Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)
This Lunar New Year marks the start of the Year of the Horse. Each year is represented by one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. The zodiac is very important in traditional Chinese culture. The animals symbolise different traits that people value.
Rewrite the story
Imagine that you could choose a 13th animal to add to the Chinese zodiac. Rewrite the ending to the story below so that it ends with the Jade Emperor choosing one more animal to add to the zodiac. Consider these questions.
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Why was this animal so slow?
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What does the animal say to convince the Jade Emperor to choose it?
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How does the Jade Emperor respond?
The Jade Emperor asked all the animals to race for a spot in the zodiac system. They had to cross a river to finish the race. The rat finished first because it rode on the ox’s back and jumped off. Next came the tiger and the rabbit. The dragon came in fifth because it took time to save some nearby villagers. Then, the snake, horse, sheep, monkey and rooster finished. The dog and pig arrived next. The Jade Emperor was ready to end the race until he saw one more animal coming across the river ...
Invent the 13th zodiac animal
Write a profile for the new animal you’d like to add to the zodiac. Make sure to include the following information:
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What animal is it?
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What are its positive personality traits?
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What are its negative personality traits?
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Note its lucky colours.
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Share three other zodiac animals it gets along with.
