Get to know you assignment

[honeydew1894]

I typically do a letter of introduction as one of my first writing assignments (ELA 7), but the 8th grade teach plans to do this, and some of the 6th graders wrote one at the end of the school year and gave them to me.  I am searching for a way to both assess their writing skills and also get to know them a bit. Thoughts?

[katfco]

What if they interview each other and then write it like a news article?