Similar Analogies to a Puzzle
March 9, 2011 7:43 PM   Subscribe

Analogous phrases equivalent to "Each piece of the puzzle"..?

I'm a teacher assistant for two first grade classes and I'm in charge of making a classroom book for each. Basically each children is writing a shortened version of a biopoem and will be compiled into one big book for the class. I'd like to make the theme for the book something like: each child is a piece of the puzzle and to make the whole puzzle you need every single piece.

But I don't want to use puzzles. What other analogies could be used in this situation? If it matters, there are 21 kids in one class and 19 in the other.

Thanks!
posted by fuzzysoft to Writing & Language (14 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Perhaps you could adapt a quote about teamwork? There are a lot listed here and here.
posted by jenny76 at 7:55 PM on March 9, 2011


Another Brick In The Wall?
posted by skewed at 8:10 PM on March 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Each facet of the jewel.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:13 PM on March 9, 2011


my gut first through was "all the cookies in the cookie jar", but upon further reflection....I believe the whole idea behind the saying is that you need every piece of the puzzle in order for it to make sense. therefore, i'd start with other things that require all parts to be together in order to work/make sense. then you'll have more ideas for the different parts of a book. it doesn't necessarily HAVE to be a common saying, just fitting in that general idea. like building a car for boys, or all the parts in a cell for those science lovers. simpler, for kids, that is.
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 8:14 PM on March 9, 2011


The clock won't work without every gear.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:17 PM on March 9, 2011


Each cog in the machine.
posted by pompomtom at 8:18 PM on March 9, 2011


Leaves on the tree.
posted by rocket88 at 8:37 PM on March 9, 2011


Each stroke of the painting?

Each line of the drawing?

Each note in the melody?
posted by Rhaomi at 8:39 PM on March 9, 2011


Pieces of the pie

Links in a chain (My HS basketball coach used to say "a team is only as strong as its weakest link")
posted by SuperSquirrel at 9:07 PM on March 9, 2011


Best answer: You need a metaphor that first graders would understand so anything mechanically complex is best avoided. Cogs, clocks, facets, melodies and complex creative processes that need to be deconstructed are probably out. Also cogs in the machine and bricks in the wall have subversive connotations that the students wouldn't recognize but that their parents might.

SuperSquirrel's examples are wholesome and refer to part/whole relationships that a first grader would be familiar with. "Links in the chain" is closer to the puzzle metaphor since the pie still works just fine if someone eats a piece. Same problem with any circumstantial grouping like "fish in a school."

You might consider "pages in a book" if you want to phone it in.
posted by Jeff Howard at 10:35 PM on March 9, 2011


Thread in the (rich) tapestry. Because first graders are all about the mediaeval wall hangings.
posted by Abiezer at 10:53 PM on March 9, 2011


Color of the rainbow? Letter of the alphabet? Month of the year? Body part?

It's surprisingly hard to think of groupings in which every member is essential to the grouping. I assume that's what you're looking for.
posted by painquale at 12:53 AM on March 10, 2011


Best answer: I like pieces of a quilt or colors in a rainbow.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:18 AM on March 10, 2011


Response by poster: Thank you everyone!

I actually came up with pieces of a patchwork quilt last night and my teachers loved it. Surprised that someone else came up with it too. Must be a good one (:
posted by fuzzysoft at 1:07 PM on March 10, 2011


« Older Looking for a bear and bartending related video   |   What movie am I thinking of with a murder in a... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.