Around the Clock Discussion Activity
This one-on-one discussion activity encourages students to meet and dialogue with a variety of people in class, including those they don’t know well or don’t know at all. Make a worksheet with a large traditional clock with numbers on it. Print copies for every student. Tell them they will be finding people in class ask asking them to write their names on each hour of the clock. They can only use a person’s name one time. Read the items on the list one at a time, pausing between each item to allow the students to find a person and write in the other’s name. Items At twelve o’clock, exchange names with a person with different color hair than yours. At one o’clock, exchange names with a person who lives more than five miles from where you live. At two o’clock, exchange names with a boy if you are a girl, and a girl if you are a boy. At three o’clock, exchange names with a person who is fan of a different sports team than you. At four o’clock, exchange names with a person who has different musical tastes than you. At five o’clock, exchange names with a person who has a different number of siblings than you. At six o’clock, exchange names with a person who has different color eyes than yours. At seven o’clock, exchange names with a person who is has a different political perspective than you. At eight o’clock, exchange names with a person who hangs out with a different group of friends than you. At nine o’clock, exchange names with a person who has a different hair length than you. At ten o’clock, exchange names with a person with different color socks than yours. At eleven o’clock, exchange names with a person who was born in a different month than you were. When everyone has filled in a name at each time on the clock, tell them they are going to conduct short (one minute) interviews with the people they listed. Say: “Meet with your one o’clock appointment. Discuss this question: When was a time you got really angry and why?” Allow one minute, call time and ask the participants to meet with their “two o’clock appointments.” Continue with the same process using the list of questions below. Questions When was the last time you got really angry? Why? When was the last time you cried? Why? On what basis do you choose your friends? What advice would you give to a sixth grader? Are you more of a leader or a follower? Explain. How important to you is following the Ten Commandments? How important to you is attending church on Sunday? When do you pray? What does your prayer mean to you? Who is a person who has influenced your life? How? Who is an adult you find it easy to talk with? Why? If you could go back in time, what period of history would you like to live in? Why? Tell about a goal for your life.
