Source:

Chinese Historical and Cultural Project
P.O. Box 70746
Sunnyvale, CA 94086-0746
Email: legacy@chcp.org
http://www.chcp.org/golden.html

Date: 1994

Grade Level(s): 3, 4, 5

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/Anthropology
• Social Studies/World History

Objectives

• Students will learn about the Chinese Lunar Calendar and the characteristics associated with each of the twelve cycles.
• Students will learn that the use of horoscopes to predict a person's future is common to many cultures.
• Students will learn about proverbs and words of wisdom, and will participate in the traditional Chinese method of fortune-telling.
• Students will test their acquired knowledge of the Golden Legacy. [This may be adapted for use with a single lesson plan.]

Background Information for This Lesson:

The Chinese Lunar Calendar is a yearly calendar like the western calendar, except that the start of the lunar year is based on the cycles of the moon. Thus the beginning of the year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February. Western cultures date the years from the birth of Jesus Christ (For example, 1994 means 1,994 years after the birth of Christ), and thus approach the progression of years from a linear point of view. In traditional China, dating methods were cyclical, meaning that the years repeat according to a pattern. The repetition is in increments of twelve years.

The Chinese Lunar Calendar goes further and names one of twelve animals as a symbol for each year. A Chinese legend explains that all the animals of the world were invited to come and visit Buddha. Only twelve came. In order to reward these animals for their loyalty, Buddha named a year after each one in the order they appeared before him.

A second legend gives another version of the determination of the order of the animals. The twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever reached the opposite bank of the river first would be head of the first cycle, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish.

All twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox is the second, and the pig last. If one knows the animal of a person's birth year, the person's age can be known through calculation as the animals repeat every twelve years.

The Chinese culture, like many western cultures, predicts certain characteristics of a person's personality based upon his or her birth date. However, while many western cultures base this expected fortune on the location of the stars and planets on the day of a person's birth, the ancient Chinese horoscope predicts a certain set of characteristics based upon the year in which a person was born. In China, this very personal method is not just a fortune-telling game for self-amusement; rather it is a historically-practiced religious art in the temples in which proverbs also become a part of a fortune.

Lunar Animal Characteristics:

RAT

You are imaginative, charming and very generous to those you love, though you do have the tendency to be quick-tempered and overly critical. You will be happy as a writer, critic or publicist.

OX

You are a born leader, and you inspire confidence in those around you. Be careful about being too demanding. You are also methodical and good with your hands. You will make a good surgeon, general or hairdresser.

TIGER

You are sensitive, emotional and capable of great love, but you tend to be stubborn about what you think is right. You will make an excellent boss, explorer or race care driver.

RABBIT

You are affectionate, cooperative and always pleasant, and people like to be around you. You can, however, get too sentimental and seem superficial. You will make a successful business person, lawyer, diplomat or actor.

DRAGON

You are full of life and enthusiasm and a very popular individual with a reputation for being "fun-loving." You will make a good artist, priest or politician.

SNAKE

You are wise and charming. You are also romantic and a deep thinker, but you tend to procrastinate and be a bit stingy about money. You will make a good teacher, writer or psychiatrist.

HORSE

You are an amazingly hard working and very independent. Although you are intelligent and friendly, you can sometimes be a bit selfish. You will find success as an adventurer, scientist or poet.

SHEEP

You are charming, elegant and artistic, and you like material comforts, but you also have a tendency to complain about things and worry a bit too much. You will make a good actor, gardener or beachcomber.

MONKEY

You are very intelligent, clever and well-liked by everyone. You will have success in any field you try.

ROOSTER

You are a hard-worker and definite in your decisions. You are not afraid to speak your mind and are, therefore, sometimes boastful. You will make a good restaurant owner, publicist or world traveler.

DOG

You are honest and faithful to those you love, but you tend to worry too much and find fault with others. You will make an excellent business person, teacher or secret agent.

PIG

You are a good friend because you are sincere, tolerant and honest, but by expecting the same from others, you may be terribly disappointed. You will thrive in the arts as an entertainer, or you may make a great lawyer.

Vocabulary:

horoscope : a diagram of the positions of planets and signs of the zodiac at a specific time (as at the time of one's birth). Used by some people to determine personality characteristics and to foretell events.

proverbs : a short saying in frequent and widespread use, expressing a well-known truth or fact.

zodiac : an imaginary belt in the heavens, usually 18 degrees wide, that includes the paths of the planets except Pluto; is divided into 12 constellations or signs.

Materials:

ACTIVITY 1

• Chinese Lunar Calendar Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Worksheet #1
• Newspaper containing daily horoscopes
• Worksheet #2
  Calendar and Worksheets in .pdf format; requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  
  Click the icon to obtain the free Reader.

ACTIVITY 2

• Popsicle sticks
• small cylindrical container (e.g. toilet tissue tube with one end closed)
• 1" x 4" paper strips
• Pencil
• Index cards, plain and colored
• Background information from lessons in the Curriculum Kit reviewed in class. [Can adapt for use with other topics.]

Procedure:

ACTIVITY 1 - HOROSCOPE

1. Teacher and students review the history, legends and meaning of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.
2. Give students their own Chinese Lunar Calendars (see "Materials").
3. Ask the students to locate their year of birth and the animals and characteristics associated with it on their own Lunar Calendars.
4. Discuss with the students how seriously they feel the horoscope should be taken.
5. Instruct the students to talk with family members about the horoscope and select two people to write about, in addition to themselves, on Worksheet #1 (see "Materials").
6. Discuss the horoscope concept believed and followed by many in the United States. Bring in several newspapers and find the horoscopes in them. Have several students read their daily horoscopes based upon their birth date. Compare these to their Chinese horoscope and its attributes.
7. Instruct the students to calculate the animal sign in the year they will graduate from high school, graduate from college, get married or mark any other important year in their lives. Allow the students to select the years in order to have a variety within the class. (Work Sheet #2; see "Materials")

ACTIVITY 2 - TEAM CONTEST

1. Select a statement from the Background Information from the lessons previously reviewed in class. [Other topics may be used.] Change it to read: Who...? What...? Why...? When...? or How...?
2. Write each of these questions on an index card.
3. Number each card.
4. Number each popsicle stick to match a number on the index cards.
5. Place the popsicle sticks in the Fortune Stick container.
6. Students take turns shaking the containers until one stick edges out.
7. Student reads the number of the stick; his/her partner asks the question from the index card with the matching number.
8. A correct answer equals one point; an incorrect answer equals no additional points.
9. The student with the most points gets to create a "trick stick" using a question that may be more difficult to answer. These sticks are made from index cards of a different color and are added to a new Fortune Stick container and marked with a distinctive colored band to indicate the level of difficulty.

ACTIVITY 3 - FORTUNE TELLING

1. Students brainstorm proverbs or words of wisdom, i.e.:
   • If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
   • A penny saved is a penny earned.
   • The early bird catches the worm.
   • Patience is a virtue.
2. Write proverbs on the board to serve as examples.
3. Students will write their won words of wisdom or a proverb on index cards.
4. Assign a number to each card.
5. Number the popsicle sticks to match the numbered cards.
6. Place the popsicle sticks in the container.
7. Students take turns shaking the containers until one stick edges out.
8. A correct answer equals one point; an incorrect answer equals no additional points.
9. Student reads the number of the stick; his/her partner reads the proverb or words of wisdom from the index card with the matching number.

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Bibliography

Huang, Joe. A Different New Year. San Francisco: Chinese Culture Foundation, No Date.

Kalman, Bobbie.. China, The Culture. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1989.

Yuan, Julian. Our Global Village China, St. Louis: Milliken Publishing Company, 1992.

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Copyright 1994 Chinese Historical and Cultural Project All rights reserved. Reproduction of Golden Legacy worksheets by the classroom teacher for use in the classroom and not for commercial sale is permissible. The submission of this material in the AskERIC Virtual Library (ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology) has been authorized by the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project. However, no part of this publication may otherwise be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project. The use of these items herein does not infringe on copyright privilege.

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