How to Write a Class Prophecy

Writing a class prophecy before a senior class graduates is an exercise in predicting who is going to be doing what at a specific time in the future. Some classes like to bury the prophecy in a time capsule, along with other memorabilia, and dig it up in 10 or 20 years. Although it is not an exercise to be taken too seriously, writing a class prophecy is an opportunity to reflect on the time the students spent together and to record what they think may eventuate.

Brainstorm. Record what students think should be included in the class prophecy. Topics can range from what percentage of the class will go on to get college degrees or the average age they will marry to the average number of children each student will have. Also include the predicted percentage of people who will opt to stay single.

Set the tone for the class prophecy. Decide if it is going to be funny, serious or a combination of both.

Divide the students into pairs and have them interview each other. Tell them they have to come up with three things they didn’t know about the person before they worked on the class prophecy.

Make short-, medium- and long-term predictions for individuals. For example, “At 25 Amy Jones, always a serious student, will finish her master’s degree in science and start her career. By the age of 45, she will be a well-known scientist who speaks at conferences and writes academic papers. When she is 65, she will wake up one morning and wonder why she forgot to have any fun.”

Tell the students to write their own prophecy and staple it to the prophecy written by their peers. Then, when the prophecy is reviewed at a later date, the class can determine whose prediction was closer.

Draft the class prophecy and give the students a copy to review. Have another brainstorm session about things that need to be added, changed or deleted.

Appoint a keeper of the class prophecy after the class finishes writing it. The person – it could be a teacher, the class president or the dependable girl who volunteered – is responsible for guarding the prophecy until the date it is to be reviewed.