Have each student select a person from her life -- such as her mother, father, sibling or teacher -- and compose a narrative essay detailing an event from her subject’s life. For instance, she could write about her mother waking her up in the morning and getting her ready for school, her sister in her first recital, her grandmother preparing for a family visit, or her father coming home from work and spending time with his children.
Assign a narrative essay giving each student a chance to write about choices he has made in his life, specifically good choices he is proud to have made. Have him select a moral choice he made and write about making the choice and the ramifications of it. As an example, he could write about a time he chose not to steal from a store even when he saw his friends doing so, finding money on the ground and turning it in instead of keeping it, or having the chance to cheat on a test and choosing not to do so.
Have each student write about a time when she worked toward a goal and successfully reached it, such as passing an important exam, completing a project or making it on to a team. Ask her to write about the work she put in to pursuing the goal and the way she felt when she succeeded. For instance, your student could write about the first time she helped her mother make dinner -- following the recipe closely and making sure everything came out perfectly -- helped her father mow the yard to earn extra money or studied hard for a difficult subject and earned a good grade.
Instruct each student to write about a time when he strongly disagreed with an idea or an action. Have him write a narrative story about what happened, including how he felt and what he thought. Tell him to write about how he responded to the event, topic or person, including whether he said anything about his disagreement, argued or refused to engage or participate. Ask him to write about his position and how it was affected by the disagreement, if it was changed in any way or solidified.