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January 31
The Chinese New Year starts today.
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| Grades | 2 – 12 |
| Calendar Activity Type | Holiday & School Celebration |
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Today is the first day of the New Year on the Chinese lunar calendar. Each year of the calendar's 12-year cycle is represented by an animal. According to the Chinese zodiac, people born during a given year share traits with that animal. 2014 is the year of the horse. Those born under this year are supposed to be energetic, clever, cheerful, and kind to others.
Introduce students to the Chinese New Year by having them explore the Chinese zodiac. Begin the activity by having each student write five to eight adjectives or phrases that describe his or her personality traits. These should not be physical characteristics like hair color or height, but qualities such as "a good sense of humor," "honest," or "a risk-taker."
Then, have students look at the Chinese zodiac to find a description of the attibutes people would have if they were born in the same year they were. For younger students, try the Chinese Calendar, and for older students, try Chinese Horoscopes.
Once students have read their animal's attributes, have them explain how the animal does or does not seem to represent them. They should use specific examples from their own experiences to support what they say. For example, if the zodiac says that they have difficulty with authority, students should write about a time when they resisted (or did not resist) an authority figure.
Next, students can look through the other animal signs to see which one best represents them and write a persuasive piece describing why that sign fits them best.
- Chinese New Year: 2014
This site offers information about the tradition and customs associated with Chinese New Year celebrations. Related links provide information on the Chinese zodiac and a Chinese New Year quiz.
- Year of the Horse
This Activity Village site offers printable posters, worksheets, puzzles, and cards to help students learn about the traditions of the Chinese New Year.
- Chinese New Year
This ThinkQuest resource provides kid-friendly information on the background and traditions of Chinese New Year. It includes information on activities leading up to and immediately following the New Year's Day.
- Chinese Horoscopes
This activity from National Geographic allows students to find their birth year animals and their related characteristics.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
The Year I Was Born: An Autobiographical Research Project
Students explore the year they were born through interviews and research, and then weave the details into a newspaper or booklet, written from another person’s point of view.
Grades 4 – 7 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Boars and Baseball: Making Connections
In this lesson, students will make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections after reading In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. After sharing and discussing connections, students choose and plan a project that makes a personal connection to the text.
Grades 3 – 5 | Lesson Plan | Minilesson
Promoting Cultural Values Through Alphabet Books
C is for Culture in this lesson in which students research a culture different from their own and compile an alphabet book that showcases cultural symbols for each letter of the alphabet.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan
Keywords: Learning to Focus Internet Research
Surf’s up! Students will make a splash in this lesson when they learn how to effectively surf the Internet for specific information.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Students are introduced to proverbs and explore how proverbs are often tied to a culture’s values and everyday experience, although their meanings are not always readily apparent to us today.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Proverbs: At Home and around the World
In this lesson, students work with proverbs from home and from around the world, exploring how these maxims are tied to a culture’s values and everyday experience.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Investigating Names to Explore Personal History and Cultural Traditions
Students investigate the meanings and origins of their names in order to establish their own personal histories and to explore the cultural significance of naming traditions.
