It can be something a character would use if available. They draw or make the invention and describe the purpose of the creation and the directions for its use. Students re-write classic works in modern terms. Describe characters' clothing as if it appeared in a J. Peterman catalog. Illustrations and analogies are used to depict students' responses to aspects of literature.
Students construct analogies.
Students debate the pros and cons of a philosophical issue or of a character's decisions in the work. My high school students compile a notebook of book reviews. The students critique their books and file them by genre. The notebook then serves as a resource for students from which to choose books. Students put more effort into evaluations when they know they will be read by their peers.