Random School Subject Generator

One press picks one school subject, with a line on what the class covers.

RoboticsUsing engineering principles to design, build and program robots, with electronics and sensors.

Next step Draw from your own classes only

How it works

This random school subject generator draws one of 139 subjects a press, from Reading and Science to Algebra II, Civics, Ceramics and Robotics.

Read the full guide

Pick what to study next

Choose Elementary school and each press names one of 13 broad subjects such as Science or Music, a fair way to settle what a child learning at home does next. Middle and high school and Electives hold single classes, from Pre-algebra to Welding, so draw again when it names one you do not take.

What the line under the name says

Each line is our short rewording of the course's description in SCED, the course list that the National Forum on Education Statistics publishes for U.S. schools. Draw Meteorology and it reads "The earth's atmosphere: pressures, winds, air masses, fronts and weather forecasting."

Writing a character? Draw twice: the first is the class they love, the second is the one they dread.
For a guessing game, draw a subject and act out one thing a student does in that class.
Planning a pretend school day? Draw six times and write the results down as periods one to six.

Questions and answers

What subjects are there in school?

This list has 139. Its Elementary school group has broad subjects such as Reading, Mathematics and Art. Middle and high school has classes such as Algebra I, Biology and Civics, and Electives has choices such as Ceramics, Spanish and Robotics.

Which classes are electives?

Here, the arts, music, world languages, technology, business, career classes, single sports such as Tennis, and extras such as Debate. That sorting is ours, not a rule: your school's course guide says which classes you must take.

How do I pick a random subject from my own classes?

This page draws from its own list. For a draw from only the classes you take, type them into Pick for me and it chooses one.

Does it include college subjects?

No. Every card is a course from the list for schools up to grade 12, so there is Calculus and Psychology but no college major. For those, see what major should I choose.

All 139 school subjects

Elementary school 13

Art Creative expression, typically in visual arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture and crafts.
Computer science Programming, computational thinking and data analytics, in areas including the Internet and algorithms.
Dance Dance technique and different styles of dance, with the culture and history of dance forms.
Drama Dramatic play and storytelling through movement, language, character and plot.
Health education Personal health: nutrition, mental health and stress management, disease prevention and first aid.
Language arts The four aspects of language use: reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Mathematics Number and operations, patterns and relationships, and geometry and spatial reasoning.
Music Creating and performing music with the voice or instruments, and listening and responding to it.
Physical education Team sports, individual and dual sports, recreational sports, and fitness and conditioning.
Reading Reading skills, a growing vocabulary and responding to different types of text.
Science Finding patterns in objects and events, recording observations and investigating living organisms.
Social studies History, geography, civics and government, and economics, often taught together around a theme.
Writing Writing skills: recognizing and creating different types of text.

Show all 139 school subjects (126 more)

Middle and high school 50

Algebra I Linear, exponential and quadratic functions, polynomials and modeling linear data.
Algebra II Quadratic equations, systems of equations, and exponential and inverse functions.
American literature Commonly known American authors and their work, and how it reflects the society of the time.
Anatomy and physiology The structure of the human body and its functions, system by system, from skeletal to nervous.
Ancient civilizations Society from the ancient Middle East through Greek and Roman civilizations, and their legacies.
Anthropology Human beings: their origin, distribution, physical attributes, environment and culture.
Astronomy The solar system, stars and galaxies, and theories of the origin and evolution of the universe.
Biology Life and life processes: cell structure and function, plant and animal physiology, and genetics.
Botany Plants, their life cycles and their evolutionary relationships.
British literature A survey of British literature, or a focus on one timeframe of England's history.
Calculus Derivatives, differentiation, integration, and the definite and indefinite integral.
Chemistry The composition, properties and reactions of substances, and atomic structure.
Civics U.S. systems of government, the roles of citizens in the political process, and the individual and the law.
Composition Writing essays, letters and reports in descriptive, narrative and persuasive styles.
Consumer mathematics General mathematics applied to budgeting, taxation, credit, banking services and insurance.
Discrete mathematics Number theory, set theory, symbolic logic, combinatorics, recursion and graph theory.
Earth science The earth and its environment in space: oceanography, geology, astronomy, meteorology and geography.
Economics The principles of microeconomics and the U.S. economic system.
English grammar Sentence structure, parts of speech, phrases and clauses, and proper punctuation.
English language arts Grammar, vocabulary and the mechanics of writing, with the genres of literature.
Environmental science Organisms and their environment: ecosystems, pollution and conservation of natural resources.
Genetics Genes, heredity and variation: chromosomes, DNA and RNA, and dominant and recessive inheritance.
Geology The forces that formed and still affect the earth's surface: earthquakes, volcanoes and erosion.
Geometry Plane and solid figures, formal proofs, congruence and similarity, and angle measurement.
Humanities Human creative efforts in particular historical periods and cultures.
Integrated mathematics Algebra, geometry, statistics and probability in one sequence of courses.
Integrated science Earth science, physical science, biology, chemistry and physics organized around thematic units.
Life science The basic principles of life: cells, species, ecosystems, reproduction and genetics.
Literature Studying the themes of works of literature, with oral discussion and written compositions.
Marine science The earth's oceans: marine organisms, conditions and ecology.
Meteorology The earth's atmosphere: pressures, winds, air masses, fronts and weather forecasting.
Microbiology Microbes and cells, with topics such as fungi, protozoa, viruses and immunity.
Organic chemistry Organic molecules and functional groups: nomenclature, bonding, structure and reaction mechanisms.
Philosophy The principles underlying conduct, thought and knowledge, with the major philosophers and their writings.
Physical science The structures and states of matter, forms of energy and electromagnetism.
Physics The forces and laws of nature affecting matter: motion, momentum, energy, sound and light.
Political science Politics in theory: the role of government, political behavior, political power and political action.
Pre-algebra Ratio, proportion, exponents, the coordinate system and first-degree equations, to prepare for Algebra I.
Pre-calculus Functions, vectors, conic sections, sequences and series, and limits, as preparation for calculus.
Psychology Individual human behavior: growth and development, personality and behavior.
Sociology Human behavior in society: social institutions and norms, social change, and groups.
Statistics The methods used to collect and analyze data and draw conclusions from it.
Trigonometry Trigonometric functions and their graphs, identities, triangles and the unit circle.
U.S. government The structure and functions of the U.S. government, constitutional principles and civic participation.
U.S. history The history of the United States from colonialism through World War II or after.
Western civilization Western cultural traditions: art and architecture, literature, religion and philosophy.
World geography The physical environment, the political landscape, and the movement of people, goods and ideas.
World history The history of human society from early civilization to the contemporary period.
World literature Literature from ancient and modern times and from countries around the world.
Zoology Animals, their habitats and life cycles, and their relationships to other organisms.

Electives 76

Accounting The accounting cycle, payroll, taxes, debts and depreciation, usually with accounting software.
Agriculture Plant and animal science, food production, agricultural mechanics and business operations.
American Sign Language Signing and reading American Sign Language, and the cultures of deaf people and communities.
Animation Designing two- or three-dimensional animated images: storyboarding, drawing, sound and editing.
Aquatics Swimming and competitive strokes, water sports such as water polo, diving and lifesaving skills.
Arabic Reading, listening, speaking and writing in Arabic, and Arabic-speaking cultures.
Art history Significant works of art, artists and artistic movements, and the periods of history they reflected.
Automotive mechanics Diagnosis and repair of automobile engines and systems such as brakes, cooling, steering and suspension.
Ballet Ongoing training in ballet, with an emphasis on improving technique.
Band Playing brass, woodwind and percussion instruments and performing concert band literature.
Ceramics Clay modeling, hand building, coil building, glazing, kiln firing and throwing on the potter's wheel.
Child development The physical, mental, emotional and social growth of children up to pre-school age.
Chinese Any Chinese language, including Mandarin and Cantonese: reading, listening, speaking and writing.
Choreography Applying choreographic principles to create dances with a beginning, middle and conclusion.
Chorus Vocal techniques and singing parts in a large choral ensemble, in a variety of styles.
Computer programming Learning to structure, create, document and debug computer programs in one or more languages.
Cosmetology The care of hair, skin and nails, with experience in cutting, styling and coloring hair.
Creative writing Technique and individual style in poetry, short story, drama, essays and other forms of prose.
Culinary arts A particular type of cooking or culinary style, such as baking.
Cybersecurity Assessing cyber risks to computers, networks and software programs, and creating solutions.
Debate Logic and reasoning, research and argumentative skill, in formal and Lincoln-Douglas debate.
Drafting Technical drawing: freehand sketching, lettering, geometric construction and working drawings.
Drawing Drawing in pen-and-ink, pencil and chalk: observation, life drawing and imaginative drawing.
Driver's education Rules of the road, traffic procedures, legal responsibility and safe driving practices.
Engineering design Solving problems with a design development process: developing, analyzing and testing models.
Entrepreneurship The knowledge and skills to own and operate a business: planning, finance, marketing and business law.
Family and consumer sciences Foods and nutrition, apparel, child care, housing, consumer decisions and personal financial management.
Fashion design Creating apparel, with drawing the figure as a foundation, and historical and contemporary fashion.
First aid First aid techniques, CPR, relief of obstructed airways and general safety procedures.
Forensic science Forensic science techniques that apply biology, chemistry and physics, with trace evidence.
French Reading, listening, speaking and writing in French, and French-speaking cultures.
Game design Designing computer games: animation, digital imaging, coding, scripting and game play strategies.
German Reading, listening, speaking and writing in German, and German-speaking cultures.
Graphic design Communicating ideas through illustration and digital or printed media: concept design and layout.
Guitar Guitar fundamentals such as strumming and chords; courses may include bass and ukulele.
Gymnastics Gymnastics, stunts and tumbling, with equipment such as the balance beam, parallel bars and rings.
Health science Anatomy and physiology of the body systems with chemistry, microbiology and genetics, related to health care.
Horticulture The art and science of growing plants, shrubs, trees, flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Italian Reading, listening, speaking and writing in Italian, and Italian-speaking cultures.
Japanese Reading, listening, speaking and writing in Japanese, and Japanese-speaking cultures.
Journalism Writing and editing stories, headlines and captions, typically for a school newspaper or yearbook.
Keyboarding The keyboard and proper keystroke technique, then improving speed and accuracy.
Korean Reading, listening, speaking and writing in Korean, and Korean-speaking cultures.
Latin An introduction to the Latin language and culture, with reading and writing in Latin.
Leadership Personal and group leadership skills: public speaking, effective communication and group dynamics.
Marching band Brass, woodwind and percussion technique and band literature, primarily for marching performances.
Marketing The flow of goods and services from producer to consumer: product planning, packaging and pricing.
Modern dance Training in modern dance that goes on improving a student's technique.
Music theory The fundamentals of music: composition, arranging, analysis, aural development and sight reading.
Musical theater Auditioning, singing, acting and dancing, with the history and evolution of musical theater.
Mythology The origins and meaning of myths: themes, stories and characters from several cultures.
Orchestra Playing strings along with woodwind, brass and percussion, in rehearsal and performance.
Painting Painting in watercolor, tempera, oils and acrylics, from observation and imagination.
Personal finance Managing personal finances: savings and investing, credit, insurance, taxes and budget planning.
Photography Photographic techniques and compositions, with the history of photography and image manipulation.
Piano The fundamentals of music and keyboard: scales, chords and melodic lines.
Portuguese Reading, listening, speaking and writing in Portuguese, and Portuguese-speaking cultures.
Printmaking Realistic and abstract prints in traditional and digital printmaking media.
Public speaking Speaking in group discussions and in front of audiences, with research, organization and self-confidence.
Robotics Using engineering principles to design, build and program robots, with electronics and sensors.
Russian Reading, listening, speaking and writing in Russian, and Russian-speaking cultures.
Sculpture Three-dimensional works made by carving, modeling and assemblage.
Sewing Sewing and apparel: selection, care and repair of materials, and construction of a garment.
Spanish Reading, listening, speaking and writing in Spanish, and Spanish-speaking cultures.
Sports medicine Tasks designated by an athletic trainer, such as taping and bandaging, with anatomy and medical terminology.
Stagecraft Theatrical production: lighting, costuming, sound, set construction, makeup and stage management.
Study skills Note-taking, outlining, library and research skills, vocabulary skills and test-taking skills.
Team sports Skills in more than one team sport, such as volleyball, basketball and soccer.
Tennis Singles and doubles tennis: serves, forehand and backhand strokes, lobs, scoring and strategy.
Theater arts The study and performance of drama in its many forms, including musical theater, drama and comedy.
Veterinary science The causes, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries of companion and farm animals.
Video production Shooting and processing the image, with the history of cinema, television and video.
Web design Designing websites: site planning, page layout, graphic design and markup languages.
Weight training Skills with free weights, with an emphasis on safety and proper body positioning.
Welding The properties of metals and the processes used to join and cut them, with reading blueprints.
Woodworking Kinds of wood, correct and safe use of woodworking tools, and designing and constructing a project.

How this list was compiled: Subject names follow School Courses for the Exchange of Data (SCED) Version 13.0, the voluntary, common classification of prior-to-secondary and secondary school courses that the National Forum on Education Statistics publishes through the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/forum/sced.asp (the current SCED file, read 2026-10-07). Each card is one SCED course under the name students use, and the numbered levels of a language, Spanish I to Spanish V, are one card. The line under a name is our own short rewording of that course's SCED description; every line was compared with the description it was written from. Elementary school holds twelve subjects SCED lists grade by grade from kindergarten to grade 8, and computer science, which it also lists before secondary school. The split of the rest into Middle and high school (English, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education and health) and Electives is our own sorting, not SCED's and not a graduation rule. Left out: test preparation, study hall, aide and work-experience courses, religious education, military science and most courses that train for a single trade. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCES or the Forum. Licence: own work