Last week I broke the first book down (we are starting the third book) into 12 themes with accompanying words fitting the theme e.g. Metella mother wife
Today I had them take that list and make sentences out of those word clusters. I had them check with me on each sentence so it was easy to point out case issues, etc. It went well; most stayed with simple sentences, which is right for mid-second year students producing. Production is even now a little out of line, but it is a way to make the grammar I am now required to teach meaningful by being useful.