You Have Any Bad Health Habits?
1,120. How Careful Are You in the Sun?
1,121. Do We Worry Too Much About Germs?
1,122. How Well Do You Sleep?
1,123. What Are Your Sleep Habits?
1,124. How Much of a Priority Do You Make Sleep?
1,125. Do You Get Enough Sleep?
1,126. Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered?
1,127. Should the Legal Age to Purchase Tobacco Be Raised From 18 to 21?
1,128. Should E-Cigarettes Be Banned for Teenagers?
1,129. Do You Vape?Is Smoking Still a Problem Among Teenagers?
1,130. Are Antismoking Ads Effective?
1,131. Should Marijuana Be Legal?
1,132. Should Students Be Required to Take Drug Tests?
1,133. Should Middle School Students Be Drug Tested?
1,134. How Common Is Drug Use in Your School?
1,135. If You Drink or Use Drugs, Do Your Parents Know?
1,136. Is Your School a 'Party School'?
1,137. Have You Been To Parties That Have Gotten Out of Control?
1,138. Why Is Binge Drinking So Common Among Young People in the United States?
1,139. Should Universities Work to Curtail Student Drinking?
1,140. Would You Ever Go Through Hazing to Be Part of a Group?
_________
Civics & History
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Guns & the Justice System
1,141. What Are Some Answers to America's Gun Violence?
1,142. What Should Lawmakers Do About Guns and Gun Violence?
1,143. Can High School Students Make a Real Impact on the Problem of Gun Violence in the United States?
1,144. What Do You Think of the #WalkUpNotOut Movement?
1,145. How Should We Prevent Future Mass Shootings?
1,146. Are We Becoming 'Numb' to School Shootings?
1,147. Would You Feel Safer With Armed Guards Patrolling Your School?
1,148. Should Teachers Be Armed With Guns?
1,149. Should Guns Be Permitted on College Campuses?
1,150. Would Arming College Students Help Prevent Sexual Assaults on Campus?
1,151. Where Do You Stand on Unconcealed Handguns?
1,152. What Is Your Relationship With Guns?
1,153. What Should Be the Purpose of Prison?
1,154. Should Prisons Offer Incarcerated People Education Opportunities?
1,155. Should Felons Be Allowed to Vote After They Have Served Their Time?
1,156. Should the United States Stop Using the Death Penalty?
1,157. What Do You Think of the Police Tactic of Stop-and-Frisk?
1,158. When Should Juvenile Offenders Receive Life Sentences?
1,159. Do Rich People Get Off Easier When They Break the Law?
1,160. Should All Police Officers Wear Body Cameras?
1,161. Should Prostitution Be Legal?
1,162. Should Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal in Every State?
1,163. Should Terminally Ill Patients Be Allowed to Die on Their Own Terms?
_________
Government Policy
1,164. How Strong Is Your Faith in American Democracy?
1,165. Is America Headed in the Right Direction?
1,166. What Do American Values Mean to You?
1,167. Do You Think It Is Important for Teenagers to Participate in Political Activism?
1,168. How Would You Like to Help Our World?
1,169. What Cause Would Get You Into the Streets?
1,170. Have Your Ever Taken Part in a Protest?
1,171. What Would You Risk Your Life For?
1,172. When Have You Spoken Out About Something You Felt Had to Change?
1,173. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16?
1,174. Should Voting Be Mandatory?
1,175. Does Voting for a Third-Party Candidate Mean Throwing Away Your Vote?
1,176. Do You Consider Yourself a Republican, Democrat or Independent?
1,177. If You Were Governor of Your State, How Would You Spend a Budget Surplus?
1,178. What Local Problems Do You Think Your Mayor Should Try to Solve?
1,179. Should the United States Care That It's Not No. 1?
1,180. Do You Trust Your Government?
1,181. What Do You Think of President Trump's Use of Twitter?
1,182. What Do You Think the Role of the First Lady — or First Spouse — Should Be Today?
1,183. What Is More Important: Our Privacy or National Security?
1,184. When Is the Use of Military Force Justified?
1,185. When Should Countries Negotiate With Their Traditional Enemies?
1,186. Should the U.S. Be Spying on Its Friends?
1,187. Should Countries Pay Ransoms to Free Hostages Held by Terrorists?
1,188. What Responsibility Do We Have to Take In Refugees From Global Humanitarian Crises?
1,189. Should Millions of Undocumented Immigrants Be Allowed to Live in the U.S. Without Fear of Getting Deported?
1,190. Should the Government Allow 'Dreamers' to Stay in the U.S. Without Fear of Being Deported?
1,191. Are Children of Illegal Immigrants Entitled to a Public Education?
1,192. What Do We Owe Our Veterans?
_________
History & News
1,193. What Event in the Past Do You Wish You Could Have Witnessed?
1,194. What Are the Most Important Changes, in Your Life and in the World, in the Last Decade?
1,195. What National or International Events That You Lived Through Do You Remember Best?
1,196. What Famous Figure From the Past Fascinates You Most?
1,197. What Does Dr. King's Legacy Mean to You?
1,198. Who Do You Think Has Been 'Overlooked' By History?
1,199. What Recent Events Will Most Likely Be Featured in History Museums Someday?
1,200. Why Should We Care About Events in Other Parts of the World?
1,201. What News Stories Are You Following?
1,202. How Do You Get Your News?
1,203. Are You Having More Conversations With Friends and Family About Politics?
1,204. What Is Your Reaction to the Recent Flood of Breaking Political News?
1,205. Do You Ever Get the 'Bad News Blues'?
1,206. Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don't Keep Up With the News?
1,207. Is Your Online World Just a 'Filter Bubble' of People With the Same Opinions?
1,208. Do Your Friends on Social Media All Have the Same Political Opinions You Do?
1,209. How Do You Know if What You Read Online Is True?
1,210. Do You Think You Can Tell When Something Is 'Fake News'?
1,211. Do You Believe in Online Conspiracy Theories?
1,212. What Are Your Experiences With Internet-Based Urban Legends?
1,213. Are Political Memes Dangerous to Democracy?
1,214. Should National Monuments Be Protected by the Government?
1,215. Should Confederate Statues Be Removed or Remain in Place?
1,216. What Supreme Court Cases, Now or in the Past, Interest You Most?
1,217. Should Free Speech Protections Include Self Expression That Discriminates?
1,218. Is It O.K. to Refuse to Serve Same-Sex Couples Based on Religious Beliefs?
1,219. What Will You Remember About President Obama and His Legacy?
_________
Many of the questions above are still open to comment, though not all.
A few questions have been removed from this list since it was originally published.
Teachers, please let us know in the comments how you use this list, or any of our previous prompts lists, in your classes.
Writing Prompts For High School Seniors
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/learning/over-1000-writing-prompts-for-students.html
Posted by: cohenthold2000.blogspot.com
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