Subject Areas |
Art and Culture
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Folklore |
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Visual Arts |
History and Social Studies
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World History - Asia/Far East |
Literature and Language Arts
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World |
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Time Required |
| Lesson 1: 20 minutes
Lesson 2: 30 minutes
Lesson 3: 1 hour
Lesson 4: 1 hour
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Skills |
| Observing and describing
Comparing and contrasting
Interpreting written and visual information
Gathering, classifying, and interpreting written and visual information
Making inferences and drawing conclusions
Collaboration
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Additional Data |
| Date Created: 05/29/02 |
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Author(s) |
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Suzanne Art
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Date Posted |
| 5/29/2002 |
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Animals of the Chinese Zodiac
IntroductionThe Chinese lunar calendar dates back to
the second millennium BC. Unlike our calendar, which numbers the years progressively
from a given time (the birth of Christ), the Chinese calendar is cyclical. Each
cycle is made up of 12 years; after the 12th year, the cycle is repeated. The
Chinese associate each year of a 12-year cycle with an animal, and they refer
to the years as "the year of the dragon," "the year of the ox," and so forth.
The 12 animals and the years associated with them are often represented on a circular
chart, and for this reason they are known as animals of the zodiac.
The use of
the animal names in the calendar led to the development of Chinese astrology.
Astrology can be defined as a pseudo-science linking human destinies to charts
associated with heavenly bodies or the recording of time. The Chinese believed
the characteristics of a given zodiac animal influenced the personality of every
person born in that year. They used this information to create horoscopes, daily
predictions based upon the year of one's birth. Although the reading of horoscopes
is popular in modern Chinese culture, few people take the predictions seriously.
In this lesson plan, students will learn about the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
In the introductory first lesson, they will see how animals are often used as
symbols. In the second lesson, they will hear one of several versions of how the
12 animals were chosen. They will then focus upon a few of the animals in the
story and see how they can be used as symbols of certain human characteristics.
In the third lesson, they will be introduced to the other animals of the zodiac,
and they will be given a chart on which they will assign traits to each animal.
Then they will consult a number of websites to find the traits traditionally associated
with the animals, which they will add to their list. Then, they will come up with
a number of ways to compare and contrast the animals in the list. In the third
lesson, they will focus upon the animal associated with the year of their birth,
learning about its traits and discussing whether or not these apply to themselves
and their peers. Finally, each student will make an acrostic, combining the letters
of his or her first name with adjectives that relate to his or her zodiac sign.
Learning ObjectivesAfter completing this lesson, students will:
- know what a symbol is
- understand
that the Chinese calendar is divided into cycles of 12-years, in which each year
is represented by an animal
- be familiar with the story explaining
the choice of the 12 zodiac animals
- understand that each animal of the
calendar symbolizes certain character traits
- know that the Chinese associate
the traits of each zodiac animal with people born in that year
- know their
own signs within the Chinese zodiac
Guiding Questions:How
does the Chinese calendar work? What are the 12 animals of the zodiac and how
were they chosen? What traits are associated with them? How are the animals used
as symbols? What is your animal sign, and what traits does it represent? Preparing
to Teach this LessonGather together seven or eight pictures of animals/insects/birds
from picture books or magazines. Try to include an owl, a bee, an ox, and others
commonly associated with specific adjectives (i.e., wise as an owl, busy as a
bee, strong as an ox, sly as a fox, slippery as an eel, etc.). Download the chart
in Lesson 3 and make copies for each of your students.
Review the information
in the introduction. Then access and become familiar with the EDSITEment-reviewed
websites referred to in Lessons 2 and 3. They provide additional data about the
Chinese calendar, Chinese astrology, and the characteristics associated with the
12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. Read "What is Chinese Astrology?" at the site
entitled "Chinese Astrology:
An ancient viewpoint on temperament and personality" . It includes one of
the many versions of the story about how the 12 zodiac animals were chosen. "Twilight
Zone's Chinese Horoscope" is another good source on Chinese Astrology. Click Search and type in "Chinese Astrology." Next click "Chinese
Horoscopes." When this page comes up, scroll down to "Twilight Zones Chinese Horoscope"
and click on it. Download the home page and make copies of the picture of the
12 zodiac animals for your students. Then click on "Chinese Horoscope Signs and
Their Corresponding Years" and download the chart of zodiac years and animals. Make copies
for your students. When you access the pages of "Chinese
Astrology," notice that some of the language is rather mature for young
students. As you click on the pages of specific animals, select a few short excerpts
you will read aloud to your students. Focus on the images of the animals. During
this lesson plan, the online materials should, if possible, be presented to the
students by means of computer-projected images on a large screen. They can also
be presented at individual computer stations or to small groups sharing computers.
Suggested ActivitiesLesson
1 Animals as Symbols Lesson
2 The 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac and How They Were Chosen
Lesson 3 What do the Zodiac Animals Symbolize?
Lesson 4 What Sign Are You?
Lesson 1 Animals as Symbols Explain
to the students that they will be learning about how animals can be used as symbols.
Show them the pictures of the animals, birds, and insects you have collected from
books or magazines. Ask the students what characteristics come to mind when they
see each animal. For example, a bear might seem very powerful, a puppy playful,
a deer graceful, and so forth. Mention a few common similes, such as "busy as
a bee," "wise as an owl," and "sly as a fox." Ask the students to think of other
animals that seem closely connected with descriptive phrases. Write the names
of the animals you have discussed so far on the board, followed by the adjectives
linked with them. Tell the students that the animals are often used as symbols
for particular human traits. Refer to examples you have already discussed. Tell
them that a picture of a bear can simply represent power or being tough. So it
is a symbol for power. A picture of an owl can represent wisdom. It is a symbol
of wisdom. (Of course, in reality, birds are not particularly wise!) Now go back
to the original animal pictures. As you hold up each one, call upon individual
students to name a trait often associated with it.
Lesson 2 The 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac and How They Were Chosen Tell
the students that animals are used as symbols in the Chinese calendar. Explain
how the calendar is divided into 12-year cycles, each year being associated with
a certain animals. Ask if they have any ideas of what the animals might be. Remind
them that the Chinese would choose animals that lived in their country and with
which they were familiar. This would eliminate such creatures as giraffes and
hippopotami. After the students have made a few guesses, tell them that the first
two in the list are the rat and the ox and that they are about to learn why this
is so. Then navigate to the EDSITEment-reviewed website The
Chinese Zodiac and read aloud the story of how the 12 zodiac animals were
chosen. Explain that this is one of many versions of this particular tale of origins.
Remind the students of the warm-up, mentioning that animals are often
used as symbols. Write the names of rat, cat, and ox on the chalkboard (or whiteboard).
Then, referring to the story, ask what words (adjectives) could be used to describe
each of these three animals. Write them down after the names of the animals. Have
the students explain why they chose the words they did. For example, the rat is
clever because it figured out how to trick the cat and the ox. Ask what each animal
symbolizes. After the answers are given, tell the students that in the next lesson
they will learn about the other 10 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Lesson 3 What do the Zodiac Animals Symbolize?
Hand out the
copies of the pictures of the zodiac animals from Twilight
Zone's Chinese Horoscope and the horoscope chart from Chinese
Horoscope Signs and Their Corresponding Years. Use the animal names on top
of the chart to identify the zodiac creatures in the picture. Explain that, like
the cat, rat, and ox, each of these animals is a symbol. Brainstorm with the students
until they can come up with several adjectives to describe each of the 12 animals
in the picture. Now hand out copies of the chart
(provided in pdf format). Write the three categories on the board as well. Have
the students write down one positive and negative trait for each animal listed
on their charts. Do the same on your chart on the board.
Now look up the
traditional descriptions of the zodiac animals. Begin at the Chinese
Zodiac available through EDSITEment-reviewed Asia
Source. Click on "Haskell by the Month," then on "February," then on "Chinese
New Year." Call upon different students to read aloud the description of each
animal. Discuss these descriptions. Note the comical images of the animals. Now
go to "Chinese Astrology: An
Ancient viewpoint on temperament and personality". Click "What is Chinese
Astrology?" Then click "Zodiac Sign Beanie Babies." Discuss the descriptions of
the animals with the students. Ask them if they think the traits assigned to them
seem appropriate or not. Click on each picture as you progress to make the figure
larger. Now go to Go to the "Chinese
Astrology" page at. Click on the specific animals. Read aloud the excerpts
you have previously selected. Have the students look closely at the photographs
of the animals. Point out that the 12 animals are portrayed somewhat differently
at each of the three websites visited so far during this lesson. (They're comical
in the first, soft and cuddly in the second, and realistic in the third.) Ask
the students which type of pictures they prefer and why. Draw their attention
to the Chinese character, which represents the name of the animal at the end of
each description. Explain that Chinese writing is very different than our own.
Now go to Zodiac
Fortunes and have different students read aloud this final group of descriptions.
Comment upon the similarities of the various descriptions that have been
read as well as the differences. Then return to the chart you started at the beginning
of the lesson. Have the students suggest which traits (positive and negative)
should be added. When this task is done, call upon different students to read
aloud the information about each zodiac animal as it has been defined by the class.
Now have the students compare and contrast the characteristics of the
animals on the list. For example, ask them which animals seem the most athletic,
which seem more thoughtful or imaginative. Ask them if all the animals are real.
(Only the dragon is not.) Try arranging the animals in groups according to whether
they are farm animals, wild animals, or animals you might have at home. Some,
such as the rat and rabbit, would fit into more than one category. Ask if there
are other ways the animals can be compared. When you finish this activity, tell
the students to keep their charts in a safe place for the next lesson.
Lesson 4 What Sign Are You? Review the chart made in Lesson 3. Then
tell the students that they will learn more about the animal linked with the year
of their birth. There will most likely be two animals represented in the class,
given the span of birth dates. Consult the Chinese horoscope chart downloaded
from "Twilight
Zone's Chinese Horoscope" to determine which animals apply. Click on those
animals. Call on students (born in the appropriate year) to read the descriptions
aloud. Discuss how these traits do or don't apply to members of the class. Ask
for examples, i.e., someone might described as creative, someone else as talkative.
Remind the students that all people have many facets to their personalities. Remind
the students that astrology is not a science but rather an amusing pastime, and
that the interest in the animals of the zodiac adds another dimension to Chinese
culture. Return to the sites visited in Lesson 3 and read again about the animal(s)
associated with your class. Continue the discussion of how these traits do or
don't seem appropriate.
Now that the students are well versed in the traits
associated with their zodiac animal, have them make acrostics on large sheets
of paper. Ask them to write the letters of their first names with bright markers
in a column from the top to the bottom of a sheet of paper. Then have them write
several adjectives or descriptive phrases after each letter. The adjective or
the first word of the phrase must start with that letter. Examples of possible
descriptions include the following: Loves to draw, Never gives up,
A good friend, Extremely strong, etc. Students might also include
a small drawing of their zodiac animal in one corner of the paper. When the acrostics
are completed, you can display them on a bulletin board.
Extending
the Lesson Read aloud the following books about the Chinese zodiac
to the class: The Rooster's Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Eric
A. Kimmel, Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Ed Young, The
Animals of the Chinese Zodiac by Susan Whitfield, The Dragon's Tale: And
Other Animal Fables of the Chinese Zodiac by Demi, and The Story of the
Chinese Zodiac by M. Chang.
Assign the 12 animals to one or two students,
depending on class size. Using the information gathered for the chart, have them
make a large poster, with a drawing of the animal, recent years associated with
it, and adjectives it symbolizes. Make animal bookmarks. Download and make
copies of the zodiac animals at "Zodiac
Animals" . Assign an animal to each student. Have the student cut out the
picture of that animal and paste it on the top of a strip of oak tag. Below the
picture he should write three or four adjectives describing that zodiac animal.
The bookmark can be laminated to make it more durable.
Selected
EDSITEment Websites
Standards Alignment
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