In this article, you'll learn how to add prompts and sources to a Quick Write, Guided Essay, or Guided Short Response assignment, as well as explore the different formatting options available.
Add a prompt
While you always have the option to assign one of our pre-made writing prompts from the Assignment Library, you can also completely customize your writing assignments by adding your own prompts! If you want to use your prompts, you can select the Create your own tile under the writing assignment.
In the prompt box that appears, you can type your prompt or paste text from another document. If your assignment includes more than one prompt option, you can place multiple prompts within the same text box. We recommend using dashes as a separator. Here is an example:
Add a source
The Add a source feature allows you to upload one or more texts that students can reference side-by-side as they write in their writing assignments.
To add a source, select the Add a source button below the prompt box.
There are three ways to upload the source text:
- Type the text in the source box.
- Paste the text in the source box.
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Paste a URL to direct students to a source located at another web address.
- If you add a URL, this will appear as selectable while students work on the assignment and will open in a new tab or window.
- Be sure to copy and paste the website’s full URL address (ex. https://resource.pdf).
You can add up to 8 total sources for students to reference. Once you've added a source, select Add another to include additional sources. You also have the option to edit a source using the pencil icon or remove it by selecting the X.
When you add a source to your writing assignment, students will now be able to annotate in both side-by-side and full-screen mode by selecting and dragging their cursor over text within the source. They can change the highlight color, add a note, and more! Check out this article to learn more about what your students see when you add a source.
Format the prompts and sources
The buttons to the right of the prompt and source boxes allow you to bold, italicize, underline, and add bullet points to your text. Additionally, you can indent paragraphs, add line breaks, and use spaces. This may be especially helpful when including formatting-dependent sources, such as poetry!
How can I include images, videos, or other media?
If you'd like to include additional media outside of the formatting options we support above, we suggest that you add a link to the original source, such as a link to an online video.
You can also check out our text-based assignments, which include images with the texts, and our Picture Prompts, which are fun assignments that use images to inspire writing and invite personal reflection. You can browse and assign all of these from our Assignment Library.