return to Persausive | return to CAHSEE English | return to Journal Prompts | return to English home

Persuasive Journal Prompts

 

Download journal prompts as a one-page handout
1) What issue is going on the news today do you feel strongly about? Write a letter to the editor of your school or local newspaper. Share your opinion. Try to persuade others to agree with you. 2) Write a letter to someone who can help save the environment. Express your feelings about pollution and persuade the person to take steps to stop it. You might write to a manager of a manufacturing company, an official of an environment group, or a government leader. 3) What would encourage children in your community to be more active and fit? Outline your plan of another, including the reasons why it would work, as though preparing a persuasive speech for the city council.
4) Pretend you are a Little League coach who is concerned about the poor sportsmanship shown by some parents of players. Write a letter to your players’ parents, persuading them to tone their responses at the games. 5) What is the best way to learn? Through lectures or by hands-on experiences? By discussing or by observing the concepts in action? Develop a plan for an ideal class, including your ideas about these questions. 6) Imagine that a new museum is being built in Washington ,D.C., to show the important work of people overlooked in history, especially minorities and women. A group of politicians opposes the $150 million being spent on the new museum, saying it sounds like a waste of money to remember these people long since dead. Write an argument that you would make in support of this project.

7) “When it’s a question of choosing between people and animals, people must always come first.” Do you agree with this statement? Support your opinion.		 8) When is the last time you visited your public library? Write an article for your newspaper, encouraging your classmates to check out the public library. Explain all the things the library has to offer. 9) Research a charitable organization such as Habitat for Humanity or UNICEF. Find out facts such as when and by whom it was founded and the kind of work it does. Write a brochure including your findings and asking people to contribute money or time to the organization.
10) Will society find a ‘cure” for racism or crime or any of the other social ills that plague us? Imagine what it would take to cure a specific social problem. Explain your cure and tell how it would work. 11) Are supernatural characters like wizards and witches appropriate in children’s books? Write an editorial stating your opinion. Include supporting evidence. 12) Some business people argue that child labor is essential in third-world countries because the money children earn prevents families from starving. How would you answer this argument?
13) What are your feelings about teen violence? Are they related to personal experiences? Write a journal entry in which you explore these feelings. 14) Many adults are concerned about the best ways to prevent young people from smoking. Write an editorial aimed at adults, suggesting ways to do this. 15) Do you feel that violent video games are having a negative effect on teens? Write a persuasive essay on this topic. Be sure to support your position.
16) You are selected for a panel discussion on how we can keep kids from getting their hands on guns. Draw up a plan that includes at least three different possible actions. Explain what you think each action will accomplish. 17) Think of something you value highly, that you wish your parents valued, too. Write a letter that will persuade them of its value. 18) What safety issue do you think is most important for kids younger that yourself? Write a brochure for kids, discussing the issue without unnecessarily frightening your audience.
19) Write a letter offering encouragement to a friend or family member who is struggling with a difficult situation. If you cannot think of someone you know personally, write a letter to someone you know about from the news. 20) Is there something you would like you do that your parents will not allow you to do? Write an imaginary dialogue between yourself and your parents in which you try to convince them to give you permission to do as you ask. Be sure to explain why it is in your best interest. Also, in you dialogue, be sure to ask politely and with respect. 21) Is fame a blessing or a curse? Write a journal entry telling your opinion and discussing whether you would enjoy being famous.
22) Why should kids your age help others? Write an editorial for the school newspaper. Explain why students should volunteer in the community and name various places where they can help, such as homeless shelters, homes for the elderly, and childcare centers. 23) Write a letter to a person who inspires you to be a better person. Explain why you admire the person and how he or she influenced you. 24) Suppose you have a great idea for a new food product. Write a letter to a food company, describing the product and explaining why the company should manufacture it.