In this type of assignment, students choose one side of a debate and provide support for their side and arguments against the other side. Without condescending to the students, do your best to select issues they can easily engage with and on which they probably hold strong opinions. Possible topics include the merits of one gaming system over another, whether it is better to do homework alone or with others or what the ideal bedtime is.
In this writing activity, fifth-graders can choose a recent science experiment, research project or literature analysis and write an explanation of how to carry that assignment out for the benefit of someone who has not yet done it. The audience could be a fourth-grader who will have to carry out the same assignment next year. Have students explain the basic purpose and steps of the assignment as well as give advice or share reflections on their experience of it.
In this type of assignment, each student chooses someone he considers a hero, living or dead, and writes a letter to that person explaining the influence he had on him. The hero could be a family member whose lifestyle has had an effect on the student; a filmmaker, musician, inventor, researcher or artist whose work has inspired him or a celebrity, politician or public figure whom the student admires. The student should state the specific influence his hero has had on him and why.
This writing activity tests and develops the student's powers of observation and description. Assign each student to pick one person he sees regularly and write a few paragraphs describing that person. Specify what proportions of the essay should be spent on physical description, personality and other things about the person, such as where he lives or how he spends his time. Make sure the student includes enough specific detail to differentiate the subject in an interesting and useful way.