English II Essay Project

After responding to one of the following prompts, submit your essay online at my.hrw.com -- e-mail me if you need your Login ID again.

1. Occasionally, students in elementary school are advanced to the next grade even though they have not successfully completed the lower grade. Advocates of "social promotion" think that keeping a child in a grade for longer than a year hurts the child's development and self-esteem. Write an essay stating your opinion on this issue, making sure to support your opinion with convincing reasons.


2. Your city council is considering a proposal that would ban the use of cell phones in privately owned businesses such as restaurants, movie theaters, and retail stores. Violators would be subject to a fine. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter in which you convince the city council to support your position, giving strong evidence for your reasons.


3. In some countries every young person must serve two years of military service. Should we have a similar policy in the United States? Write an essay stating your position on this issue and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.


4. Your state legislature is considering a bill that would require a person to earn a high school diploma before he or she could receive a driver’s license. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to convince your state legislature to accept your point of view.


5. Your city council is considering a curfew that would make it illegal for teenagers to be out on the streets after 10 p.m. on weekdays or after midnight on weekends. What is your position on this issue? Write an essay that would convince the city council to agree with you. Be sure to support your position with detailed reasons.


6. A well-known football coach once said, "Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write an essay in which you state your position and support it with convincing reasons.


7. Your local school board is considering requiring students to take part in community service programs in order to graduate. What is your position concerning this issue? Write a letter to the members of the school board stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.


8. In an effort to save money, your local school board is considering eliminating elective subjects such as art, band, and auto mechanics. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the school board stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.


9. Some people believe it’s better to grow up in a small town. Other people think it’s better to grow up in a big city. What is your position on this issue, and what reasons support your position?


10. Your principal is considering a new grading policy that replaces letter or number grades on report cards with pass or fail. What is your position concerning this issue? Write a letter to your principal stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.