This article describes one classroom's experience engaging in a lesson that challenged introductory art students to design a functional ceramic clock in an art-historical style of their choice. The clocks were sculpted in low-relief so that the hands of the clockworks could move freely around the face of the clock. Students were given an assignment sheet along with a rubric for self-evaluation at the end of the ceramic project. This enabled them to understand the goals of the assignment before they began. Students learned a great deal about a specific time period/artist/or style. They saw that the planning process was an important piece of work.