How can I use the Writing Coach essay assignments library?

The Writing Coach essay assignments library gives teachers quick access to over 80 high-quality, ready-to-assign essay prompts. These prompts are designed to save you time while supporting meaningful writing practice for your students. Each one can be customized to fit your classroom needs.

You’ll find prompts for both English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies. You can search by keyword, sort by grade level, and filter by essay type or subject.

Where to find the library

To get started, open Writing Coach then select Explore and assign from the left-hand menu. This will take you directly to the prompt library.

How to search and filter

Once you're in the library, you can:

• Search by keyword (for example, “Shakespeare” or “AI”)
• Filter by grade level
• For ELA prompts, filter by essay type (persuasive, explanatory, literary analysis)
• For Social Studies prompts, filter by subject (U.S. History, World History, A.P. World History,OER Project)
• View favorited templates
  • Clicking the ❤️ icon will add the template to the favorites tab
    
     

How to assign a prompt

Click on any prompt to view the full instructions. When you’re ready to assign, select Edit & assign. This will open an editable template with the prompt pre-filled.

You’ll need to:

• Choose the assignment type
• Select the grade level
• Enter a word count (optional)
• Select your class and students
• Choose start and due dates and times

Once everything is set, click Create assignment.

What students will see

After you create the assignment, students will see it when they log into Writing Coach. You’ll also receive a link that you can share directly with them.

Examples of available prompts

The prompt library includes a wide range of topics across genres and subjects. Some examples:

• The School Dress Code Debate (Persuasive, ELA)
• Romeo and Juliet: The Blame Game (Literary Analysis, ELA)
• Critical Analysis of AI Simulations of Literary Figures (Explanatory, ELA)
• Choose a Work of Literature for Our High School Curriculum (ELA)
• OER Project prompts on global history themes (Social Studies)

Each prompt includes clear instructions that guide students through their response.

Can I customize the prompts?

Yes. All prompts are fully editable. You can adjust the wording, change the assignment details, or tailor the instructions to your students. Whether you use a prompt as-is or modify it to fit your classroom goals, the library is designed to make setup easier and faster.

For more help with Writing Coach, visit the Writing Coach FAQs for teachers