Class Activities: Time

→12 Metaphor Clock Pie

On a large sheet of sketchbook paper, draw a circle and divide it into 12 parts, like pieces of a clock pie. Fill in each slice of the clock pie with a metaphor about time (e.g., killing time, redeeming time, wasting time, etc.), then draw a thumbnail sketch of an image that renders the metaphor visually.

→Adding Machine Timelines

Cut two 10-foot lengths of adding machine paper to make two timelines, one personal and one historic, both starting at the year of your birth. Divide the timeline into years, with each foot equaling 2 years. Calculate the number of feet to be measured from the end of the paper rolls to show those dates. Then pick important dates from your history for the personal timeline, and from world events for the historic timeline, marking those events along the timelines. Embellish with thumbnail drawings and post on wall.

→Four Paragraph Story

1. Focus on a moment from childhood, and render that moment with precise sensory detail. Try using moments from before or up to the age of twelve.
2. Begin with a phrase like “For the next decade . . .” which will push the writing toward summary.
3. Begin with a line of dialogue, and move into the scene. This brings the focus back to an immediate moment and increases intensity.
4. Begin with a phrase like “After that, and in the following weeks . . .“ which will again push the piece toward summary and the larger view.