Three High-Interest Writing Assignments for Distance Learning
Distance learning has quickly become part of our reality as educators, and keeping students motivated amidst the distractions of at-home technology and family members is quite a challenge. The best way to combat this issue of distance motivation is through high-interest writing assignments that will actually engage students and make them want to write. The key is to give assignments that grab student interest. When we meet students where they are and adapt our approach to fit the situation, we can see much more success in terms of students submitting work and engaging in the work.
So, here are three high-interest writing assignments for distance learning!
Infamous Criminal Research Project
There is a reason why crime stories dominate tv and film. People love them! They are equal parts mysterious, suspenseful, horrifying, gruesome, and terrifying. These are the exact traits that draw us in as viewers, and these are the exact same reasons why crime stories are an excellent way to engage secondary students.
The research process can be demotivating for students, which is why I created the Infamous Criminals Research Project to spark student interest and engagement all through the highly engaging topic of infamous criminals!
In this project, students will research the life of a famous criminal and compile a bibliographic research project to share with the class. Please note that I have included lists of criminals for students to choose from and have purposefully left out serial killers, terrorists, and mass shooters. You may choose to allow these at your own discretion. The criminals included in this project range from fraudsters to gangsters and from pirates to drug lords. There are plenty of options here to captivate the interest of secondary students.
After selecting a criminal, students will compile an annotated bibliography as they go through the research process while preparing to create their final projects. Students can choose from the following project options via the "Research Project Choice Board":
--Blog
--Podcast
--Dramatic Play
--e-Book
--Movie
--Traditional Research Paper
There are plenty of options here to allow students the opportunity to share their research in today's technologically connected world. After students complete their projects, they will share them with the entire class and then reflect back on the research process. Click here to find out more!
“This I Believe” Essays
A Personal Philosophy Statement is a topic that is well-known to college and graduate school applications. In brief, it is an essay in which a person makes a statement about who he/she is, what he/she believes in, and what is most important to him/her.
A great model for this type of essay assignment is the "This I Believe" Series by NPR. In this series, people write brief essays about what it is they believe based upon their life experiences. As the series has ended in recent years, you can still find the archived essays online. These essays were submitted by normal everyday people but also by famous contributors such as Tony Hawk, Muhammed Ali, Helen Keller, Elie Wiesel, among others. NPR even has an entire curriculum for teachers, which you can find here. It is a fantastic assignment that allows students to think about their beliefs in life and what has shaped those beliefs.
Here are some “This I Believe” essays that might intrigue students:
There are many more “This I Believe” essays where these come from. You can find the assignment for this essay by going to NPR’s teacher curriculum guide here. When students are able to reflect back on their lives and think about who they are in terms of their core beliefs, they can engage in the process of evaluating their lives in a way they maybe haven’t done before. The “This I Believe” Essay is, perhaps, the most important piece of writing for any person to complete. Students can begin by listening to other “This I Believe” essays from NPR and then write their own versions to share their unique perspectives and voices.
Creative Product Reviews
Ok— so with this one, you may find yourself asking, Is this for real? But YES— it IS a REAL THING! Certain brands have become a haven for inspiring creative writing through online reviews. One of the more popular ones is the Haribo Gummy Bears reviews found on Amazon by going here. For some reason, the mythical nature of the gummy bear has spawned an entire world of creative stories inspired by these cute, little, yummy, gummy bears— that apparently are also LAXATIVES!!!
Check out this hilarious review example:
Check out this post from Buzzfeed entitled: "Sugarless Haribo Gummy Bear Reviews On Amazon Are The Most Insane Thing You'll Read Today”. These reviews are particularly hilarious because people go to great lengths to describe their explosive stories using vivid imagery and literary devices. Not only that, but these gummy bears have inspired reviewers to craft entire short stories.
You can access a sample story review by going to this Haribo Gummy Bear review on Amazon here.
Not only are these stories hilarious, but they engage reviewers in the process of using show not tell in the stories of their experiences. Find even MORE hilarious reviews by going to this article from BoredPanda on “41 Of The Most Hilarious Amazon Reviews Ever”.
Students can enjoy the hilarity of reading these reviews and then go into Amazon to review a past product that they’ve purchased by telling a vivid story surrounding their experience with the product— for better or worse.
Engaging students in creative writing in a real-world context is a great way to engage students through humor.
Give these writing assignments a try with your students during distance learning to keep them engaged in the writing process! Sometimes, we just have to think outside the box and lead with high-interest topics. What other writing assignments do you use to inspire your students to write during distance learning? Leave us a comment below! We’d love to hear from you!
Related Readings
Five Unique Ways to Use Google Slides to End the School Year (by Bespoke ELA)
How to Teach Sketchnotes from a Distance (by Amanda Write Now)
Writing: Brainstorming with Distance Learning (by Language Arts Classroom)
About the Author
Meredith is the founder and creator of TeachWriting.org and Bespoke ELA. She has taught high school English for 10+ years in Dallas, Chicago, and New York City and holds a M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University. She has always had a connection to the written word-- through songwriting, screenplay writing, and essay writing-- and she enjoys the process of teaching students how to express their ideas. An avid tea drinker and anglophile, Meredith enjoys life with her husband, daughter, and sweet pups.
