Writing

70 Opinion Writing Prompts for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

Are you teaching opinion writing to your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students and need some unique and creative writing prompts? The best way to get your elementary students to write their opinions and defend them is with a super interesting writing prompt!

The writing process can really be intimidating and sometimes students haven’t even really given much thought to having their own opinions! Well, if your students are bored with regular “should kids have homework” opinion prompts, then they are going to LOVE these! These prompts will inspire critical thinking and get the creative juices flowing!

✏️ So get the pencils ready because it’s time to get even your most reluctant writers excited to write and defend their opinions with this list of 70 opinion writing prompts! (I’ve bolded some of my favorites!)

Be sure to read until the end of the blog post because I’m sharing ways to use these opinion prompts as well as resources that can help!

School Themed Opinion Writing Prompts

Should students have a longer lunch break? What’s a fair amount of time for lunch?
If your favorite book suddenly becomes uninteresting, should you stop reading it, or finish it anyway and hope it will get better?
Should schools have more time for art and music classes? What is your point of view?
Do you believe that all children should have to have a pet so they learn responsibility?
Should students be assigned any type of homework over the weekend? Why or why not?
Is it important for students to learn a second language in elementary school?
Should video games be allowed during recess? Express your opinion.
Do you think it’s better to learn in a traditional classroom or through virtual learning? Why?
Should students be involved in creating the school lunch menu? Why or why not?
Is it better to have a longer summer vacation or more frequent shorter breaks during the school year?
Should students be sent home from school if they misbehave? Why or why not?
Do you believe that every school should have a vegetable garden? Express your opinion.
Should students be required to wear school uniforms? Why or why not?
Is it important for kids to have a daily reading requirement and a reading log to keep track of the books they read?
Should students have more say in choosing classroom activities?
Which do you think make better pets for the classroom, a lizard, a hamster, or a fish? Why?
Should schools have a longer recess period or have two recesses each day?
Should students be allowed to have cell phones in school? Why or why not?
Should junk food and soda machines be banned from school cafeterias? Explain your stance.
Do you believe that video games can be educational?
Should students be allowed to choose their own seats in the classroom? Why or why not?
Should animals be allowed to visit classrooms in a school?
Should teachers be required to bake a special treat for their students once a month?
Is it important for all kids to learn to play a musical instrument? Express your opinion.
Should students have a say in creating the classroom rules? Why or why not? What would be a new school rule?
Should schools have more field trips? Explain your stance.
Should students be allowed to bring toys to school? Share your perspective.
Is it better to live in a big city or a small town? Express your opinion.
Should students be involved in planning after-school events like concerts, festivals, and dances? Why or why not?
Do you believe that homework should be graded? Share your viewpoint.
Should families have to pay to replace something a student accidentally breaks at school?
Should all students be required to participate in sports teams after school?
Is it important for children to have a daily journaling practice?
Should students be involved in choosing the classroom decorations?
Should students be allowed to use calculators in math class?

Opinion Writing Prompts About Other Topics

Is it better to have a big family, a small family, or be an only child?
Should all children have to do chores at home?
Should all members of the family cook their favorite dinner for everyoner?
Do you think it’s important to recycle?
Should children be allowed to have their own YouTube channel? Explain your opinion.
Do you think all kids should learn how to cook? Why or why not?
Should families have a screen-free day each week? Share your viewpoint.
Is it better to read books in print or on a digital device? Express your thoughts.
Should children have the freedom to choose their own extracurricular activities?
Do you believe that every town should have a community garden? Why or why not?
Should kids be allowed to stay at home alone? Explain whether or not you think it’s a good idea.
Is it important for children to spend time outdoors every day? Why or why not?
Should students have a limit on how much time they can spend on electronic devices each day?
Do you think it’s better to have one really good best friend or a large group of not-so-close friends?
Should kids be allowed to have a pet snake if they want to? Share your thoughts.
Should children be allowed to use social media in elementary school? Why or why not?
Do you think it’s important for children to learn how to swim?
Should families eat dinner together every night? Tell your thoughts.
Should kids be involved in planning family vacations?
Should every household have a robot assistant to help with chores?
Do you believe that animals should be able to talk? Explain how this would impact the world.
Should kids be allowed to create their own holiday?
Would you rather live in a world where everyone has a unique superpower, or in a world where everyone has a magic wand? Explain your choice.
Should we have the ability to time travel? Describe where and when you would go.
Is it better to spend our country’s money to explore outer space or the depths of the ocean? Share which you would choose and why.
Do you think it’s better to live in a world made of candy or a world made of toys? Explain your choice.
If you could live in a world made entirely of books or a world made entirely of ice cream, which would you choose and why?
If you could live in a world where every day was a different season, which season would be best for each day and why?
Would you prefer to live in a world where everyone can fly but only for short distances, or a world where everyone can breathe underwater?
In a world where animals can talk, would you rather have a conversation with a wise owl or a mischievous monkey?
If you could be friends with a talking constellation in the night sky or a magical creature living in the forest, which would you choose as your companion and why?
Do you think it’s better to have a summer birthday or a winter birthday? Explain why you prefer a specific season.
Do you think it’s important for children to spend time in nature every day?
Do you think everyone who participates in a sport should get a trophy?
Should healthy food at the grocery store be free?

So, now that you have this list, I bet you’re wondering how you can use these opinion writing prompts in your classroom.

While they are a great way to help your students write a formal opinion piece, they would also be the perfect activity to leave for a sub, use as a writing center, morning work, independent work, or use as journal entries for free writing time.

If you don’t have a lot of time you can have students write their topic sentence opening statement and finish their opinion paragraph with the O-R-E-O structure. (Opinion, reason, example, restate opinion) This is a simple way to teach students the skill of writing opinion paragraphs and to get some good practice in!

Another fun way to use the prompts would be to have students write their responses and then share them with their classmates. This is an excellent way to practice speaking skills as well! No matter which writing activities you do with these opinion writing prompts your third graders, fourth graders, or fifth graders–these prompt ideas are sure to help improve your students’ writing skills!