Choose two character traits that Noah possesses. In a well-organized essay, explain how Noah demonstrates those traits. Support your ideas with text evidence.

Explain what makes the gifts Jim and Della give each other valuable. Answer this question in a short essay. Draw on the play and the informational text in your answer.

How do volcanoes like Kilauea both destroy and create? Answer this question in a well-organized essay, using text evidence from both articles.

Naomi Shihab Nye writes that “Nothing was ugly just because the world said so.” Choose something not generally considered beautiful—like skunks. Write a poem or an essay that shows its beauty.

Read the passage on page 28 of your December 2018/January 2019 issue of Scope. Note the words and phrases in bold. They are vague—meaning they are not very descriptive. Follow the prompts in the blue circles to make the writing more vivid.

An exhibit about the Triangle fire is opening in your town, and you’ve been asked to give a speech. Your speech should summarize what happened and explain why it’s important to remember this tragedy.

Choose one skill mentioned above. Explain how Holmes uses that skill to solve the case in the play you just read. Support your answer with text evidence.

Both the poem and the story are about growing up. Compare Ashley’s attitude about being thirteen and a half with the attitude about turning ten expressed in the poem. Use text evidence.

How can receiving cleft surgery change a child’s life? Answer this question in a short essay. Use text evidence from both the article and the interview.

Create your own “What Happens Every 60 Seconds” infographic in the form of a poster, a slideshow, or a video. Include different information from what is included in the infographic.

Imagine that Gunnar Kaasen has just arrived in Nome, and you are a journalist covering the crisis there. Write a news article, create a three-minute news video, or record a three-minute news podcast about what happened.

The year is 2050, and a super-intelligent robot has just been created. Should the robot be switched on? Answer from either Frankenstein’s or the creature’s point of view. Your response may be in the form of a one-page written letter or a one-minute video.

Make a public service announcement (PSA) about the dangers of smartphone addiction and how kids can have a healthy relationship with their devices. Your PSA can be a short video, a poster, or a slideshow.

Read our interview with Virgil Smith. Choose a central idea and write a three-paragraph article about Virgil in your own words. Be sure to use quotes from our interview.

Read page 32 of the October 2018 issue of Scope. Pick one of Jason Reynolds’s three story starters and write an original short fiction story. If Reynolds picks YOUR story as the winner, you’ll get $100 and have your story published on Scope Online (plus prizes for your teacher and classmates)! 

Click here for more details.