1. Sample Prompts in the style of STAAR

2. Read the quote below. People never improve unless they look to some standard or example higher and better than themselves. -Tyron Edwards Think about someone you look up to. Write a composition in which you explain whom you admire and why you admire this person. Be sure to− • clearly state your central idea • organize your writing • develop your writing in detail • choose your words carefully • use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

3. READ the information below
READ the information below. There are people in our lives who are special to us. Sometimes this person is a teacher or coach, a parent, a brother or sister, or even a friend. THINK about the people you care about. WRITE about one person who has been important to you. Explain what makes this person special. Be sure to− • clearly state your central idea • organize your writing • develop your writing in detail • choose your words carefully • use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

4. Look at the picture below
Look at the picture below. It takes talent to balance a basketball on your finger. Write about a time when you discovered that you were good at something. Be sure to− • write about a personal experience • organize your writing • develop your ideas in detail • choose your words carefully • use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

5. READ the following quotation
READ the following quotation. A famous businessman once said, ―Players win games; teams win championships. THINK carefully about the following statement. Sometimes you can accomplish good things by yourself but better things with other people. WRITE an essay explaining whether it is better to work by yourself or with a group. Be sure to− • clearly state your controlling idea • organize and develop your explanation effectively • choose your words carefully • use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

6. Look at the picture below
Look at the picture below. Sometimes it’s hard to make a decision because there are so many choices. Write a personal narrative about a time when you had to make a decision. Be sure to write in detail about the choice you made and describe what happened as a result of your decision.

7. Read the information below
Read the information below. In 1955 medical researcher Jonas Salk introduced an effective polio vaccine. At the time polio was considered the biggest threat to public health, yet Salk refused to profit by patenting the vaccine because he was more concerned with preventing disease than with personal gain. Although many people work to benefit themselves, some people choose to put others first. Think carefully about this statement. Write an essay explaining whether people should be more concerned about others than about themselves. Be sure to— clearly state your thesis organize and develop your ideas effectively choose your words carefully edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and sentences

8. Through the years, new inventions have changed the way we live
Through the years, new inventions have changed the way we live. Think about a particular invention that has impacted the way you live. Write a composition in which you identify an invention that has changed the way you live and explain how it has affected your life. Be sure to− • clearly state your central idea • organize your writing • develop your writing in detail • choose your words carefully • use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

9. Look at the picture below
Look at the picture below. Sometimes the actions of others can influence those around them. Write a personal narrative about a time that someone else’s actions affected you, for better or for worse. Be sure to write in detail about the situation and the way in which you were affected.

10. Read the information below.
Jane Jacob’s main work involved making neighborhoods and cities more livable. Her writings have had a major influence on many community planners and designers. She once wrote: “Cities have the capacity of providing something for everyone, only because, and only when, they are created by everyone.”
    
Think carefully about the following statement.
It is the responsibility of all to create, take responsibility for, and improve one’s community.
Write an essay explaining who has the responsibility for creating and maintaining safe, healthy, vibrant communities.
Be sure to –
Clearly state your controlling idea
Organize and develop your explanation effectively
Choose your words carefully
Use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences
P. Miller, 2012

11. READ: Stephen Covey said, “Begin with the end in mind.”
THINK: What academic goals do you have for this school year?
WRITE: Describe one academic goal you want to accomplish this school year and the plan you will put into place to accomplish that goal. How does “beginning with the end in mind” ensure that you will be successful?
P. Miller, 2012

12. READ: J. K. Rowling has said, “Understanding is the first step to acceptance.”
THINK: What does this quote mean to you? Do you agree with it or not? When have you seen acceptance in action?
WRITE: Write about what it means to accept others and how being accepting can make a difference. Explain how “understanding is the first step to acceptance.” What are some ways that you can make a difference by being accepting?
P. Miller, 2012

13. READ: Islamic leader Ai Ibn-Abu-Talib said,” He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare.”
THINK: What does the quote mean to you? Why is friendship so important? When we learning to accept ourselves and others, we began to accept that other people could accept us, too. Hence, we can trust ourselves to be good to our friends. With a growing circle of people to choose from, we can risk being ourselves. Knowing that whatever happens, we can handle it.
WRITE: Write about what it means to be a good friend. What can you do to show that you appreciate your friends be a good friend to others?
P. Miller, 2012

14. READ: Ambrose Redmoon said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”
THINK: What does this quote mean to you? Do you agree with it or not? How many times will you show courage today? How do we encourage others to show it, especially when it comes to preventing bullying behaviors. T
WRITE: Write about how courage is doing what is right even if it is not popular. How is this related to Redmoon’s quote?
P. Miller, 2012

15. READ: William Shakespeare said, “Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so.” Similarly, Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
THINK: What do these quotes mean to you? How are they related? Consider this idea: what happens in life is less important than how we respond to our circumstances. Your state of mind is up to you.
WRITE: Write about the way you respond to certain situations—good or bad. Why is it important to look for the good in every situation? How can that help us cope with difficult situations?
P. Miller, 2012

16. THINK: What does this quote mean? Do you agree with her or not?
READ: Gail Sheehy once said, “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.”
THINK: What does this quote mean? Do you agree with her or not?
WRITE: Change is inevitable. Write about why change important. What happens when we resist change?
P. Miller, 2012

17. READ: Babies are naturally born with two fears
READ: Babies are naturally born with two fears. A fear of falling and a fear of loud noises. All other fears are learned by association and identification. A baby is born with certain reflexes, like fight or flight. Another of these inborn reflexes are startle reflexes. When hearing a loud noise, a baby tends to make a jerking movement. And when a baby gets a sensation from falling, he/she tends to gasp for air. (And no….don’t try this at home.) These reflexes are unconscious, but are soon connected to “fear” as babies become older.
THINK: Consider the following quotes related to fear. Dale Carnegie stated, “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it…that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.” Similarly, Les Brown suggests, “When you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all. We all need some form of deeply rooted, powerful motivation—it empowers us to overcome obstacles so we can live our dreams.”
What do these quotes mean? Do you agree with them or not? Why?
WRITE: Write about what fears you have. Have you been able to overcome them? How? If not, why not?
P. Miller, 2012