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Last month, I spent a few hours reading essays written by seventh graders (ages 12 and 13) on the following subject:

(Students were given two hours, plus one additional hour upon request.)

Before I present you some of the responses, I'd like to take some time to address the students on the subject of writing. I know they won't read this, but I have to tell someone.

• Stay on prompt; in other words, make sure you address the assigned topic in its entirety. Don't get so carried away describing the class itself that you forget to explain what students would learn. Going off prompt is an automatic disqualification.
• Stay on mode; in other words, write the type of essay requested. This example demands an expository essay, not a persuasive one. You aren't trying to convince other students to take your elective. As with going off prompt, going off mode is an automatic disqualification.
• Do not introduce new material in your conclusion. Your conclusion is for tying your argument together; it's not a place for "oh, wait, I forgot something."
• Take it easy with the exclamation points! It's really distracting!
• Inside these questions there is often hidden another question, usually a Why. Here, the hidden question is "Why is it important that students learn that which this elective teaches?" Addressing the hidden question takes your essay to the next level. This tip is only for advanced writers; don't even consider addressing the hidden question until you can handle the explicit one!
• Mind your frame of reference. Don't start with students and then switch to you. Example of error (exaggerated): "Students who complete this class can show off to your friends." I'd say that over half of the essays made mistakes like this, though none so blatant.
• Mind your antecedents. When you use a pronoun, make sure the noun to which it refers is unambiguous. Example of error: "If teachers or anyone else hears insults, they will be thrown out of class."
• I'm sure there are adjectives other than cool and fun. Try using them once in a while. It's cool and fun.
• Many rules of writing can be broken, but don't break a rule until you've first mastered it. Richard Wagner can write an orchestral prelude that consists of a single chord for over four minutes, but that's because he's Richard Wagner, and he knows what he's doing.

What electives would seventh-graders design for themselves? Here are the ones from the essays that I read (plus some that other readers shared with me, marked with asterisks), broken down roughly into categories, and illustrated with selected sentences from those essays or closely-related essays.

• Sports and exercise
  • Skateboarding.
  • Fencing.
  • Cricket.
  • Soccer. The student explains that the problem with standard gym classes is that you don't get to spend much time focusing on any one sport. "This class will have more variety than any other class."
  • *Basketball. "Shooting is a exceedingly important part of basketball because if you didn't score you would have no points. Shooting well helps your team's chances of winning the game."
  • *Swimming. This essay had an excellent introductory paragraph that ended with "We need more electives. We need variety. We need swimming." It's a joy to read from students who have such control of writing that they can explore rhetorical devices.
  • Paintballing [sic]. "There is not another elective where the goal is to shoot another student to win." (How about photography?)
  • A single sport (chosen by the student).
  • Exercise for students who are overweight or have physical disabilities.
  • Weight training. It "strenthens strength."
  • *Skydiving.
• Arts
  • Glass blowing.
  • Metal shop. (The school already offers woodworking.)
  • Drawing. "There is, quite literally, a fine line between a sketch of a drawing and the actual drawing."
  • Cartooning.
  • Architecture.
  • Creative writing (2×).
  • *Rock mu