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Today's Horoscope and the Newspaper

Horoscopes can be found in almost all newspapers and magazines. Some people read them for fun and curiosity. Some people even believe what is written. In this activity students will learn about their zodiac signs and will compare and contrast what different media say about their horoscopes for that day. Do the students believe what the horoscope says?

Media / Biennio

One or two 45-minute lessons

Pairs or small groups

The students can ...
... follow links on the Internet.
... identify the different zodiac signs.
... compare and contrast personality characteristics.

The students will be able to ...
... understand the main ideas and significant details of a text.
... compare and contrast information from various sources.
... express personal ideas and opinions.

Procedure

Ask the students if they know what their zodiac (horoscope) sign is. Group the students by zodiac sign. If there are any students alone, put them into a separate group. Ask each group to write down the characteristics of their group's zodiac sign (if they know). Do they know any famous people who were born under the same sign?

Give each group Activity One — Horoscope Profile Card. They should follow the directions on the worksheet and fill in the information.

After completing the Horoscope Profile Card, ask the students for the following information:

Do the characteristics listed for that sign match any of the students in the group. If yes, which characteristics match which students in the group? Which characteristics don't match anyone in the group?

Does the group believe that any of the famous people listed under their sign share those characteristics? Why?

Does the horoscope prediction for that day match anyone in the group?

In Activity Two — Comparing Horoscope Predictions, the students will be asked to search for and compare horoscope predictions from other sources.

Each group should present their findings from Activity One and Activity Two to the class. The presentation should include:

• descriptions of their zodiac sign, what month, from what date to what date.
• characteristics of the zodiac sign.
• explanation of which characteristics of the zodiac sign describe most of the members of the group and which do not.
• celebrities born under the sign.
• details about one celebrity.
• the predictions for that day from some of the different sources.
• explanations of how the predictions differ or are similar.
• a summary of what they have learned about reading horoscope predictions.

 

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