Give two assignments, with students having the option of choosing only one to complete. Be sure students understand the purpose of the assignment. Periodically, have a short discussion of the benefits. Ask for input from students. Explain what you believe students will learn or accomplish from an assignment, and then ask for suggestions.
Students often come up with more creative ideas to accomplish the same purpose.
Assignment should be focused. For example, rather than asking students to write about an open-ended theme from a novel that the class is reading, ask them to pick one character and explain why that character behaved in a particular way. Assigning the reading of a chapter before it is discussed in class is almost useless. A scaffold is a frame that holds people in a stable situation while they are constructing something. Building a scaffold for students makes it easier for them to make sense of what is being read.