Here's a sample from the writing prompts for Feb. 28:
Most of the people of Curiepe, Venezuela, make their living fishing for sardines. Every year on this day, they have a funeral for the sardines they have caught during the previous year. The funeral serves to remind them of the need to protect the sardines from overfishing and pollution. Describe another ceremony or celebration that would help to remind people of the need to take care of the natural world.
This week's prompts are now posted! Here's a sample from the dozens available!
In 1930, the first cow flew on an airplane. The cow was even milked while on the airplane. What kind of problems do you think there would be trying to fly a cow or other large animal on an airplane?
February sees the birth of jeans, a national park, the Supreme Court, and in Japan they’re throwing beans. And then a cow flew a plane…so be sure you don't miss any of this month's writing prompts!
Here's a sample from this week's collection:
February 4: Today is Setsubun (Bean Throwing Day) in Japan. To drive out evil spirits and prepare for spring, roasted beans are scattered around the house, temple, or shrine. While you scatter them, you chant, "Devils out, happiness in!” Then you collect one bean for every year of your age and eat it. So beans are good luck food in Japan. What is your good-luck food? Why do you think of that food as bringing good luck?
Here are two of dozens of writing prompts for this week:
In 1784, Ben Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter protesting against the decision to choose the eagle as the symbol of the United States. He thought the eagle was a cruel, predatory bird, and preferred the turkey instead. Suppose you had to choose an animal as the symbol of your class. It can’t be an eagle, or a symbol your school already uses. What animal would you choose? Why that one?
In 1790, lifeboats were first used to rescue people from a sinking ship. Make a list of the survival gear you think should be kept on a lifeboat.
The first winter Olympic Games opened in Chamonix, France, in 1924. It began the process of popularizing winter sports for ordinary people; prior to then, only very rich people (or those who lived in the mountains) skied. Do you like or participate in a winter sport, or would you like to learn one? Which one? Why that one? (If you are not interested in winter sports, tell why you feel as you do.)
The novelist W. Somerset Maugham (pronounced MÆHM) was born in 1874. He once wrote: “It is bad enough to know the past; it would be intolerable to know the future.” What about the future would you not want to know? Why?
The first full moon of the year is called the Wolf Moon because in earlier times, wolves would become desperate for food during this time of year and attack cattle and other domestic animals. (Wolves almost never attack people; apparently we taste bad to them.) Modern people almost never see wolves, so Wolf Moon is not a very useful name for us. What name would you give for the full moon in January that might be meaningful to today’s people? Why that name?
gazette....See MoreWriting prompts also make great discussion prompts. For example, from the Jan. 5 collection of prompts:
In 1759, the French writer and critic Voltaire said, “Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.” What do you think he meant by that? Do you agree? [Click below for many more!]
Two of our favorite prompts from the coming week's collection are:
Hector Hugh Munro, who wrote amusing stories under the pen name Saki and was born in 1870, once wrote, “In baiting a mousetrap with cheese, always leave room for the mouse.” What do you think he meant by that?
In 1941, jazz and blues singer Lena Horne released her first hit song, “Stormy Weather.” She had a long and very successful career, and worked hard to create new opportunities for black and women singers. Many of her songs were very sexy, but she once said, “I just sing those songs, I don’t live them.” What do you think she meant by that?