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We published an updated version of this list, "401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing," as well as a companion piece, "650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing." We also now have a PDF of these 200 prompts.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and get five new Student Opinion questions delivered to you every week.

What issues do you care most about? What topics do you find yourself discussing most passionately, whether online, at the dinner table, in the classroom or with your friends?

Our annual Student Editorial Contest invites you to write an evidence-based persuasive piece on an issue that matters to you. To help jump-start your brainstorming, we have gathered a list of 200 writing prompts from our daily Student Opinion feature that invite you to take a stand.

Though you won't be limited to these topics for the contest, you'll see that our list touches on every aspect of modern life, from politics to sports, culture, education and technology. We hope the range inspires you, and we hope the fact that each question links to at least one related Times article gives you a starting point for finding evidence.

So skim the list below to think about the topic you'd most like to take on.

For more information, here are links to our spring 2014 editorial-writing contest, a list of winners from that contest and a related lesson plan on argumentative writing.
Education

1. Is Cheating Getting Worse?

2. Should Students Be Able to Grade Their Teachers?

3. Does Your School Hand Out Too Many A's?

4. Should Middle School Students Be Drug Tested?

5. Should Reading and Math Be Taught in Gym Class Too?

6. How Seriously Should We Take Standardized Tests?

7. How Well Do You Think Standardized Tests Measure Your Abilities?

8. Do You Spend Too Much Time Preparing for Standardized Tests?

9. Should Schools Offer Cash Bonuses for Good Test Scores?

10. Should We Rethink How Long Students Spend in High School?

11. Do Schools Provide Students With Enough Opportunities to Be Creative?

12. What Are You Really Learning at School?

13. How Important Is Arts Education?

14. Does Gym Help Students Perform Better in All Their Classes?

15. Who Should Be Able to See Students' Records?

16. Are Children of Illegal Immigrants Entitled to a Public Education?

17. What Is the Right Amount of Group Work in School?

18. Is Your School Day Too Short?

19. Do You Think a Longer School Calendar Is a Good Idea?

20. Should the Dropout Age Be Raised?

21. Should Students Be Allowed to Skip Senior Year of High School?

22. How Does Your School Deal With Students Who Misbehave?

23. Should Schools Be Allowed to Use Corporal Punishment?

24. How Big a Problem Is Bullying or Cyberbullying in Your School or Community?

25. How Should Schools Address Bullying?

26. Should Schools Put Tracking Devices in Students' ID Cards?

27. What Do You Think of Grouping Students by Ability in Schools?

28. Do We Need a New Way to Teach Math?

29. Does Class Size Matter?

30. Should All Students Get Equal Space in a Yearbook?

31. Is Prom Worth It?

32. How Important Are Parent-Teacher Conferences?

33. Should All Children Be Able to Go to Preschool?

34. Should Colleges Use Admissions Criteria Other Than SAT Scores and Grades?

35. What Criteria Should Be Used in Awarding Scholarships for College?

36. Do You Support Affirmative Action?

37. Do College Rankings Matter?

38. How Necessary Is a College Education?

39. Should Engineers Pay Less for College Than English Majors?
Technology and Social Media
40. Are the Web Filters at Your School Too Restrictive?

41. Does Technology Make Us More Alone?

42. Are You Distracted by Technology?

43. Do Apps Help You or Just Waste Your Time?

44. Do You Spend Too Much Time on Smart Phones Playing 'Stupid Games'?

45. Has Facebook Lost Its Edge?

46. Does Facebook Ever Make You Feel Bad?

47. Should What You Say on Facebook Be Grounds for Getting Fired?

48. Should People Be Allowed to Obscure Their Identities Online?

49. What Should the Punishment Be for Acts of Cyberbullying?

50. Is Online Learning as Good as Face-to-Face Learning?

51. Do Your Teachers Use Technology Well?

52. Should Tablet Computers Become the Primary Way Students Learn in Class?

53. Can Cellphones Be Educational Tools?

54. Should Computer Games Be Used for Classroom Instruction?

55. How Young Is Too Young for an iPhone?

56. Should Companies Collect Information About You?

57. Would You Trade Your Paper Books for Digital Versions?

58. Are Digital Photographs Too Plentiful to Be Meaningful?

59. Do You Worry We Are Filming Too Much?

60. Would You Want a Pair of Google's Computer Glasses?

61. How Would You Feel About a Computer Grading Your Essays?

62. What Role Will Robots Play in Our Future?

63. How Many Text Messages Are Too Many?

64. How Much Do You Trust Online Reviews?
Arts and Media: TV, Music, Video Games and Literature
65. Why Do We Like to Watch Rich People on TV and in the Movies?

66. Do TV Shows Like '16 and Pregnant' Promote or Discourage Teenage Pregnancy?

67. Does TV Capture the Diversity of America Yet?

68. Is TV Too White?

69. Is TV Stronger Than Ever, or Becoming Obsolete?

70. Does Reality TV Promote Dangerous Stereotypes?

71. What Current Musicians Do You Think Will Stand the Test of Time?

72. What Artists or Bands of Today Are Destined for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

73. What Musician, Actor or Author Should Be a Superstar, but Hasn't Quite Made It Yet?

74. Will Musical Training Make You More Successful?

75. Should Video Games Be Considered a Sport?

76. Should Stores Sell Violent Video Games to Minors?

77. Can a Video Game Be a Work of Art?

78. Do Violent Video Games Make People More Violent in Real Life?

79. When Should You Feel Guilty for Killing Zombies?

80. What Game Would You Like to Redesign?

81. What Were the Best Movies You Saw in the Past Year?

82. To What Writer Would You Award a Prize?

83. Do You Prefer Your Children's Book Characters Obedient or Contrary?

84. Where Is the Line Between Truth and Fiction?

85. Can Graffiti Ever Be Considered Art?

86. Do We Need Art in Our Lives?

87. What Makes a Good Commercial?

88. Why Did a Cheerios Ad Attract So Many Angry Comments Online?

89. Does Pop Culture Deserve Serious Study?
Gender Issues
90. Do Parents Have Different Hopes and Standards for Their Sons Than for Their Daughters?

91. Is School Designed More for Girls Than Boys?

92. Is There Too Much Pressure on Girls to Have 'Perfect' Bodies?

93. How Much Pressure Do Boys Face to Have the Perfect Body?

94. Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks?

95. Is It O.K. for Men and Boys to Comment on Women and Girls on the Street?

96. What Should We Do to Fight Sexual Violence Against Young Women?

97. How Do You Feel About Rihanna and Chris Brown Getting Back Together?

98. Do Fraternities Promote Misogyny?

99. Why Aren't There More Girls in Leadership Roles?

100. Why Aren't More Girls Choosing to Pursue Careers in Math and Science?

101. Should Women Be Allowed to Fight on the Front Lines Alongside Men?

102. Do You Believe in Equal Rights for Women and Men?

103. Are Women Better at Compromising and Collaborating?

104. Do Boys Have Less Intense Friendships Than Girls?
Sports and Athletics
105. If Football Is So Dangerous to Players, Should We Be Watching It?

106. Should Parents Let Their Children Play Football?

107. Should College Football Players Get Paid?

108. When Do Pranks Cross the Line to Become Bullying?

109. Has Baseball Lost Its Cool?

110. Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense?

111. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams to Use Native American Names and Mascots?

112. Where Should Colleges and Sports Teams Draw the Line in Selling Naming Rights?

113. Should Colleges Fund Wellness Programs Instead of Sports?

114. Is Cheerleading a Sport?

115. How Big a Deal Is It That an N.B.A. Player Came Out as Gay?

116. Should There Be Stricter Rules About How Coaches Treat Their Players?

117. Should Athletes Who Dope Have to Forfeit Their Titles and Medals?

118. Should Sports Betting Be Legal Everywhere?

119. Should Home-Schoolers Be Allowed to Play Public School Sports?

120. Would You Want a Bike Share Program for Your Community?
Politics and the Legal System
121. What Local Problems Do You Think Your Mayor Should Try to Solve?

122. If You Were Governor of Your State, How Would You Spend a Budget Surplus?

123. When Is the Use of Military Force Justified?

124. What Is More Important: Our Privacy or National Security?

125. California Notice

126. Should the U.S. Be Spying on Its Friends?

127. Do You Trust Your Government?

128. What Do You Think of the Police Tactic of Stop-and-Frisk?

129. Do Rich People Get Off Easier When They Break the Law?

130. Should Rich People Have to Pay More Taxes?

131. Do Laws That Ban Offensive Words Make the World a Better Place?

132. Is It Principled, or Irresponsible, for Politicians to Threaten a Shutdown?

133. Do Leaders Have Moral Obligations?

134. Do Great Leaders Have to Be Outgoing?

135. How Should We Prevent Future Mass Shootings?

136. Should Guns Be Permitted on College Campuses?

137. Would You Feel Safer With Armed Guards Patrolling Your School?

138. What Is Your Relationship With Guns?

139. Do You Support or Oppose the Death Penalty?

140. When Should Juvenile Offenders Receive Life Sentences?
Parenting and Childhood
141. Do We Give Children Too Many Trophies?

142. When Do You Become an Adult?

143. When Should You Be Able to Buy Cigarettes, Drink Alcohol, Vote, Drive and Fight in Wars?

144. Should the Morning-After Pill Be Sold Over the Counter to People Under 17?

145. Should Birth Control Pills Be Available to Teenage Girls Without a Prescription?

146. Is Modern Culture Ruining Childhood?

147. Are Adults Hurting Young Children by Pushing Them to Achieve?

148. How, and by Whom, Should Children Be Taught Appropriate Behavior?

149. What Can Older People Learn From Your Generation?

150. Do 'Shame and Blame' Work to Change Teenage Behavior?

151. How Should Children Be Taught About Puberty and Sex?

152. Is Dating a Thing of the Past?

153. How Should Parents Handle a Bad Report Card?

154. Should Children Be Allowed to Wear Whatever They Want?

155. How Should Educators and Legislators Deal With Minors Who 'Sext'?

156. Do You Think Child Stars Have It Rough?
Health and Nutrition
157. Is Smoking Still a Problem Among Teenagers?

158. Are Antismoking Ads Effective?

159. Is Drinking and Driving Still a Problem for Teenagers?

160. Do You Think a Healthier School Lunch Program Is a Lost Cause?

161. How Concerned Are You About Where Your Food Comes From?

162. Is It Ethical to Eat Meat?

163. Do You Prefer Your Tacos 'Authentic' or 'Appropriated'?

164. Should the Government Limit the Size of Sugary Drinks?

165. Should Marijuana Be Legal?

166. Should Students Be Required to Take Drug Tests?
Personal Character and Morality Questions
167. Do Bystanders Have a Responsibility to Intervene When There is Trouble?

168. Should You Care About the Health and Safety of Those Making Your Clothing?

169. Can Money Buy You Happiness?

170. Does Buying and Accumulating More and More Stuff Make Us Happier?

171. Are We Losing the Art of Listening?

172. Do People Complain Too Much?

173. Can Kindness Become Cool?

174. Which Is More Important: Talent or Hard Work?

175. How Important Is Keeping Your Cool?

176. When Should You Compromise?

177. Is Your Generation More Self-Centered Than Earlier Generations?

178. Can You Be Good Without God?

179. Have Curse Words Become So Common They Have Lost Their Shock Value?

180. What Words or Phrases Should Be Retired in 2014?

181. What Words or Phrases Do You Think Are Overused?

182. Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage?

183. How Important Do You Think It Is to Marry Someone With the Same Religion?

184. How Long Is It O.K. to Linger in a Cafe or Restaurant?

185. Does Keeping a Messy Desk Make People More Creative?

186. How Important Is Keeping a Clean House?
Science
187. Should Scientists Try to Help People Beat Old Age So We Can Live Longer Lives?

188. Given Unlimited Resources, What Scientific or Medical Problem Would You Investigate?

189. When Is It O.K. to Replace Human Limbs With Technology?

190. Do You Think Life Exists - or Has Ever Existed - Somewhere Besides Earth?

191. Should Fertilized Eggs Be Given Legal 'Personhood'?

192. How Concerned Are You About Climate Change?
Other Questions
193. Is It Wrong for a Newspaper to Publish a Front-Page Photo of a Man About to Die?

194. What Causes Should Philanthropic Groups Finance?

195. Should Charities Focus More on America?

196. Should the Private Lives of Famous People Be Off Limits?

197. Did a Newspaper Act Irresponsibly by Publishing the Addresses of Gun Owners?

198. Would You Rather Work From Home or in an Office?

199. What Time Should Black Friday Sales Start?

200. Do You Shop at Locally Owned Businesses?

201. How Much Does Your Neighborhood Define Who You Are?

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We published an updated version of this list, "401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing," as well as a companion piece, "650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing." We also now have a PDF of these 200 prompts. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and get five new Student Opinion questions delivered to you every week.

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Massachusetts Now Requires Flu Vaccine for All Students
8/20/2020 -

The state will allow exemptions, but announced on Aug. 19, 2020 that the "new vaccine requirement is an important step to reduce flu-related illness and ​the overall impact of respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic."

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Massachusetts Now Requires Flu Vaccine for All Students 8/20/2020 - The state will allow exemptions, but announced on Aug. 19, 2020 that the "new vaccine requirement is an important step to reduce flu-related illness and ​the overall impact of respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic."

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https://ca.ixl.com

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7th grade- multi-step https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-7/multi-step-word-problems
8th grade- multi-step https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-8/multi-step-word-problems

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A fun activities and games site covering subjects such as sports, animals, history, science, geography, jokes, math, and biographies. Pages are written to be easy to read and understand.

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Pick your grade level and practice reading comprehension!

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Online practice reading tests

Introduction

Most states have, or are developing, tests to assess their students' proficiency in state frameworks of curriculum. Many of these states are including students with limited English proficiency in this assessment process, but a significant number of LEP students have difficulty passing these standardized tests. In this website, Longman is pleased to provide additional practice for LEP students by offering sample standardized reading tests for grades 1 to 8. The reading tests provided here are a combination of multiple choice, short-answer, and long-answer questions. The short-answer and long-answer questions are designed to have students process the information in the passage, analyze it, and organize it for the answer. In this way, these practice questions test students' analytical abilities, not just comprehension.

Multiple-Choice Questions
The multiple-choice questions have four possible answers labeled A, B, C, D or F, G, H, I. The students will choose one answer per question. Each question correctly answered is given one point.

Short-Answer Questions

Introduction
Using This Test Prep Site
How to Score the Test Practice Reading Test
Tips for Students Taking a Reading Test

The short-answer questions have a "Read, Think, and Explain" symbol next to them. Students should spend about three to five minutes answering each short-answer question on the lines provided. Each question answered correctly is given up to two points; partial credit is given. There can be some variation in the answers.

Long-Answer Questions

The long-answer questions have a "Read, Think, and Explain" symbol with more lines next to them. Students should spend about seven to ten minutes answering each long-answer question on the lines provided. Each question correctly answered is given up to four points and partial credit is given. There can be some variation in the answers.

This site has a practice test for each grade. Each test has a contents page, two reading passages, and question and answer sections. Scoring Using This Test Prep Site

The Practice Reading Tests in this book are scored on a point system that differs slightly by grade level. Grades 1 and 2 have fewer questions and no short- or long-answer questions. Grade 1 is based on a scoring rage of 0-6 points. Grade 2 is based on a scoring range of 0-12 points. Grades 3 through 8 are based on a scoring range of 0-22 points.
How to Score the Practice Reading Test
Multiple-Choice Questions
Each multiple-choice question is worth 1 point.

Read, Think, and Explain

Short-Answer Questions
Short-answer "Read, Think, and Explain" questions are worth up to two points. There may be more than one acceptable answer for a short-answer question. (Sample answers are given for each question.) Partial credit can be given for answers that are correct, but incomplete.

2 points The answer shows that the student understands what the question is asking. The response is both accurate and complete. The student has supported the answer with information and/or examples from the passage, as asked for in the question. The answer must be based on the correct passage.

1 point The answer shows that the student understood or responded to only part of what the question asked. The information in the answer may be correct and based on the passage, but may not be clearly written, or exact enough. More supporting information and/or examples may be needed, as asked for in the question.

0 points The answer is incorrect or not based upon the passage, or the student gives no response.

Long-Answer Questions
Long-answer "Read, Think, and Explain" questions are worth up to four points. There may be more than one acceptable answer for a long-answer question. (Sample answers are given for each question.) Partial credit can be given for answers that are correct, but incomplete.

4 points The answer shows that the student has a thorough understanding of what the question asks. The response is both accurate and complete. The student has supported the answer with information and/or examples from the passage, as asked for in the question. The answer must be based on the correct passage.

3 points The answer shows that the student has a complete understanding of what the question asks. The information in the answer is correct, but more supporting information and/or examples based on the passage are needed.

2 points The answer shows that the student understood or responded to only part of what the question asked. The information in the answer may be correct and based on the passage, but may not be clearly written, or exact enough. More supporting information and/or examples may be needed.

1 point The answer shows that the student has little understanding of what the question has asked. The answer may be incomplete, may have several mistakes or inaccuracies, and may not fulfill the task required by the question.

0 points The answer is incorrect or not based upon the passage, or the student gives no response.

In this site, the questions and multiple choice sections follow both reading selections. When students finish reading the selection and are ready to answer the questions, they click on the link "Now proceed to the Answer Section below" which takes them directly to the Answer Section. When students are in the Answer Section, they can click on the icon to the right of each question to return to the text for checking information (or they can scroll back up to the text).

To answer multiple choice questions, students click on the button next to their answer choice. For the short-answer and long-answer questions, students can key their answer directly into the essay box provided under the question.

When a student has completed the sample test, he or she can click on the "Submit" button. This will produce a screen showing the student's answers (multiple choice answers and the written answers), which can then be printed and given to the teacher for grading.

The Answer Key for all grades is available from your Pearson Education sales representative.

Practice Reading

This practice reading test will help you get to know the kinds of questions on an actual statewide reading test. This practice test has a Practice Reading Section and Questions. Each Reading Section has two reading passages for which there are a total of 16 comprehension questions. You should answer all the questions in about 30-45 minutes. Your teacher can explain any question in the test that you don't understand. After you finish taking the test, your teacher can review the answers with you.

Tips for Students Taking a Reading Test

Read these tips to help you when you take a reading test. Think of these tips as you take the practice reading test.

There are two kinds of questions in the FCAT: multiple-choice and "Read, Think, and Explain" questions.

Take 5 minutes to write an answer for the short "Read, Think, and Explain" questions. Take 10 minutes to answer the long ones.

Be sure to read all directions carefully. If you do not understand directions, ask your teacher for help.

It is normal to be nervous when you take a test. Try to relax and think about the readings.

Read the whole passage once before you answer any of the questions.

You are allowed to go back and read the passages as many times as you want to. Read them carefully.

Be careful not to leave marks around the answer bubbles. Try to fill them in neatly.

When you answer the "Read, Think, and Explain" questions, think and organize what you want to say before writing down your ideas.

Write your short and long answers neatly so that anyone can read them.

After you read the passage, first answer the questions you know. Skip the ones that are too hard and go back later.

Do not worry if you do not know the answers to questions. Keep going! Partial credit is given for "Read, Think, and Explain" questions, so write whatever you know.

If there is time, go back and make sure that you are giving the best possible answer for each question.

Online practice reading tests

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Online practice reading tests Introduction Most states have, or are developing, tests to assess their students' proficiency in state frameworks of curriculum. Many of these states are including students with limited English proficiency in this assessment process, but a significant number of LEP students have difficulty passing these standardized tests.

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Literature guides (used for support and not in place of reading)
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Homework Help & Study Guides For Students | Shmoop

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The cozy home of your favorite free study guides and the most helpful study tools around! Check out our new digs and get the help you need!

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Inferencing practice:

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Inferences Worksheets | Reading Activities

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Looking for high-quality, FREE INFERENCES WORKSHEETS? Look no further! Printable or complete online. Check them out now!

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IXL- grade level reading/English support

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IXL- grade level reading/English support

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