creative writing project grade 8

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Printable 8th Grade Creative Writing Worksheets

65 Engaging 8th Grade Writing Prompts for Creative Essays

Creative writing is a discovery process, and 8th grade is a great time to encourage your students to find their voices. It’s the final grade before high school, and it’s a time when students are really discovering themselves and their place in the world as they leave middle school.

Journal Writing Prompts

Journaling is a great way to get your students’ creative juices flowing. It’s also a great way to get them thinking about their own thoughts and experiences. Here are some journal prompts to get your eighth graders started:

2. Do people require a compelling reason to live? How would you characterize the purpose’s evolution over time?

4. When it comes to writing, how do you feel? Consider something else in your life when comparing your feelings about writing to it.

6. Write about your favorite movie or book. Why do you love it so much?

8. Consider what you value in life and how it relates to where you want to be in five years. Make a personal vision statement for your life.

9. What are your thoughts on the notion of vulnerability? Have you ever been anxious when you’ve felt weak or exposed?

11. Choose someone older, such as a grandparent. What is the most significant lesson you’ve learned from that individual?

Creative Writing Prompts

12. If you had one opportunity to make a difference in the world, what would it be and why?

15. Who would you invite for dinner if you could choose any famous person?

18. Name one thing you’d want to accomplish in the future. Describe why it is so essential for you and how you intend to achieve it.

19. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Have you ever heard that? What’s your take on it? To support your standpoint, utilize precise details and scenarios.

21. What would your brain be like if it were a physical location?

Expository Writing Prompts

23. What’s the most unusual location you’ve ever visited? Describe it in detail.

26. How do you get to your grandparents’ house or another family member home?

29. What unique characteristics do you possess as a member of this generation? How are people your parents’ or grandparents’ age different from yours?

30. What are three fun ways your family might spend a family vacation together?

31. Why do you think someone you know should be regarded as a leader?

33. If you had to be an animal, which one would you choose and why?

Precise Language Writing Prompts

36. What is your earliest memory of feeling fear? Write a brief story about that experience.

39. What exactly makes something “made from natural components” distinct from anything grown in your backyard?

41. What is the difference between music and sound?

43. How can you tell the difference between an opinion and a fact?

44. Is it correct to refer to an 8th grader as a “young person”? Why or why not?

Counter-Argument Writing Prompts

To become better writers, students of this age group need to be able to anticipate and refute counter-arguments to their own claims. Here are some counter-argument writing prompts to get your reluctant writers thinking:

45. An old saying goes, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Explain why this might not be true.

46. Some individuals believe that crying is a sign of weakness. Disabuse them of this misconception.

47. Some schools enforce a dress code to discourage bullying and encourage learning. Explain why you disagree with forcing students to wear uniforms.

49. Cats are widely regarded as the greatest pets. Why might dogs be a better choice?

50. Some people think that nothing is more essential than fame or popularity. Why do you feel differently?

52. Some people believe that there should be no restrictions placed on freedom of speech. Defend your position by explaining why freedom of speech should be limited on occasion.

53. People sometimes believe that important core principles, such as religion and politics, must be shared by good friends. Explain why this isn’t necessary.

55. Many individuals think it’s better to be single than in a relationship. Why might being in a relationship be preferable?

Informational Writing Prompts

57. What do you know how to do well? Write detailed instructions for someone else to perform this task.

58. Consider a destination that you’ve been to. Describe the site to someone who has never been there before.

60. Choose a subject you’re well-versed in, like a favorite sports team, movie star, musical genre, or anything that fascinates you. Explain the topic to someone else in three pages.

61. What impact has new technology had on your life?

63. Tell us about a typical day in one of your parents’ lives.

64. What would you do if you won the lottery?

65. How do people in your community show their support for local businesses?

Fun Fact : There are aids available to assist your students to create correct sentences (free and paid). I researched a particular tool that I believe will improve your learners’ writing skills. Learn more about it here — Complex Sentence Generator: 7 Tools To Build Good Statements .

Get Your Middle School Students Hooked on Writing With These Engaging Prompts!

8th grade is an important time for students to focus on their writing skills. As they prepare to transition to high school and beyond, they must develop a strong foundation now.

Last Updated on July 25, 2022 by Emily

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8th Grade Creative Writing

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10 Creative Writing Activities That Help Students Tell Their Stories

Lower the stakes and help them get started.

“I don’t have a story. There’s nothing interesting about my life!” Sound familiar? I don’t know a teacher who hasn’t heard students say this. When we ask our students to write about themselves, they get stuck. We know how important it is for them to tell their own stories. It’s how we explore our identities and keep our histories and cultures alive. It can even be dangerous when we don’t tell our stories (check out this Ted Talk given by novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and share it with your students for more on that). Storytelling is essential for every subject, not just English Language Arts; students dive deeper and engage when they practice thinking about how their own stories intersect with historical events, civic engagement, and the real-world implications of STEM. These 10 creative writing activities can work in every subject you teach:

Here are 10 of our favorite story telling activities that inspire students:

1. write an “i am from” poem.

Students read the poem “I am From” by George Ella Lyon. Then, they draft a poem about their own identity in the same format Lyon used. Finally, students create a video to publish their poems. We love this one because the mentor text gives a clear structure and example that students can follow. But the end result is truly unique, just like their story.

2. Design a social media post to share an important memory

How can you use your unique perspective to tell a story? We want our students to learn that they are truly unique and have stories that only they can tell that other people want to hear or could relate to or learn from. In this activity, students watch two Pixar-in-a-Box videos on Khan Academy to learn about storytelling and perspective. Then, they identify an interesting or poignant memory and design a social media post.

3. Create an image using a line to chart an emotional journey

How do you show emotion using a single line? In this activity, students watch a Pixar in a Box video on Khan Academy to learn about how lines communicate character, emotion, and tension. Then they experiment with these aspects as they write their story. We love using this for pre-writing and to help students explore their story arc. Also, for students who love to draw or learn visually, this can help them get started telling their story and show them that there are many different ways to tell a story.

4. Tell the story behind your name

Sharing the story behind our name is a way to tell a story about ourselves, our culture, and our family history. And if there isn’t a story behind it, we can talk about how we feel about it and describe what it sounds like. In this activity, students use video to introduce themselves to their classmates by discussing the origin of their name. This project asks students to connect their names (and identities) to their personal and familial histories and to larger historical forces. If you’re looking for a mentor text that pairs well with this one, try “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros .

5. Develop a visual character sketch

Give students the time to create a character sketch of themselves. This will help them see how they fit into their story. In this lesson, students create a visual character sketch. They’ll treat themselves like a character and learn to see themselves objectively.

6. Create a webpage to outline the story of your movie

Building a story spine is a great way to show students how to put the parts of their story in an order that makes sense. It’s an exercise in making choices about structure. We like this activity because it gives students a chance to see different examples of structure in storytelling. Then, they consider the question: how can you use structure to set your story up for success? Finally, they design and illustrate an outline for their story.

7. Respond to a variety of writing prompts

Sometimes our students get stuck because they aren’t inspired or need a different entry point into telling their story. Give them a lot of writing prompts that they can choose from. Pass out paper and pencils. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Then, write 3-4 writing prompts on the board. Encourage students to free-write and not worry about whether their ideas are good or right. Some of our favorite prompts to encourage students to tell their story are:

• I don’t know why I remember…
• What’s your favorite place and why?
• What objects tell the story of your life?
• What might surprise someone to learn about you?

8. Create a self-portrait exploring identity and self-expression

Part of what makes writing your own story so difficult for students is that they are just building their identity. In this activity, students explore how they and others define their identity. What role does identity play in determining how they are perceived and treated by others? What remains hidden and what is shown publicly?

9. Film a video to share an important story from your life

Encourage students to think about how to tell the story of a day they faced their fears. Students consider the question: How can you use different shot types to tell your story? They watch a video from Pixar in a Box on Khan Academy to learn about different camera shots and their use in storytelling. Then, they use Adobe Spark Post or Photoshop and choose three moments from their story to make into shots. We love using this to help students think about pace and perspective. Sometimes what we leave out of our story is just as important as what we include.

10. Try wild writing

Laurie Powers created a process where you read a poem and then select two lines from it. Students start their own writing with one of those lines. Anytime that they get stuck, they repeat their jump-off line again. This is a standalone activity or a daily writing warm-up, and it works with any poem. We love how it lowers the stakes. Can’t think of anything to write? Repeat the jump-off line and start again. Here are some of our favorite jump-off lines:

• The truth is…
• Some people say…
• Here’s what I forgot to tell you…
• Some questions have no answers…
• Here’s what I’m afraid to write about…

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Free Printable Creative Writing Worksheets for 8th Grade

Creative Writing: Discover a vast collection of free printable Reading & Writing worksheets, tailored for Grade 8 students, to enhance their skills and unleash their imagination. Empower your teaching with Quizizz resources!

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Explore printable Creative Writing worksheets for 8th Grade

Creative Writing worksheets for Grade 8 are an essential tool for teachers who want to engage their students in the world of reading and writing. These worksheets provide a structured and organized approach to developing essential skills in fiction writing, allowing students to explore their creativity and imagination. By incorporating a variety of activities, such as brainstorming, story mapping, and character development, these worksheets help students build a strong foundation in narrative writing. Additionally, they encourage students to analyze and critique their own work, as well as the work of their peers, fostering a deeper understanding of the writing process. With the help of these Creative Writing worksheets for Grade 8, teachers can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that nurtures a love for reading and writing in their students.

Quizizz is an innovative platform that offers a wide range of resources, including Creative Writing worksheets for Grade 8, to help teachers enhance their students' learning experience. This interactive platform allows teachers to create quizzes, polls, and other activities that can be easily integrated into their lesson plans. With Quizizz, students can engage in real-time competitions, collaborate on group projects, and receive instant feedback on their performance. This not only makes learning more enjoyable but also helps students develop essential skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking. Furthermore, Quizizz offers a vast library of pre-made quizzes and worksheets, covering various topics such as fiction writing, grammar, and vocabulary, which can be easily customized to suit the needs of individual students. By incorporating Quizizz into their teaching strategies, teachers can provide a fun and interactive learning experience that fosters a love for reading and writing in Grade 8 students.

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Grade 8 Writing Projects Worksheets

Related ela standard: w.8.10, grade 8 writing projects worksheets:.

Blogging – Is there a regular blog that you frequent?

Step by Step Story – Let the picture inspire you beyond belief.

Writing in One Sitting – Which virtue do you find more helpful?

Thinking Ahead: Prewriting – Some feelings take a whole lot more than one sentence.

Research, Reflect, Revise! – Who do you admire most?

Poet for a Week – Poets seldom get rich; in fact, very few people, if any, make a living writing poetry.

Eyewitness – Imagine that you are the only witness to someone falling out of a tree.

Dear Brokenhearted, – As a class, decide on a theme for an advice column.

The Best Bedside Manner – Personality has a lot to do with how a person goes about a particular profession.

Picture Prompt – Describe what you think is happening in this picture.

1,000 Words – Write a short article that could replace this photograph in a newspaper or a magazine.

Put Your Town on the Map – For this project, you will create a brochure about your town that highlights points of cultural and historical interest.

Read | Reflect | Write – Imagine that a series of seemingly random terrorist attacks have destroyed shopping malls all over the country.

Where Were You When... – Choose one of the historical events below and use dramatic irony to write a funny story about where someone might have been or what they might have been doing when the event happened.

Picture Prompt – Use the picture as the starting point for a story. Whose shoes are these?

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Stephen van Niekerk: BA, BEd (Hons), HDE (Post Grad) (UPE) Click here to email Stephen van Niekerk.

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Grade 10 Co-ordinators

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Declan McLaggan: BEd (SFET) Click here to email Declan McLaggan.

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Grade 8 Co-ordinators

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Lynn Furstenburg: BA (Hons) (UNISA), PGCE (UNISA), LTCL (Trinity College) Click here to email Lynn Furstenburg.

Kendal Samuels: BEd (Sen & FET) (UNISA) Click here to email Kendal Samuels

Sean Brice: BA (UPE), PGCE (Mancosa)

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The English curriculum prepares students for the rigours of University level reading and writing while fostering a love of literature. It uses the analysis of literature and film and the study of language to develop cognitive skills at every level. Classroom discussion forms the primary mode of instruction, but teachers also stress oral and written communication skills. Students are encouraged to be literate, lucid and imaginative in their own expression. The department seeks to equip students with critical skills to engage thoughtfully and productively with literature and language in all its forms.

Brief Policy

English Home Language is compulsory for all students at the school. There is no set departmental approach regarding teaching strategies, methodologies or schools of literary or linguistic analysis; through clear but broad programmes of study, transparent working practices and following the policy of open communication, the department aims to share its enthusiasms, its skills and its expertise in an attempt to inspire all students to perform to their full potential. Though guided by (though not restricted to) the requirements of the GETC syllabi for the National Curriculum in Grades 8 and 9, and of the FET syllabi for the East Cape Education Department in the senior Grades, the department focuses particularly on developing independent study and research skills to begin to generate self-motivated and self-confident students. The department has moved away from

Homework and Assignments

For the most part, English is not taught out of a textbook, so homework may take a variety of forms, such as:

• Completing work started in class
• Completing worksheets handed out in class
• Practice exercises / exam questions
• On-going assignment work (essays, projects, investigations, presentations etc)

Continuous Assessment (CAPS)

Continuous Assessment (CAPS) forms an integral part of the makeup of the overall assessment of any language. Students are assessed on their performance in many different facets of the language and these assessments are cumulative and form a large part of the final assessment total. Areas covered by CAPS include Creative Writing, Functional Writing, Investigation and Presentation, Oral Communication Skills and Responding to Text (both literature and language).

Tests and Forms of Assessments

Coupled with ongoing work in both Creative and Functional Writing and with regular assessment of Oral Communication skills, students study at least one Setwork (Novel, Drama, Short Stories, Poetry or Film) per term. There are two controlled tests per term, one covering the current setwork and the other dealing with general language revision (Comprehension, Summary, Assorted language exercises).

Notes and Worksheets

Sets of notes and worksheets on various setworks are standardised and are handed out to all students in the particular grade. These should be kept on file and should be used as revision tools before tests and exams. There are workbooks covering Language, the various setwork books and poetry, which have been compiled especially for each of the grades, and these contain most of the standardised exercices which learners complete.

Additional Information

The school has an active and a vibrant Debating Society, and all students are encouraged to join this society which meets on a weekly basis and which also enjoys regular debating contact with other schools.

A select group of top students takes part in the annual English Olympiad, where students are encouraged to examine and to analyse challenging topical literature.

Grade 10 students may apply to join the Toastmasters Society, where they learn vital life lessons in the art of public speaking.

Students are encouraged to keep portfolios of their creative writing, which may be submitted for consideration in the awarding of the two Literature Prizes (Senior: Grades 10–12 and Junior: Grades 8–9) presented annually by the school.

Grade 11 learners are encouraged to join the Advanced English course in Literature which is offered in conjunction with Collegiate School for Girls.

Assessments required by the Revised Teaching Plan (2021 – 2023) from the Department of Education.

GRADE 9 CAPS: Assessments required by the Revised Teaching Plan (2021 – 2023) from the Department of Education.