*
For Multi-Grade Classrooms
Author: Christina Dotson
*
*Language Arts/Pathways Prompts
*Science Prompts (Cycle 3)
*Math Prompts
*Social Studies Prompts (Cycle 3)
*Bible Prompts (Cycle 3)
*General Prompts
*
*Theme 1: Heroes
*Theme 2: My World and Others
*Theme 3: Living Things
*Theme 4: Spiritual Journey
*Theme 5: Friends and Family
*Theme 6: Environment
*Theme 7: Personal Feelings and Growth
*Theme 8: Yesterday
*Theme 9: Social Issues and Culture
*General Language Arts
What does it
mean to be a
hero?
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Who do you know in
real life whom you
would call a hero?
What makes this
person a hero?
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Write about a
famous person
whom you would call
a hero. What makes
this person a hero?
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Who in your life
looks up to you?
Why do you think
you are a hero to
this person?
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Is it ever a bad
idea to look up
to someone as
a hero?
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Who is your
favorite Bible
hero and why?
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Choose a character
from your theme
book whom you
think is a hero. What
makes him/her a
hero?
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Write at least one
haiku on the
topic of heroes.
(5-7-5 syllable pattern)
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Write an
acrostic poem
on the topic of
heroes.
Pathways Theme: Heroes
Talk with a
classmate about
what the word
culture means. Write
about what you
talked about.
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
Culture means how people live
their lives. It includes things like
religion, the homes people live in,
the foods they eat, the type of
work they do, the language they
speak, and their family structure.
What is your culture like?
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
Do you enjoy
food, music, or
stories from
another culture?
Write about it.
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
If you could visit
another country,
which would you
choose and why?
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
Would you enjoy
spending time
with a kid from
another country
or culture?
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
People in Bible times
lived very differently than
we do now. (They had a
very different culture.) If
you lived back in Bible
times, how would your
life be different?
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
Choose a character
from your theme
book. How is his/her
life and culture
different from
yours?
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
Why do you think
some people (both
kids and adults) are
unkind to people
who are different
from them?
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
Maria’s family from Puerto Rico
is coming to visit for a week. She
has a boy cousin about her age,
but her cousin only speaks
Spanish. Maria cannot speak any
Spanish.
What advice would you give to
Maria for how she can help her
cousin enjoy his visit?
Pathways Theme: My World and Others
You already know that the
Bible is God’s book.
Nature is sometimes
called “God’s Second
Book.” What do you think
this means?
Pathways Theme: Living Things
Why do you think
God created so
many different
kinds of animals?
Pathways Theme: Living Things
What is your
favorite kind of
plant? Why?
Pathways Theme: Living Things
How would your life
be different if God
had designed people
to live in the ocean
instead of on land?
Pathways Theme: Living Things
What is your
favorite animal
and why?
Pathways Theme: Living Things
Write about an
animal that
would not make
a good pet.
Pathways Theme: Living Things
Choose an animal
you have read about
in your theme book.
What have you
learned about this
animal?
Pathways Theme: Living Things
What do you think
is the most
frightening
animal? What
makes it so scary?
Pathways Theme: Living Things
If you were a
biologist (scientist
who studies living
things), what would
you most want to
study?
Pathways Theme: Living Things
What does it
mean to be a
Christian?
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
What do you do
to get closer to
God?
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
Write a letter to
God telling Him
what you are
thankful for.
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
Tell about a time
when it was very
hard for you to
do what God
wanted you to do.
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
What story from
the Bible has
helped you in
your own life?
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
How important is
it to go to church
every Sabbath?
Give reasons for
you answer.
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
Choose a character
from your theme
book. How has God
worked in his/her
life?
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
Write about a time God
did something
wonderful for you, your
family, or someone you
know.
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
Write a poem
about why you
love the Lord.
Pathways Theme: Spiritual Journey
What makes
someone a
good friend?
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
What does your
family like to do
together?
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
Write a story
about something
fun you have done
with a friend (or
friends).
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
Why do you think
God designed us
to live together in
families?
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
Some people have
friends that they
only know on the
internet. What do
you like or dislike
about this idea?
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
Why do you think
family members
don’t always get
along?
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
Jack’s parents are divorced. He
spends half his time with his mom
and half his time with his dad. His
mom is remarried and Jack has a
four-year-old stepbrother. He loves
his family but sometimes he feels
bad because none of his friends
have divorced parents.
What would you say to Jack to help
him feel better?
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
Jenna has two close
friends. Sometimes one
friend will get jealous of
another friend or feel left
out. What can the girls
do to try to save their
friendship?
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
Write an acrostic
poem about
either family or
friends.
Pathways Theme: Friends and Family
Do you think it’s
important for us
to take care of
the earth?
Pathways Theme: Environment
Natural resources are things in
nature that we can use. Choose
one or more of these natural
resources and write about the
ways we use it:
Trees
Land/Soil
Water
Rocks
Pathways Theme: Environment
To reduce means to use less
of something. Reducing helps
the earth because we use
fewer resources and make
less trash when we use less
of something.
What things do you use that
you can reduce?
Pathways Theme: Environment
To reuse something means to
use it again. Think of some
things you use all the time
that you usually throw away.
Write about some creative
ways you could reuse those
things instead.
Pathways Theme: Environment
To recycle means to take
old materials and make
something new from
them. Talk with a
classmate about things
that can be recycled.
Write about what you
talked about.
Pathways Theme: Environment
Write a slogan and
design a poster to
convince people to
reduce, reuse, and
recycle.
Pathways Theme: Environment
Pollution is something
harmful that people put
into the water, ground, or
air. With a partner,
brainstorm ways that
people pollute the earth.
Write about it.
Pathways Theme: Environment
Who does water
pollution hurt?
Pathways Theme: Environment
People litter when
they throw trash
where it doesn’t
belong. Is littering a
big problem? Why or
why not?
Pathways Theme: Environment
List as many
ways as you can
think of to help
the environment.
Pathways Theme: Environment
What makes
you happy?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
What makes
you angry?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
What makes
you sad?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
What are you
afraid of?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
What is the
biggest problem
you have ever
had to struggle
through?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
What are some
of your gifts
and talents?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
What do you
want to be when
you grow up?
Why?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
What is the biggest
change that has
happened in your life
so far?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
Describe your
personality.
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
Besides growing
bigger, how have
you changed
since you were
six years old?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
Choose a character
from your theme
book. How has this
character changed
during the story?
Pathways Theme: Personal Feelings and Growth
Why is it
important to
learn about the
past?
Pathways Theme: Yesterday
If you could
travel back in
time, when and
where would you
visit?
Pathways Theme: Yesterday
The setting of a story
refers to when and where
the story happens. How is
the setting in your theme
book different from the
setting of your life?
Pathways Theme: Yesterday
How has the
world changed
since your
parents were
your age?
Pathways Theme: Yesterday
What do you
think the world
will be like in
50 years?
Pathways Theme: Yesterday
An antique is something that
was used in the past. Many
people collect antique
furniture, cars, records,
books, farm equipment,
coins…everything!
If you owned an antique, what
would you want to own?
Pathways Theme: Yesterday
What do you
think is the one
invention that
changed the
world the most?
Pathways Theme: Yesterday
What have you
learned about the
past from
reading your
theme book?
Pathways Theme: Yesterday
There are many
different kinds of
people in the
world. Why is this
a good thing?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
There are many
different kinds of
people in the world.
What problems does
this cause?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
Think about one of
your closest
friends. How is he
or she different
from you?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
An immigrant is
someone who moves
from another country.
How might you feel if
you were a new
immigrant to America?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
A person who is prejudiced
dislikes someone because they
are different. For instance, some
people are prejudiced against
people who have a different color
skin or a different religion.
What kinds of problems do you
think prejudice causes?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
What do you
think is the
biggest problem
in our country?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
Think about a
problem in the
world, the country,
or your town. What
can you do to help
fix this problem?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
How does God want
us to treat people
who are different?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
There is a new girl in Eric’s
Sabbath school class. The new
girl, Laura, has Down’s
Syndrome. Eric’s best friend
whispers to Eric during class,
making fun of how Laura looks
and how she talks. If you were
Eric, what would you do?
Pathways Theme: Social Issues and Culture
Is it important
to spell
correctly? Why
or why not?
Language Arts: General
Is it important to
use punctuation
correctly? Why or
why not?
Language Arts: General
Is it important to
always use
complete
sentences? Why
or why not?
Language Arts: General
Is it important
to be able to
write well? Why
or why not?
Language Arts: General
Is it important to
know the different
parts of speech
(noun, verb,
adjective, etc.)? Why
or why not?
Language Arts: General
What are your
favorite kinds
of books to
read?
Language Arts: General
What is the worst
book you have
read all the way
through? What
made it so awful?
Language Arts: General
What is the best
book you have
read? What made
it so great?
Language Arts: General
If you wrote a
book, what
would it be
about?
Language Arts: General
What is your
favorite
invertebrate
animal? Why?
Science: Cycle 3
Arachnophobia is
the fear of
arachnids, such as
spiders. Write about
something you are
afraid of.
Science: Cycle 3
Why are insects
important?
Science: Cycle 3
Genetics is the study of how
characteristics are passed
from one generation to the
next. Choose one of your
parents or grandparents. In
what ways are you like this
person?
Science: Cycle 3
Why do you
think some
people use
drugs?
Science: Cycle 3
Imagine one of your
friends in thinking
about trying drugs.
What would you say
to him or her?
Science: Cycle 3
What if the earth
had the same
amount of gravity as
the moon? What
would your life be
like?
Science: Cycle 3
Think of your
favorite sport or
game. How would
this game be
different if there
were no friction?
Science: Cycle 3
Would you rather
lift 50 lbs of
feathers or 50 lbs
of rocks? Explain
your answer.
Science: Cycle 3
Stacy is afraid to ride The
Maverick, a roller coaster at
Cedar Point, because she’s
afraid she will slip out when
it goes upside down. Use
science to convince her to
ride it with you.
Science: Cycle 3
Which do you think
was the more
important invention—
the telescope or the
microscope? Explain.
Science: Cycle 3
NASA would someday like
to colonize, or send
people to live on, the
moon. Would you like to
be one of those
colonists? Why or why
not?
Science: Cycle 3
What is you
favorite planet
and why?
Science: Cycle 3
Mike saw a movie about an
asteroid that was going to
destroy all life on earth. Now
he’s afraid this might really
happen. Using what the Bible
teaches, what would you tell
Mike?
Science: Cycle 3
How important do
you think it is to
memorize the
multiplication
tables? Give reasons
for your answer.
Math
How would you
explain to a second
grader what
multiplication is all
about?
Math
Write about one or
more examples of how
you have or could use
multiplication in real
life (outside of
school).
Math
Write about one or
more ways you have
or could use division
in real life (outside
of school).
Math
What are some
real-world uses
for geometry?
Math
What one thing have
you learned in math
that you think you
will never use
outside of school?
Math
Write about some
careers that you
think require a
lot of math.
Math
All our cell
phones have
calculators. Why
do we still learn
math?
Math
Explain, using mostly
words, how to figure
out how much time
has passed between
8:45 a.m. and 3:15
p.m.
Math
Explain, using
mostly words, how
to figure out how
many inches are in
three and a half feet.
Math
Explain, using
mostly words, how
to figure out how
many years are in
five decades and two
centuries.
Math
How many realworld
applications can
you think of for
using fractions?
Math
Jackson thinks
that ½ + ¼ is
2/6. Explain to
him why he is
wrong.
Math
Write a math
word problem
that uses both
subtraction and
addition.
Math
Write a math
word problem
that uses both
multiplication
and division.
Math
Write a math
word problem
that requires at
least three steps
to solve.
Math
Write a math
word problem
that uses
fractions.
Math
Write a math
word problem
that involves
elapsed time.
Math
Write a math
word problem
that uses
percent.
Math
Why is it
important to
be able to
read maps?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
How many
different kinds
of maps can you
think of and
what are they
used for?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
Is it important
to know the
locations of
other countries?
Why or why
not?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
If you could
visit any
country in
Europe, where
would you go
and why?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
If you were a
Christian during the
th
12 century, would
you have been for or
against the
crusades? Give
reasons for your
answer.
Social Studies: Cycle 3
Who is your
favorite
renaissance
artist, musician,
or scientist and
why?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
If you could ask
Martin Luther
one question,
what would you
ask and why?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
Think about all the
explorers you have
learned about. Which
of these explorers
would you have
enjoyed traveling with
and why?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
How did the
invention of
the printing
press change
the world?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
How did the
invention of
steam power
change the
world?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
What might your
life be like if you
were a kid in a
working class
family during the
industrial
revolution?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
If you were in the
armed forces
during World War
I, what job would
you want to have
and why?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
Which
European
country would
you least want
to live in during
World War II
and why?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
Learning about
the Holocaust can
be disturbing.
Why do you think
it is an important
part of history to
study?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
How would you
feel about the
Berlin wall if
you lived in
West Berlin
during the
1980s?
Social Studies: Cycle 3
Why doesn’t God
force us to follow
Him?
Bible: Cycle 3
What do you think
Adam and Eve did
during a typical
day in the Garden
of Eden?
Bible: Cycle 3
Did Abraham have
a lot of faith in
God? Defend your
answer.
Bible: Cycle 3
Tell the story of a
person from the Old
Testament who
learned from his or
her mistakes.
Bible: Cycle 3
Imagine you are an
Israelite kid watching the
sanctuary sacrifice for the
first time. What would
you think? How would you
feel?
Bible: Cycle 3
Why do you think
John 3:16 is such a
well-known Bible
verse?
Bible: Cycle 3
If you could have
been present for just
one of Jesus’
miracles, which
miracle would you
most want to see?
Bible: Cycle 3
Why didn’t most
Hebrews realize
that Jesus was the
Messiah?
Bible: Cycle 3
Why did Jesus let
himself be
crucified?
Bible: Cycle 3
What are some
signs of Jesus’
return? Have any
of these signs
happened yet?
Bible: Cycle 3
What do you
think heaven will
be like?
Bible: Cycle 3
If you had $1,000
to spend on
someone else,
how would you
spend it?
General
If you designed a
website to make the
world a better place,
what would your
website be about?
General
Do you think kids
your age should be
allowed to use
Facebook? Give
reasons for your
opinion.
General
How do you feel
about school
uniforms?
Explain.
General
If you could give
yourself a new
name, what would
you choose and
why?
General
If you made a video to
advertise your school,
what would you show
in your video? What
would you say?
General
Do you think kids’
lives are easier than
adults’ lives?
General
Write a poem!
(Any kind, any school-appropriate topic.)
General
Fill in this prompt
and then write your
response:
“If I could _______,
I would _________.”
General
Fill in this prompt and
then write your
response:
“I wish I never had to
______________ again.”
(Explain why.)
General
Fill in this prompt
and then write your
response:
“People think I’m
weird when I ______.”
(Give details.)
General
Fill in this prompt and
then write your
response:
“I would rather _______
than _______.” (Explain
why.)
General
Fill in this prompt and
then write your
response:
“Over the past year I
___________________.”
(Give details.)
General
Fill in this prompt
and then write
your response:
“I think _______.”
General
Fill in this prompt
and then write
your response:
“I hope ________.”
General
Fill in this prompt
and then write your
response:
“I believe _________.”
General
Fill in this prompt
and then write
your response:
“I am ______
because I ______.”
General
Fill in this prompt
and then write your
response:
“_____ is important
to me because
________________.”
General
Write your own
unique writing
prompt. Write
your response, as
well.
General