Creative Writing Prompts for Kids about Abolition

Need some history-based writing prompts for kids? Check out these creative writing prompts for kids about Abolition!

Creative writing prompts are a great way for our kids to learn to express their thoughts in writing. History-based writing prompts can be especially great, since they are drawing from true information and stories they’ve learned. Rather than learning to write and inventing a story–which can be a challenge for some middle-grade kids, they can use true stories as the basis for their own writing.

Abolition

The abolition movement, when abolitionists fought to abolish or end global slavery, lasted from 1688 until 1888. During that time, people who were primarily Christian sought wisdom in God’s Word. They taught others what the Bible says about slavery, like Exodus 21:16 which outlaws stealing a person and selling or possessing them. In fact, breaking that law carried the death penalty!

Check out the resources to help your kids learn about Christian abolitionists, the global movement to end slavery, what God’s Word says about slavery, and the Underground Railroad. Then, have your kids choose some of these writing prompts to work on their creative writing!

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Grab your FREE Abolition lapbooks. Your kids will learn about ten Christian abolitionists, the Underground Railroad, and Abolition!

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Creative Writing Prompts for Kids about Abolition

Your kids can pick-and-choose from the following creative writing prompts to help them process what they’ve learned about abolition.

The Abolitionists

1. Write a poem about what it was like to live in the time of slavery.
2. Write a story about one of the abolitionists helping someone.
3. Create a dialogue that shows Granville Sharp arguing for someone’s freedom in court.
4. List some of the people Phillis Wheatley met.
5. Write a short scene from the life of Olaudah Equiano.
6. Explain why Thomas Clarkson was important to abolitionism.
7. List character traits that William Wilberforce had before, and then after, salvation.
8. A plot is a storyline. List the major plot points–the big events–of Zachary Macaulay’s life.
9. Write the scene with William Knibb and the coffin as though you were a child in the audience.
10. Write a poem about Sojourner Truth.
11. How was Frederick Douglass’ life changed by being able to read?
12. Pretend you swam out to Harriet Tubman’s gun boat. How did you feel?

The Underground Railroad

1. Why did Christians who worked on the Underground Railroad believe the Bible supported their decision to disobey their government?
2. Explain how the system of the Underground Railroad worked.
3. Tell a story about Gerrit Smith.
4. Pretend you are one of Josiah Henson’s kids. Tell your story.
5. Write a poem about Ellen and William Craft’s escape.
6. Write a dialogue as a station master’s son or daughter.
7. Tell a story of a conductor rescuing a family.
8. Explain why Arnold Gragston stayed enslaved when he easily could have escaped.
9. Design a terminal on the Underground Railroad. What would your terminal be like? What would it need?
10. Detail how historians do research. What documents and sources do they use?
11. List things you love about writing fiction. Now, list what you love about writing nonfiction.

Abolitionism

1. How long has slavery been around? How did it change?
2. Explain the difference between “condemn” and “constrain.”
3. Tell a story about constraining someone’s bad behavior.
4. What were the First and Second Great Awakening?
5. Write a poem about what imago Dei means.
6. Write a newspaper editorial–that’s an opinion paper–explaining why slavery must end.
7. Imagine and tell the story of Onesimus and Philemon after Paul wrote his letter.
8. Tell the story of the end of slavery in West Africa from the perspective of a child going home.
9. How can you love your neighbor as yourself? What will that look like?
10. Explain how we are freed from slavery to sin.

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Abolition Resources

Writing is often informed by real life events and biblical ideas. These three books will help your kids learn about abolition and discover what God’s Word says about freedom, loving others, and obeying God. They are written by Danika Cooley, who is also the author of Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible.

Your kids can learn about the history of the Christian Church through fun books with great narrative. These books should help start your kids on a historical adventure through writing.

Learn more about the Who What Why series and grab your free history lapbooks here.