Mr. Naccash’s Journal Topics

 

 

                

      

 

     At least one of the following journal topics is to be completed by each student every school night.  By the end of the school year there will be around 200 topics.  Have fun with this!  It is here to help you. 

 

Describe what it would be like if your favorite book character lived next door to you.

 

Which member of your family would make a good character for a book? Explain your choice.

 

Describe your favorite place and time to read.  Why is it so special to you?

 

Choose an event in your life that would make a good basis for a book.  Explain why other people would be interested in reading about your experience.

 

What makes you unhappy about school? How could you change this?

 

If you could eliminate either crime or pollution, which would you choose and why?

 

If you could have a party and invite anyone you wanted, living or dead, who would be on your guest list? Why?

 

Describe your idea of a perfect vacation.

 

How could you modify a school bus to make the ride to school a more enjoyable experience?

 

If you could bring any musical group to our school for a free concert, which group would you choose? Write a letter to your principal, explaining why he should approve the concert.

 

What surprise would you like to find in a cereal box? Why?

 

Describe what you think your life will be like ten years from now.

 

If you were the school principal for a day, what things would you change?

 

Write an advertisement for you favorite food.  Why should other people try it?

 

Imagine a national holiday has been established in your honor.  What might people do on your special day?

 

Write a review of a movie you have seen recently.

 

What do you think your teacher was like as a child?

 

Do you think a teacher or an athlete is a better role model for students? Explain your answer.

 

If you could predict the future, what would you want to know? How could you use your knowledge to help humanity?

 

What do you think teachers talk about in the teachers’ lounge?

 

How could you persuade your teacher to conduct class outside today?

 

What would you like your teacher to tell future students about your class?

 

Would you like to become writer someday? Why or why not?

 

If you were moving to the moon and could only take five books with you, what would they be?

 

If you could appear on your favorite television show, what show would it be and how would you fit into the plot?

 

Describe the best summer you’ve ever had.

 

How could your school cafeteria improve? What kinds of foods would you like to see served?

 

If your class could take a field trip anywhere, where would you like to go? Explain why your destination would be educational.

 

If a genie popped out of your lunch bag and granted you three wishes, what would they be? Why?

 

Do you think professional athletes are overpaid or deserve their salaries? Why?

 

What is your favorite song? What do you think about when you hear the song?

 

Do you prefer to write using a pen and paper or a computer? Why?

 

If you could have lived during any period in history, which period would you choose? Why?

 

Imagine your class is going to bury a time capsule to be dug up by students in 2100. Everyone can include a letter to future students. Write your letter.

 

Describe what it would be like to go to school at night and sleep during the day.

 

Write a letter or a poem to your mother, father, or another close relative, expressing your feelings for that person.

 

“The dog ate my homework” is a typical excuse used by students. Think of some more creative lines for students to use when they have not completed their assignments.

 

Why do you think your teacher became a teacher?

 

Describe as many ways as you can to make someone smile.

 

Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound. Choose any consonant and write a paragraph using many words that begin with that letter.

 

Imagine you want to run for class president. Write your campaign speech.

 

Write a humorous rhyming poem that could appear on a birthday card.

 

Imagine you have a magic carpet that can take you anywhere you want to go. Where would you go? Why?

 

Design a new type of game you could play with your friends. It could be an outdoor game, a board game, or a computer game. Describe your game and how it would be played.

 

What if walls could talk? Describe what they might say about your class.

 

People are basically good at heart. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

 

Imagine that today is Opposite Day. Describe some of the events planned for this unusual day.

 

If you could write a comic book, what type of super hero or heroine would you write about? Describe your super hero or heroine and his/her special powers. Then draw a picture of him/her.

 

You have found a strange, magical mask. When you put it on, you can become someone else. Whom would you become, and what might happen to you while wearing the mask?

 

How would life be different if there were no gravity?  (50)

 

Imagine that your school could be located in any place you’d like. Describe this place and explain the good and bad things about going to school there.

 

Imagine you have invented a time travel machine. Would it travel to the past, the future, or both? What would it look like? Describe where you would go and what might happen.

 

Describe an obstacle race full of funny or unusual obstacles. Describe how the competitors in the race would manage to get through the obstacles.

 

Describe how you will be famous someday.

 

Imagine you are a drop of water floating through a stream that leads to a waterfall. Write about your experience.

 

A mad scientist’s experiment has gone wrong.  He has created something unusual. Write a description of what his experiment might have produced.

 

Imagine that you are floating on a cloud. What does the world look like? How do you feel?

 

Write some silly excuses your teacher might use when he or she has not graded your papers on time.

 

You have developed a new type of athletic shoe that helps people run faster and jump higher. Write a television commercial that shows the benefits of these new athletic shoes. Give the shoes a name.

 

Your new hairstyle won “most unusual” in a local Hairstyling Contest. Describe your entry.

 

Imagine that you could write one sentence in the sky for everyone to read. What would you write? Why?

 

If you could create your own magazine, what articles might you put in it? Who would read your magazine? Would it have a particular focus? Explain.

 

What would happen if cars could fly? Describe the advantages and disadvantages of flying cars.

 

Create a story about a night you and your friends spend in an amusement park. All the rides, games, lights and music have been left on.

 

Imagine that you are grown up and have written your life story. Write the title for your biography and tell why it is appropriate.  (65)

 

If you could become any animal, which would you choose? Why? What would you do all day?

 

You have found a map showing buried treasure in your neighborhood. What might be in the treasure chest? Who might have buried it? Describe what happens when you dig up the treasure.

 

Imagine that you could travel back in time and become a famous person from the past. Whom would you become? Why? Describe what it would be like to be that person.

 

Imagine that the post office has asked you to choose a person to be commemorated on a new stamp. Whom would you choose? Why?

 

Write a few paragraphs as an ending to this cliffhanger: “Just as Candace escaped from the room of  laughing mirrors, she ran straight into _______.”

 

Think of ten creative uses for an empty cereal box.

 

It is the 1800s, and you are moving from the city to the wilderness in the American West. Your belongings are packed into a covered wagon. Write about the dangers and challenges you encounter on your trip.

 

Cyclops was a one-eyed giant in Greek mythology. Invent another type of monster. Describe what the monster looks like and what it might do. Sketch the monster.

 

One morning you lie in bed listening to your clock radio. Suddenly you realize that the DJ is speaking directly to you. Describe what happens next.

 

Some writers, like Edgar Allan Poe or R.L. Stine, write scary stories. Write your own scary story that begins, “It was a dark and stormy night.”

 

Imagine that you won $100 million in the lottery. What would you do with that money? Would you spend it all yourself or share it with others?

 

Many people are making their own Web pages. Create an idea for your personal Web page. What would you have on your Web page? What would you call your Web page?

 

Imagine you could make your own museum. What kind of a museum would it be? What exhibits would it contain? What types of people would visit your museum?

 

How might life be different if there were no crime anywhere in the world?

 

If you could give a homeless person one gift, what would the gift be? Why?

 

You have won a shopping spree. You may go into the store of your choice and grab up as much as you can in five minutes. Which store would you choose? What would be your chopping strategy?

 

Design a menu for a school lunch in your cafeteria. Make the food sound as exciting and delicious as possible. Use your imagination and plenty of adjectives! (82)

 

You’re relaxing in your swimming pool when all of a sudden a parachutist lands in your backyard! What will you do? Who is this person, and why has he landed in your yard?

 

You are cutting your uncle’s lawn when suddenly his riding mower goes out of control, taking you down the street and onto the highway. Tell what happens next.

 

Many kids your age have jobs such as mowing lawns, baby-sitting, delivering newspapers, and walking pets. If you could have any job, what would it be and why?

 

Imagine you’re walking along a secluded beach with a metal detector looking for lost coins. Suddenly the detector starts to make a lot of noise, and your dog starts to bark furiously. What did you find?

 

If you could own a sea creature as a pet, what would it be? An octopus? A shark? Describe an adventure you might have with your unusual pet.

 

Do you have a nickname? Explain how you got this nickname and whether or not you like it. If you do not have a nickname, pick one for yourself and explain why you like it.

 

It is seven o’clock on a Saturday morning. The doorbell rings. You get out of bed and open the door. It is your best friend, who immediately tags you and says, “You’re it!” before running away with several friends. Describe what happens next.

 

Do you have a hero? What do you admire about him or her? What do other people think of your hero? Explain what qualities or traits make a person a hero.

 

Have you ever gone without TV for more than a few days? What kinds of things might you do if you were not allowed to watch t your favorite television programs for an entire week?  

 

The carnival is in town and there is a new ride called the Death Valley Sidewinder. Write what you would say to your parents to persuade them to let you go on this ride.

 

Have you ever been asked to keep a secret? Did you keep it? Describe what it felt like to know a secret but not be able to tell anyone about it.

 

If you had to choose, would you rather be rich or famous? If you’d rather be rich, how would you spend your money? If you’d rather be famous, what would you like to be famous for?

 

If you could create your own summer resort, what would you call it, where would it be located, and what type of resort would it be?

 

If there could only be one law in the U.S., what should it be? Why?

 

Pretend that for ten seconds a tornado takes you for a ride before dropping you safely into a large pile of hay. Describe your ten-second adventure.

 

Complete the following story: On our bus ride to school, we noticed the driver looking pale and drowsy. Before we knew it, he was fast asleep!

 

Write a story that begins with “It all started when I poured orange juice on my cornflakes.”

 

Write a story about a day in the life of an object in your school that is used by many people, such as the hall water fountain or the doorknob to the principal’s office. (100)

 

Your teacher could not come to school today. Instead, he/she sent a note to you asking you to be the substitute. What will you do with the class today?

 

Describe writer’s block as if it were a monster. Then share a trick or two for taming this creativity-crunching creature.

 

Pretend that your community is considering extending the school week to include a half-day on Saturday! Is this a good idea? Write a letter to the school board expressing your opinion and explaining your reasons.

 

Your teacher sends you to the supply closet for staples. Just as you reach for a box, you discover that the closet is really a time-travel machine! Where and when does it take you?

 

You have just been told that a substitute will teach your class tomorrow. Help the substitute out by writing directions on how to find his/her way around your classroom.

 

It is very late at night and the phone rings unexpectedly. Who is it? Why are they calling? What happens next?

 

If you changed colors as your mood changed, how often would you change? What colors would you be?

 

If everything you owned had to be the same color, what color would you choose? Why?

 

Pretend that the lines on your paper are really the closed slats of a window blind! What wonderful (or terrible) surprise is on the other side?

 

Everyone overslept this morning and you had to pack your own school lunch! Your mom told you to pack anything you wanted. Describe what you packed.

 

If a desk could talk, what would it say about its previous students and classes? Write a dialogue between you and your desk.

 

Pretend that you could be the teacher for a day. Describe what the day would be like.

 

Pretend you are in a hot air balloon hovering over your school or neighborhood. Describe what you see.

What if our government started using candy instead of money? What candy do you think should be used as the $100 bill? Explain.

 

Imagine that you area ball on the playground. Naturally, you are very popular at recess! Describe who plays with you and how you are treated.

 

Your best friend takes you to a secret cave. After you explore for a while, your flashlights go out. Explain what happens next.

 

You have just raked all the fall leaves from your yard into one big pile. Suddenly something starts to crawl out from inside the pile. Describe what happens next.

 

You decide that there should be two of you, so you have yourself cloned. Explain what a few typical days would be like in your lives.

 

Write a story that ends with the following sentence: “From now on, I’ll keep that door locked!”

 

Think of something that makes you feel scared. Make up a story to explain why this brings you so much fear.

 

Do you like where you live? Voice your opinion by writing a letter to a local official in which you describe what would make your neighborhood a better place to live.

 

Guy Fawkes Day celebrates Britain’s most notorious traitor. Describe how you might feel if your best friend betrayed you.

 

Rewrite a past event that didn’t work out the way you wanted. How would you make it work out better the second time around?

 

Pretend you have found a postage stamp that will carry a letter back in time. Whom will you write? What will you say?

 

Imagine you are the very last leaf on a tree. Write a story describing how you feel.

 

Create a new mascot for your favorite sports team. What does it look like? What does it east, wear, and do?

 

Describe a gift you could make with materials found lying around your house.

 

Most schools close for a few days around special holidays. Does yours? Describe a typical day spent away from school.

 

Write a story titled “That was then, This is Now” in which you compare yourself today to yourself at this time last year.

 

What kind of sense of humor do you have? Describe an incident that illustrates your sense of humor.

 

A new student has just joined your class. Help this student adjust to a new school by writing a detailed list of events that occur during a typical day in your classroom.

 

Pretend you are a snowflake falling to the ground. Describe your airborne adventure.

 

Imagine you are the star player on your favorite sports team. Describe the most exciting part of a recent game.

 

Pretend that you are in charge of planning a special dinner for your family tonight. What would be on the menu? How would you prepare for the meal?

 

Pretend that your bed can fly. Where would it take you? Describe what you would see.

 

In Sweden, there’s a hotel that’s made out of some very unusual materials---snow and ice! Describe what it would be like to visit a hotel like this.

 

Many birds fly south during the winter. Pretend you are a bird flying south. Write your own bird’s-eye view of the trip.

 

Many families have holiday traditions. Write about one of your family traditions that is special to you.

 

Write a description of a family member or friend. Include not only what the person looks like, but also what kind of person he/she is.

 

George Washington Carver discovered over 300 uses for the peanut! Think of a brand new product that is made from peanuts and write an advertisement describing your new product.

 

What is your favorite sport? Write a convincing essay persuading the U.S. Congress to make your favorite sport the national sport.

 

Write down ten words that make a sound, like buzz, pop, or bang. Now think of a way to use all of the sound words you just listed in a short story.

 

Imagine that you’ve just gotten a really bad haircut. You are very embarrassed but realize that it may take weeks for your hair to grow back! Write a list of all the ways you could camouflage or cover up your head.

 

January 15, 1929, is the birthdate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights leader. He had a dream for the people of this country that included equality for all people, regardless of their race. If you had a dream, what would it be?

 

Pretend a spaceship lands in your backyard one day and the pilot invites you to go for a ride. Write all about your unusual adventure in space.

 

Imagine that you are a talented musician with a chance to audition for you favorite musical group. Write a diary entry about your audition and how you think it went.

 

Many people enjoy creating types of art such as drawings, paintings, sculptures, and designs. What kind of art do you enjoy creating and why?

 

Sometimes it’s fun to get up at the crack of dawn before anyone else is awake. What do you like to do when you are the first one awake in your home?

 

Imagine that you’ve just found a bottle with a message inside. Write down what the message says and what you plan to do about it.

 

Imagine that you could design a dream house for your family. Describe the house you would design and list some of the special features that you would include to make your dream house special. (150)