Probably the first back-to-school essay topic every teacher thinks of is the stand-by of asking the students to explain what they did over the summer. Even though this is a common prompt, students may not have seen each other all summer and, if you allow students to share their paragraphs with the class, this writing activity serves to get students reacquainted. Take the activity a step further and ask for one paragraph outlining the students' actual summer activities and ask for a second paragraph that depicts what the students wish they had done that summer. Tell them to use their imaginations and think big. Then share both paragraphs in a community building time.
Make a worksheet with getting-to-know-you types of sentences on it and blanks that need to be filled in. List sentences such as, "My favorite place is __-___," and "I am happy when ______." Add a blank line below each item in the list and have students write one sentence explaining their reasoning. For example, "My bedroom is my favorite place because all my toys are there," or "It makes me happy to play with my cat because she is cute." This activity relieves the pressure of having to organize a paragraph, but will still give you an accurate assessment of students abilities to construct sentences and use proper punctuation and spelling.
Now that your students have arrived in the 5th grade, they might be feeling like they're on the top of the food chain. Give them a chance to pass along their wisdom to the students who are just beginning the 4th grade through short letters. Have them address their advice to a 4th grade class and explain that their tips will be read to the younger students to prepare them for the year ahead. This gives students a chance to reflect on their previous year and readjust their focus from summertime to school time. Brainstorm a few ideas as a class to get them started and remind the students briefly to start with "Dear" and end with "Sincerely."
Giving students an open-ended journal prompt can elicit some of the most important information you receive about students. Ask for students to write for 20 minutes about anything they would like you to know. Be sure to throw out some ideas of topics in case students are stuck. If you think they need further guidance, write a short list of topics such as my family, my skills, my hobbies or my home for students to choose from. This activity can provide you with an idea of their writing abilities and their personal lives as well.