An exceptional way for your students to follow a story is for them to track the events from it. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of a plot, but it also reinforces major events, which helps students develop better understanding of how the events fit together to provide the overall structure of the story. Use the storyboard above as a template, or create your own. Copying the assignment will provide you with a blank sequencing timeline as well as the completed example to edit as you wish.
| Event Number | Text | Paraphrase |
|---|---|---|
| Event One | "...the Duke decided he had murdered time, slain it with his sword, and wiped his bloody blade upon its beard and left it lying there, bleeding hours and minutes." | The Duke 'murders' time. He keeps Princess Saralinda locked in his castle and gives impossible tasks for her suitors. |
| Event Two | "I make mistakes, but I am on the side of Good." | Xingu (Zorn of Zorna) comes to town in search of a fair maiden. He decides he wants to try for Saralinda's hand in marriage. He and Golux form a plan. |
| Event Three | "I give you nine and ninety hours, not nine and ninety days, to find a thousand jewels and bring them here. When you return the clocks must all be striking five." | The Duke knows Xingu is Zorn of Zorna and he gives him a seeming impossible task for Saralinda's hand. |
| Event Four | "Hagga laughed and kept on laughing, and precious jewels twinkled down her cheek and sparkled on the floor, until the hut was ankle-deep in diamonds and in rubies." | Zorn and Golux search for the 1,000 jewels. They go to Hagga's house and make her laugh so she cries jewels. Long ago King Gwain granted her the power to cry jewels. |
| Event Five | "If you can touch the clocks and never start them, then you can start the clocks and never touch them." | When they get back to the castle, Princess Saralinda, helps them unfreeze the clocks. |
| Event Six | "She's not my niece. I stole her from a king." | Zorn completes the impossible task. The Duke tells them that Saralinda was not his niece and that he stole her long ago. Hark reveals that he is King Gwain's servant. |
| Event Seven | "Princess Saralinda thought she saw, as people often think they see, on clear and windless days, the distant shining shores of Ever After." | Zorn and Saralinda ride off, happily. The Duke is eaten by the Todal. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a visual timeline of story events to help students organize and understand the plot more clearly. Sequencing activities make it easier for students to see how events connect and impact the story's outcome.
Model sequencing by walking through a familiar story and mapping key events on the board. Demonstrating the process first gives students a clear idea of what is expected and how to approach their own timelines.
Help students pick out the most important moments from the text and jot them down in order. This reinforces comprehension and makes sure they focus on the story’s structure.
Ask students to draw a simple picture for each event on their timeline. Visuals engage different learning styles and make the sequence more memorable.
Have students share their timelines with a partner or small group, discussing differences and similarities. Collaborative sharing helps deepen understanding and uncovers alternate interpretations.
The sequence of events in The Thirteen Clocks includes the Duke 'murdering' time and imprisoning Princess Saralinda, Xingu (Zorn of Zorna) arriving to win her hand, the Duke setting an impossible task, Zorn and Golux collecting jewels from Hagga, unfreezing the clocks with Saralinda's help, the Duke revealing Saralinda's true origins, and Zorn and Saralinda escaping as the Duke meets his end.
Students can track the main events by using a sequencing timeline or storyboard. This helps them organize the plot, reinforce key details, and visually connect how each event fits into the story's overall structure.
The best way is to have students identify and paraphrase each major event, then illustrate and describe them on a timeline or storyboard. This approach builds comprehension and shows how events shape the story's plot.
Sequencing helps students understand the logical flow and cause-effect relationships in a story. It strengthens comprehension by showing how each event leads to the next and supports overall plot understanding.
Yes, many lesson plans offer blank sequencing timelines and completed examples for The 13 Clocks. Teachers can copy or edit these templates to fit their classroom needs, making lesson prep easier and more efficient.