YES! National Student Writing Competition
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The YES! National Student Writing Competition demonstrates how teachers can use YES! Magazine stories as the basis for thought-provoking writing, and gives students an opportunity to voice their opinions and show off their exemplary writing. Each quarter, students will have the opportunity to read and respond to a selected YES! Magazine article.
Winter 2012 Writing Competition
Article:
"What's the Harm in Hunting?" by Alyssa B. Johnson
Alyssa Johnson tells the story about her venture into the wild with a hunter whom she trusts, and her own reflections about the morality of hunting.
Read the article online here.
Writing prompt:
Long ago, hunting was necessary to survive. Today, when we have other ways to get food, hunting is controversial. In the YES! Magazine article, "What's the Harm in Hunting?" author Alyssa Johnson went hunting for the first time with someone she trusts—someone who does things only with good reason.
Now that you've had a chance to think about Alyssa's story, what is your stance on hunting? Write a persuasive essay of up to 700 words that answers the question: "Is hunting moral?" Be sure to reference the article and give clear reasons to support your argument or position.
Common Core State Standards:
This essay meets Common Core State Standards W.1, W.7, and W.9 for Writing, and RI.1 and RI.8 for Reading: Informational Text.
How does it work?
- Complete the competition registration form (see link at bottom of page) and register no later than March 2, 2012.
- Students read and respond to the YES! article, “What's the Harm in Hunting?“ with an up to 700-word persuasive essay.
- Submit up to three essays from your class, along with student release forms, no later than March 31, 2012.
- For each of the following categories, YES! staff (and possibly the author article) will select one essay that we feel is well written, most compelling, and captures the spirit of the article:
- Grades 6-8
- Grades 9-12
- College/university
- Powerful Voice (for an author whose essay is uniquely powerful, passionate)
- We will announce the winning essays in April 2012. The selected essays will be featured on the YES! Magazine website and in our online education newsletter, reaching thousands of YES! readers, including over 24,000 teachers.
Who is eligible?
- You must be a classroom teacher—homeschool cooperatives and resource centers included—for your students to participate.
- Student writers should be in grades 6-8, grades 9-12, college/university, or adult continuing education, and should reside in the United States.
- Teachers must read and submit a student’s essay. Remember, the limit is three essays per class! We will not accept essays sent independently by students.
What are the essay requirements?
- Respond to the article and writing prompt provided by YES!
- Reference the article.
- No more than 700 words.
- Must be original, unpublished work.
In addition, we are evaluating essays for:
- Grammar
- Organization
- Strong style and personal voice. Though this is a persuasive essay, we encourage writers to include personal examples and insights.
- Originality and clarity of content and ideas
How do I submit the three best essays from my class?
- You must be registered for the competition no later than
March 2, 2012. - E-mail your three best student essays as attachments to writingcompetition@yesmagazine.org no later than March 31, 2012.
- Include a scanned, completed student release form with each submitted essay.
If you have any questions, please email writingcompetition@yesmagazine.org.
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