2. Introduction

The Chinese Zodiac

Description: This Web Quest explores Chinese twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac, their character traits, connections to astrology, the arts, language, and Chinese culture.

Grade Level: 9-12

Curriculum: Chinese language and culture

Keywords: zodiac 生肖, rat鼠, ox牛, tiger虎, rabbit兔, dragon龍, snake蛇, horse 馬, goat 羊, monkey 猴, rooster 鷄, dog狗, pig 豬,

Welcome to the wonder of the Chinese zodiac and the culture that gave it life. The zodiac reveals that people interact with its ideas

and symbols in many different ways. It may be used to give significance to one’s birth. It might help them better understand

themselves or those with whom they feel a connection. Still others use the zodiac to choose a wife or husband. Some may even use

the zodiac as pure entertainment. Nevertheless, the zodiac is tradition steeped in Chinese history and culture. Its importance as a

tool for understanding elements of the Chinese as a whole cannot be underestimated. In this Webquest, students will begin to

experience and respond to the zodiac in many different ways just like the Chinese themselves. In so doing, they may well come to

recognize what is familiar in the faces of an unknown culture is the universal struggle to make meaning of the mystery that is life.

Besides the 12 animal story we have learned in class, there is another similar story here:

The Jade Emperor up in the Chinese Heaven wanted to plot out the course of time, so he decided to hold a race for all of the animals

on earth. The first twelve finishers would get one whole year awarded to them. And those twelve years would repeat in a cycle

according to the order the twelve finishers came in. And so all of the animals set off except for cat who thought it would be much

better to lay by the warm stove instead. This is why Cat is not in the Chinese Zodiac; however his cousin the Tiger is.

The animals all came to a wide river. The rat said to ox "Ox, I can not swim. Will you give me a ride across the river? "Ox, who was

kind and hard-working, agreed to give rat a ride. But when Ox reached the far shore of the river, rat dashed off his back into the

front door of the house of the Jade Emperor. Ox still does not like rat very much.

When rat got to the house of the Jade Emperor, the emperor said, Congratulations Rat, you are the first place finisher. And he

explained how rat had one full year in his honor, every twelve years. The other animals came in this order: ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon,

snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

What year were you born in?