My Own Time Capsule

I wish I could upload the whole kit in one file! I use this in the first day of class, but you can use it any day. This is how I do it: The students get:

-One copy of this worksheet;
-One card from the BusyTeacher.org's e-book "900 Creative Prompts" (at random, each student gets a different one) (if you don't have the e-book yet, you can make up some writing prompts)
-One "writing page", where they're supposed to write a simple text based on the card they get;
-An envelope.

They must complete all the tasks, put all the papers in the envelope and seal it. The point is to compare how their English is by the time you decide to open the envelopes. Where I work, the course is divided into semesters (it's a short time, but it's enough), but the ideal would be at least a year. The way I do it, I let them write words in Portuguese, if they don't know or can't remember them (they can't use the dictionary). By the end of the period, you return them the envelopes, so they can open it and check what they wrote, and (hopefully!) correct it. It's a great way to check their development (and yours!). I hope you have fun!