The collection of 580 provocative writing prompts in this book is designed to release students from standardized writing assessments and encourage student research, reflection, and exploration. Seeing creative and expository writing for English and other subjects as multidisciplinary opportunities for self-expression, the author of the book provides prompts that unify diverse fields of knowledge and offer new meaning to them. The book's prompts also encourage word play, inspire both teachers and students to enjoy their own choices, and discourage the fruitless search for "the right answer" or the drudgery of working for grades at the expense of discovering meaning and experiencing true delight. Much more than a list of topics, the book also includes student writing samples woven throughout the prompts--these student responses make the book read like a narrative, a portrait of adolescence in which students find their own voices. Appended is a list of Web sites that coincide with many of the prompts. (Grade level: 6-12.) (NKA)