Leveled Readings

Arts & Culture | Biography

Investigate some of the movers and shakers of American history. From civil rights activists to founders of academic disciplines, these are the figures you know, presented from angles you may not have considered. Practice your argumentative writing skills with these prompts that ask you to consider the "secret histories," untold stories, and hidden controversies that make our historical figures so interesting, vibrant, and unique.

Bayard Rustin: What made one man's life so impactful yet so controversial?

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Bayard Rustin | Written Response

Christopher Columbus: Is there a darker truth to this infamous man's history?

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Christopher Columbus | Written Response

Ho Feng Shan: How can hidden bravery help save the lives of thou

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Ho Feng Shan | Written Response

The Magic of Murakami: How do events in authors' lives inspire their work?

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The Magic of Murakami | Written Response

Margaret Mead: How does culture shape social roles and narratives?

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Margaret Mead | Written Response

Martin Luther King, Jr. : What do we gain — and what do we lose — when we mythologize historical figures?

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Martin Luther King, Jr. | Written Response

Rosa Parks: Were the long-lasting impacts of her actions as she intended?

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Rosa Parks | Written Response

Sylvia Rivera: How did someone who made such a resounding impact on today's world become a forgotten trailblazer?

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Sylvia Rivera | Written Response

Arts & Culture | Books, Media, and Ethics

From book banning and the ethics of censorship to concerns over hacking into the brains of the public through advertising bias, practice your argumentative writing skills with these prompts that explore the multi-faceted world of the printed and digitized word.

The Canon Wars: Should universities focus on teaching classic works of literature, or make a concerted effort to include more works by women and minorities?

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The Canon Wars | Written Response

Censoring Huck Finn: Should the offensive language in classic works be sanitized to ensure that the works are still read widely in public schools?

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Censoring Huck Finn | Written Response

Doing Away with Social Taboos: Is there benefit to talking about "hush" subjects?

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Doing Away with Social Taboos | Written Response

Doomsday Preppers: Crazy or Brilliant? How are these doomsday preppers getting ready for the end of the world?

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Doomsday Preppers | Written Response

Fair Trade: Although more expensive to companies, what is the real cost of not implementing Fair Trade practices?

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Fair Trade | Written Response

Max Headroom: What is "broadcast signal intrusion"? Explore the history and present-day implications of TV's and radio's most infamous hacks.

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Max Headroom | Written Response

Pay it Forward: Is it possible to give without expecting anything in return?

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Pay it Forward | Written Response

Arts & Culture | Culture, Sports, and Food

Sports have always played a large part in American culture, but are the rules they're playing by fair? What requirements should there be for younger athletes? Answer these engaging writing prompts as you investigate the intricacies of high school and college athletics and the remarkable world of minimalism through culture, sports, and food.

Accidental Inventions: Are the best inventions made on purpose, or do accidents breed greater creativity?

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Accidental Inventions | Written Response

Clutter, Consumerism, and Class Politics: Is Minimalism a signifier of the global elite or an enlightened rejection of the excesses of consumerism?

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Clutter, Consumerism, and Class Politics | Written Response

College Requirements for Athletes: Should the NBA/NFL make attending college a requirement?

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College Requirements for Athletes | Written Response

The Diamond Engagement Ring: How do commerce and capitalism affect and shape our relationships?

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The Diamond Engagement Ring | Written Response

Gentrification: A destroyer of neighborhoods or a savior of cities?

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Gentrification | Written Response

Hidden Magic: Fact or Fiction? What important role does magic play in cultures across the world?

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Hidden Magic | Written Response

The Pros and Cons of High School Athletic Programs: Should high schools fund their athletic programs?

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High School Athletic Programs | Written Response

The Unhealthy Tax: Is taxing unhealthy goods an ethical and cons

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The Unhealthy Tax | Written Response

The History of Female Programmers: What events in history caused a fundamental shift in this once female-dominated industry?

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The History of Female Programmers | Written Response

Uniquely Extreme Sports: How are these dangerous sports meaningful to various cultures?

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Uniquely Extreme Sports | Written Response

Redefining Gender Norms: How is the "boys only" rule changing for good?

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Redefining Gender Norms | Written Response

Arts & Culture | Visual Art, Film, and Nature

What was once considered mere entertainment is now becoming art. What was once considered ethical is now being questioned. And why can't Americans seem to shake their zombie obsession? Answer these intriguing questions with prompts that reinforce argumentative writing skills.

The Dying Arts: What has caused this recent decline in once popular forms of entertainment?

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The Dying Arts | Written Response

Identity Theft: Should the casting of theater and film productions accurately reflect the author's original writing?

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Identity Theft | Written Response

The Photographer's Gaze: What are the ethics of photographing people who have experienced trauma?

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The Photographer's Gaze | Written Response

Presidential Portraits: How have these portraits changed throughout time and what do these changes say about our society?

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Presidential Portraits | Written Response

Sensationalizing Tragedy: How has the media and the arts sensationalized devastating events and what responsibility should they have to protect the public?

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Sensationalizing Tragedy | Written Response

Videogames as Works of Art: Are video games works of art? What does it mean for art "viewers" to become participants when they play as a character?

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Videogames as Works of Art | Written Response

What is Art? Who decides what qualifies as art?

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What is Art? | Written Response

Zombies and Popular Culture: Why are zombies such fixtures in American popular culture?

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Zombies and Popular Culture | Written Response

Social Studies | Government and Politics

Politics encompasses way more than just "Democrat" and "Republican." As you delve into these essential questions use these argumentative short answer questions to investigate topics as varied as the obligation for national service, the origins of the American accent, and the political involvement of teenagers.

The American Accent: How do historical, political, and cultural factors shape language?

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The American Accent | Written Response

Checks and Balances: What Are the Three Branches of Government?

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Checks and Balances | Written Response

Data Privacy Policies: What should be, if at all, the government's role in regulating our use of technology?

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Data Privacy Policies | Written Response

Free Speech: A right or a privilege?

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Free Speech | Written Response

Good Press: How Has Journalism Shaped America?

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Good Press | Written Response

The Kaepernick Controversy: Should an athlete's loyalty be to his power or his sport?

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The Kaepernick Controversy | Written Response

National Service Programs: Should volunteering be mandatory?

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National Service Programs | Written Response

Politics: What Can Teenagers Do?

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Politics | Written Response

The State of the Union: What makes this democratic right so contentious?

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The State of the Union | Written Response

Voting: How Does Every Vote Count?

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Voting | Written Response

Social Studies | The Geological and Archaeological Past

Dig up history as you explore a range of topics related to the ancient world and its civilizations. Go back in time as you answer argumentative writing prompts that examine the people and events that shaped the world we know today.

Lost Cities: What insights can we glean about our world by uncovering these once lost cities?

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Lost Cities | Written Response

Should we introduce uncontacted tribes into the modern world?

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Uncontacted Tribes | Written Response

What killed the dinosaurs?

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What killed the dinosaurs? | Written Response

Who should own fossils?

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Who should own fossils? | Written Response

Social Studies | United States and World History

More than a series of events or a catalogue of names and dates, history is a living discipline that affects us today. Practice essential writing skills like defending a claim and incorporating evidence while you explore the events that led to today's powerful, dynamic, and diverse United States and travel across the globe to discover some of the most important events of human history.

Bye Bye Britain: Why Did Colonists Want to Make Their Own Country?

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Bye Bye, Britain | Written Response

The Dancing Plague of 1518: What is the source of — and the solution to — “mass hysteria”?

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The Dancing Plague of 1518 | Written Response

Egyptian Pharaohs: What Did Power Look Like in the Ancient World?

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Egyptian Pharaohs | Written Response

Female Pirates: What Motivates People to Break Rules?

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Female Pirates | Written Response

The History of Cuba: What are the long-term impacts of Cuba being closed off from the United States and so much of the rest of the world for so many years?

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The History of Cuba | Written Response

The Longest Standing Wars: What has caused these wars to last so long, and is peace achievable?

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The Longest Standing Wars | Written Response

The Ottoman Empire: How Does Trade Create Power?

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The Ottoman Empire | Written Response

Pioneers: Why Did They Leave Their Homes for the American West?

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Pioneers | Written Response

Private Snafu: How did this infamous wartime cartoon character represent the trials and tribulations of the army soldiers?

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Private Snafu | Written Response

Roosevelt and the New Deal: Should we ever sacrifice principles to get things done?

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Roosevelt and the New Deal | Written Response

World War II: How Did Hitler Come to Power?

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World War II: How Did Hitler Come to Power? | Written Response

World War II: What is the difference between history and historical memory?

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World War II | Written Response

STEM | Animals, Plants, and Natural Science

Dive into two diverse kingdoms as you explore topics related to plants and animals. Investigate issues impacting the species that humans often depend on for everything from food to friendship. With these engaging argumentative writing prompts, immerse yourself in the mesmerizing world of natural science, where you can discover exotic life far beneath the Earth's surface and learn how trees are used to help alleviate China's air pollution.

Animal Extinctions: Should we be concerned about the decline of these “undesirable” species?

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Animal Extinctions | Written Response

The Ape Communication Project: What have we learned about human language from studying apes, and why does this field of study still remain so controversial?

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The Ape Communication Project | Written Response

Koko and All Ball: Can other animals have pets?

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Koko and All Ball | Written Response

Global Climate Change: What are the consequences of not taking this seriously?

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Global Climate Change | Written Response

Is it ethical to have exotic pets?

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Is it ethical to have exotic pets? | Written Response

Melting Glaciers: Why should we be worried about these melting beauties?

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Melting Glaciers | Written Response

Pando: What is considered the world’s largest organism, and what is endangering it?

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Pando | Written Response

Should animals be kept in zoos?

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Should animals be kept in zoos? | Written Response

Supervolcanoes: Could a catastrophic eruption be coming sooner than we think?

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Supervolcanoes | Written Response

Urban Trees and the Environment: How do urban trees help the environment?

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Urban Trees and the Environment | Written Response

STEM | Earth, The Universe, and Beyond

Unearth the mysteries of our planet as you explore events affecting the world and its people. Learn about our galaxy and the universe as you answer argumentative writing prompts and defend your claims about astronomical events.

Does recycling actually help the environment?

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Does recycling actually help the environment? | Written Response

Is space exploration worth the cost?

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Is space exploration worth the cost? | Written Response

Should there be regulations on fast fashion?

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Should there be regulations on fast fashion? | Written Response

What will the Earth be like millions of years from now?

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Earth's Future | Written Response

Who owns the moon and planets?

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Who owns the moon and planets? | Written Response

Why do we still have daylight saving time?

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Why do we still have daylight saving time? | Written Response

STEM | Engineering and Technology

Careers in STEM are highly sought-after and often lucrative. But there's a dark side to our digitized world. With these argumentative writing prompts, explore computers smaller than your thumb, a controversial form of currency, and the pros and cons of stem cell research.

Bitcoin: Will all currencies in the future be digital?

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Bitcoin | Written Response

A Chicken's Virtual Reality: Is technology a replacement for natural farming?

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A Chicken's Virtual Reality | Written Response

How can artificial intelligence help humans?

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How can artificial intelligence help humans? | Written Response

How can Google Maps predict the future?

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How can Google Maps predict the future? | Written Response

Is it ethical to fight wars through computer hacking?

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Computer Hacking | Written Response

Is too much screen time bad for your brain?

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Is too much screen time bad for your brain? | Written Response

Machine Learning: Does advanced technology have limitations?

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Machine Learning | Written Response

Nuclear Weapons: What makes these devastatingly deadly weapons so powerful?

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Nuclear Weapons | Written Response

Privacy Problems: Are We Sacrificing too Much for the Conveniences of Technology?

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Privacy Problems | Written Response

Stem Cell Research: Are the potential risks worth the potential benefits?

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Stem Cell Research | Written Response

STEM | Ethics, Law, and Philosophy of Science

With science playing an ever-expanding role in our daily lives, how will we know when we've gone too far? Should human beings use technology to become immortal? Should the privacy of students be compromised for safety? Answer these questions with writing prompts that hone essential skills like making a claim, defending it with well-chosen textual evidence, and organizing your writing to enhance your argument.

Addicting Foods: What responsibility should companies have to protect consumers?

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Addicting Foods | Written Response

Brain Machines: If possible, should humans upload their brains into machines?

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Brain Machines | Written Response

The Ethics of Designer Babies: Should parents be able to design their own children?

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The Ethics of Designer Babies | Written Response

The Ethics of Immunizations: How do these controversial medications work?

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The Ethics of Immunizations | Written Response

Living in a Vegetarian World: Would the world be better off if we all said 'No' to meat?

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Living in a Vegetarian World | Written Response

The Science Behind Beauty: Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder?

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The Science Behind Beauty | Written Response

Secretly Bad for the Environment: What popular products are sneakily bad for the environment and why?

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Secretly Bad for the Environment | Written Response

Should we be eating lab-grown meat?

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Should we be eating lab-grown meat? | Written Response

Tracking Students with RFID: Does tracking students with RFID chips make students MORE or LESS safe?

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Tracking Students with RFID | Written Response

STEM | Health and Medicine

Learn about modern medicine and the human body. Using these engaging writing prompts, develop your own answers to common health questions, debunk medical myths, and get informed about your health!

Do you really need to exercise?

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Do you really need to exercise? | Written Response

Is eating raw cookie dough really that bad?

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Is eating raw cookie dough really that bad? | Written Response

Should people biohack their bodies?

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Should people biohack their bodies? | Written Response

Is it healthier for school to start later?

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Is it healthier for school to start later? | Written Response

Why does stress make you sick?

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Why does stress make you sick? | Written Response

STEM | Human Nature and Psychology

Learn about human behavior and the brain in this mind-blowing theme. Discover what drives human actions and thinking while analyzing concepts in psychology and sociology and practicing essential argumentative writing skills.