Journal Prompts for English Language Arts 8, Mrs. Edwards
1st Quarter
Journal Due after completion of journal #10 on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Journal 1: Sept. 4, 2012
To RESPECT a person means to hold him or her in great honor, to appreciate and give your best effort and behavior to that person. We
usually respect people because he or she has earned our respect.
Prompt: Tell me about someone whom you really respect and why.
I am blessed to have many people in my life who I respect. It is hard to pick just one person, but I choose to write about my
grandmother, Mrs. Glennie Clark. She taught science at Montevallo Middle School for many years, and I try very hard to be the kind
of teacher she was. She had fun with her students, but she also pushed them to do their best and to behave with respect and
responsibility. She tried to be fair, and she loved all of her students. I have had some of her former students tell me (they are all
grown now) that she is the reason they stayed in school, or that they went on to college. She looked for the good in everyone, but
she would let you know if you were misbehaving, too! She just inspired people to do their best because she believed in them. She is
gone now, and I miss her very much, but I think about her often as I try to do my best for my students. I remember how much her
students loved her and respected her, and I want to be the same kind of teacher.
---Mrs. Edwards
Now tell me below about whom you respect and why you do. Then, ask your parent or someone in your house to respond to this same
prompt after you do. Have your responses done and have your journal back on the shelf in my room by Friday, September 7.
Journal 2: Sept. 13, 2012
Why is it important that we remember the events of 9/11 and respect those who served and died there? What can YOU
do as an individual to prevent things like this from happening again?
Journal 3: Sept. 24, 2012
Describe your dream car or dessert or birthday party. Use good adjectives to describe one of these.
Journal 4: Sept. 25, 2012
Think of something that smells really good to you. Describe the object and explain why you like the smell so much. Use
good adjectives and adverbs to describe and explain.
Journal 5: Sept. 26, 2012
Pretend you are one of your old shoes- yes, you are an old shoe. You are telling another shoe about what a great or
terrible day you’ve had. Describe your day from the point of view of the shoe.
Journal 6: Sept. 27, 2012
Create a much more interesting story from this very boring sentence: The dog barked.
What kind of dog? Where was it? Why was it barking? Describe the barking and other things in the story. Make sure
your short story (at least 6 sentences) has a beginning, middle, and end.
Journal 7: Sept. 28, 2012
Vivid Verbs: copy the three sentences below; notice the underlined vivid verbs. Write six more sentences telling what
happened and use good, vivid verbs. Underline the verbs.
King Kong stomped along the street. He crushed cars with his huge, black toes. He ripped people from their cars…
Journal 8: Oct. 4, 2012
If you were of legal age to vote for the US president, what qualities and characteristics would you look for in a
president? Tell me at least three qualities that YOU think a good president should have and why.
Journal 9: Oct. 8, 2012
“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their nose, and some don’t turn
up at all.” Sam Ewing. Explain what this quote means. Which one of the above are you? Explain.
Journal 10: Oct. 9, 2012
What are two things that you think you have done really well on during this first quarter of school. Explain. What is one
thing that you know you still need to work on to improve for the second quarter? What are you going to do about it?
Explain.