Creating Connections: Engaging KS3 Students with Cross-Curricular Writing

The school holidays offer a chance for a much-needed break, but keeping young minds stimulated can be a challenge. We have the perfect antidote to the holiday learning slump: cross-curricular writing prompts

These engaging prompts combine the power of storytelling with a variety of subjects like art, history, maths, and critical thinking. From crafting captivating narratives inspired by famous works of art to solving mysteries with logic and maths, these prompts will spark your child’s imagination and encourage them to connect different areas of knowledge in a fun and enriching way. So, ditch the textbooks, grab a pen (or a tablet!), and embark on a thrilling learning adventure across the curriculum – one creative story at a time!

Art

  1. The Gallery Caper: You’re on a school trip to a famous art museum when the alarms blare! A priceless masterpiece has been stolen. But you have a secret – you can see tiny clues hidden within the brushstrokes of other paintings. Can you decipher the clues, solve the mystery, and recover the stolen artwork before the museum closes?

Bonus: Research a specific artistic style or movement (e.g., Impressionism, Surrealism) and incorporate elements of that style into your story. Describe the clues you see hidden within the paintings and how they point you towards the missing masterpiece.

  1. The Living Canvas: You discover a dusty old paintbrush in your attic. When you touch it, the bristles come alive with shimmering colours! Anything you paint with this brush becomes real and jumps off the canvas. What do you create? How does your living artwork interact with the world?

Bonus: Explore the concept of artistic expression and the power of art to bring ideas to life. Consider the challenges and consequences of having your creations come to life. How do you use your artistic power responsibly?

  1. The Lost City of Colors: You stumble upon a hidden map leading to a lost city where everything is made of vibrant colours! Imagine the architecture, the clothing, even the food – all bursting with colour. Describe your journey to the lost city and your encounters with its inhabitants. What secrets do they hold? Why is their city hidden from the world?

Bonus: Research the symbolism associated with different colours in art and cultures. How do the colours of the lost city reflect the personality or history of its people? What message does the city convey through its vibrant colours?

Maths

  1. The Coded Challenge: You discover a mysterious message hidden within a seemingly ordinary maths textbook. The message is a series of cryptic codes, each requiring a different mathematical operation (e.g., ciphers, equations, geometric shapes) to decode. Can you crack the code, decipher the message, and uncover the hidden treasure (or secret message) it reveals?

Bonus: Research different historical or real-world codes and ciphers. Incorporate some of these methods into your story’s coded message, making it more challenging for your protagonist to solve. Describe the thought process and mathematical skills used to decipher each step of the code.

  1. The Intergalactic Tournament: You’re whisked away to a fantastical competition on a distant planet, where mathematical skills determine the winner. The challenges involve solving complex puzzles, logic problems, and even navigating through a maze using only geometric principles. Describe the different challenges you face and the innovative mathematical solutions you devise to win the tournament.

Bonus: Explore different branches of mathematics like geometry, probability, or logic, and design challenges based on these concepts. How do you adapt your mathematical skills to succeed in these alien games? What unique problem-solving strategies do you use to impress the judges?

  1. The Time Travelling Trader: You invent a time travel device powered by complex mathematical calculations! However, the device malfunctions, sending you bouncing through different historical periods. To survive and get back home, you need to use your mathematical skills to solve problems in each era. This might involve calculating distances for navigation, deciphering ancient codes based on patterns, or even using geometry to predict the movements of celestial bodies.

Bonus: Research the historical context of each time period you visit. Describe the specific challenges you face and how the mathematics of that era (e.g., Roman numerals, basic geometry) helps you solve problems and navigate through that particular timeframe.

History 

  1. Imagine you’ve just travelled back in time to a historical period of your choice! Maybe it’s the bustling streets of ancient Rome, the awe-inspiring pyramids of Egypt, or the vibrant Renaissance courts of Italy. Write a diary entry for 5 days in the past from your perspective. 

Bonus: Read an extract from a diary-style novel to inspire your writing. Try Anne Frank’s real diary from WW2, or fictional diaries like The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and Artichoke Hearts. 

  1. Unsolved Riddle of the Ruins: You’re on a family vacation exploring ancient ruins when you stumble upon a hidden chamber untouched for centuries. Inside, you discover a strange artefact with cryptic symbols. Can you decipher the symbols, using your knowledge of history and logic, to unlock the secrets of the chamber and reveal the forgotten story of this civilization?

Bonus: Research a specific historical period or civilization (e.g., Maya hieroglyphics, Egyptian hieroglyphs) and base the symbols on their writing system. Describe the process of research and deduction your character uses to decipher the symbols and piece together the history behind the artefact.

  1. Whispers Through Time: You inherit a dusty old pocket watch that belonged to your great-great-grandfather. When you wind it up, you’re transported back in time to a pivotal moment in history. Witness a historical event firsthand and interact with historical figures. Describe the challenges of navigating a different era and the ethical considerations of altering the past. How do you use your knowledge of history to ensure you don’t disrupt the timeline?

Bonus: Choose a specific historical event and research the setting, clothing, and social norms of the time. Describe your character’s experience in detail, highlighting the differences between their own time and the historical period they’ve travelled to.

The learning doesn’t stop here! Check out our parents’ guide for enriching your child’s vocabulary which provides practical tips and tricks to help young writers expand their word bank, adding depth and sophistication to their science-inspired stories.