WESTEST 2 Online Writing Teacher-Created Passages and Prompts
Grade 10 Samples
WESTEST 2 Online Writing
Grade 10 Sample Passage and Prompt
Grade: 10CSO: RLA.0.10.2.1 define topic from assigned subject/prompt and compose narrative, informative, descriptive and persuasive writings using the five-step writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) for specific audiences by employing writing strategies that are modeled in various types of literature
Genre: Descriptive
21st Century Emphasis: Visual Literacy
Lexile: 1130L
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and prompt and type a composition in the box below.
PASSAGE:
Postage Stamps
The history of the United States postage stamp is the narrative of America relayed in a miniature pictorial format. Originally, stamps only memorialized American heroes. The “great man” theme continued for many years; however, both real and fictional people have appeared on U.S. postage stamps in contemporary times.
While distinguished Americans continue to be popular, the U.S. Postal Service has branched out to include a myriad of sources. Some stamps have supported accepted social causes like breast cancer awareness, child welfare, Amber Alert and environmental issues, while others addressed diseases that devastate families, such as AIDS, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Some stamps commemorate crucial, historical events such as space travel, wars and even early television series.
Pop culture has proved to be beneficial to the United States Postal Service. For example, Elvis Presley’s stamp brought in $26 million. Events like Woodstock have been celebrated, and the art of Walt Disney has been engraved permanently onto U.S. postal stamps.
PROMPT: You have been selected to design a book of stamps. Choose real or fictional characters or events that you believe deserve to be honored in a book of postage stamps. Describe the specific images and details you would include in your stamp designs, and explain why you chose these images and details.
Begin typing your composition here
WESTEST 2 Online Writing
Grade 10 Sample Passage and Prompt
Grade: 10CSO: RLA.0.10.2.1 define topic from assigned subject/prompt and compose narrative, informative, descriptive and persuasive writings using the five-step writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) for specific audiences by employing writing strategies that are modeled in various types of literature
Genre: Informative
21st Century Emphasis: Social/Personal Accountability
Lexile: 1150L
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and prompt and type a composition in the box below.
PASSAGE:
You Decide
Today, more than ever, in an economy that is precarious at best, a million dollars has become a substantial amount of money. With banks failing, people losing their homes and jobs, and consumer confidence at an all-time low, the American dream has become, for many, a nightmare.
One day you receive a letter in the mail from an organization called You Decide. You open the letter and discover that you have been chosen by this organization to award one million dollars to any charitable groups or organizations in the world. Feeling overwhelmed, you begin to consider how you will allocate this large sum of money. According to the letter, you may not spend it on yourself, your friends or your family.
A number of causes from Alzheimer’s research to Zoos Freedom Fund contact you requesting donations, but the decision as to how the million dollars is to be allocated rests solely on your shoulders. This responsibility cannot be taken lightly; your decisions will potentially impact countless lives.
PROMPT: Write an informative letter to the You Decide company board members explaining which groups or causes would be beneficiaries of your one million dollars and why.
Begin typing your composition here
WESTEST 2 Online Writing
Grade 10 Sample Passage and Prompt
Grade: 10CSO: RLA.0.10.2.1 define topic from assigned subject/prompt and compose narrative, informative, descriptive and persuasive writings using the five-step writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) for specific audiences by employing writing strategies that are modeled in various types of literature
Genre: Narrative
21st Century Emphasis: Adaptability
Lexile: 1190L
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and prompt and type a composition in the box below.
PASSAGE:
Not Everyone’s Perfect
If you Googled the term “perfect teenager,” of the thousands of names you could get, Justin Blaine would be the top result. Confident, attractive, socially aware and popular, not only does he carry a 3.8 GPA, he also is captain of the football team, president of the student council, and finalist in the Microsoft Scholar of the Year Award. Outside school, Justin takes his position as a role model seriously: He volunteers at a local hospital, mentors elementary student athletes and delivers Meals on Wheels to elderly shut-ins.
More than anything, Justin wants to attend UCLA and major in Computer Programming with an emphasis on the use of technology in the treatment of traumatic sports injuries, but in order for that to happen, he must obtain a full scholarship. He received glowing recommendations, completed all the forms and mailed them to the college.
Within two weeks, an official letter arrives from UCLA. Confidently, he opens the letter only to find that, although they commend his achievement and work ethic, his application for a scholarship has been denied. Justin stands speechless and distraught beside his mailbox, the letter of rejection burning in his hands. After years of dedication and diligence, his dream is shattered. What will he tell his friends, his parents, his teachers – all those people who think he is perfect? Justin has never had to cope with failure or rejection.
PROMPT: Write a narrative about a person who had to cope with failure or rejection. How did the person overcome this situation?
Begin typing your composition here
WESTEST 2 Online Writing
Grade 10 Sample Passage and Prompt
Grade: 10CSO: RLA.0.10.2.1 define topic from assigned subject/prompt and compose narrative, informative, descriptive and persuasive writings using the five-step writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) for specific audiences by employing writing strategies that are modeled in various types of literature
Genre: Persuasive
21st Century Emphasis: Communication Skills
Lexile: 1200L
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and prompt and type a composition in the box below.
PASSAGE:
Almost Heaven
West Virginia is a state that has many ways to have fun. In all parts of the state there is a mountain to climb, a stream to cross, or a tree limb that is perfect for a swing. The natural beauty of our state reminds us that we don’t need to travel far away to discover something fun to do. Tourists often travel for hours to enjoy what can be found in our own back yards.
Sometimes we have dreams of going to a distant country with different cultures that we may have read about in books. It is wonderful to visit far-away places, but it is also important to appreciate what we have in our own state. Every season in West Virginia gives us a chance to join in different activities, which vary from whitewater rafting down a river in summer to walking along a country road and enjoying the colorful leaves in autumn.
PROMPT: Imagine that you are a travel agent who has been asked to tell about West Virginia to a person who wants to visit a state with a lot of ways to have fun for the whole family. Describe the activities available for both adults and children and try convince this family that West Virginia is the state they should visit.
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