At the end of the year, I sometimes ask my 7th grade students to write a letter to next year's 7th grade students. The idea being to give the incoming students tips for succeeding in science class - what to watch out for, what to look forward to, etc.
When I'm assembling the beginning-of-the-year materials, I'll add a section of tips from the previous class amongst class procedures and grade breakdowns.
I really enjoy reading what the students write and it can provide great insight as to how the students perceive the class as a whole and what they most enjoyed throughout the year (you know you've got a winner when they write about something you did months ago).
