Overview of Resources in the Chinese New Year Narrative Pack – The Race
This topic will introduce the Chinese New Year story of The Race, a folk tale which tells of how the
Chinese Zodiac years were named after various animals. Children will learn about the characters in the
story and their personality traits / characteristics. Through PSHE, children will discuss their own
characteristics and those of others, before suggesting an animal character for themselves.
Children will then listen to the story of The Hare and the Tortoise, focusing on the idea of a race, animal
characters and characteristics and what the story may teach people (everyone gets there in their own
time, ‘slow and steady’ wins the race). Through imaginative play and drama, children will work
cooperatively to create their own stories; developing ideas, planning and then writing stories, responding
to self-assessment and feedback.
Lesson
Synopsis
Lesson resources
Interactives:
Children will listen to the story and discuss the
animals in The Race.
Lesson 1 –
Listening to
the story and
sequencing
events
They will aim to sequence images and captions
from the story, working with a partner and
discussing choices. They may use the interactive
sequencer to check their ordering.
They will use the Zodiac Spinner to investigate
the Chinese animal corresponding to the year of
their birth.
Lesson 2 –
Personality
traits
Children will begin by working in pairs to match
the animals from The Story of the Race to their
characteristics from the story, opening up
discussion for choices and of personality traits.
Children will take part in a Circle Time session
and group work to identify their own personality
traits, naming positive characteristics.

Naming of the Years – Storybook

Naming of the Years – Sequence and Retell

Chinese Animals Sorter (Self-Marking)

Chinese Zodiac Spinner
Printables:

Naming of the Years – Text and Images

Naming of the Years – Story Sequencing
Printables:

Zodiac Animals Matching Game

Zodiac Animal Personalities

My Animal Profile
Children will be asked to identify an animal that
would suit them and their personality traits.
Interactives:
Children will aim to identify the features of
stories, such as giving human characteristics to
animals.
Lesson 3 –
The Hare and
the Tortoise
Lesson 4 –
Story
challenge and
planning
characters
They will listen to the story of The Hare and the
Tortoise and think about the characters and find
words to describe them. They will link what they
have discussed with their own knowledge, by
suggesting animals in stories that have human
characteristics.
Children will be set a challenge to write a story
about a race involving animals. They will create
characters from the animal spinners and develop
their ideas about what the animals would be
good at and what could go wrong.
They will plan their own characters and create
small models of them using plasticine or clay.

Hare and Tortoise – Storybook

Hare and Tortoise – Character Comparer (see
the How To document for details of this tool)
Printables:

Hare and Tortoise - Text and Images

Animal Characters

How To – Character Comparer
Interactives:

Animal Spinner
Printables:

Planning Animal Characters
Overview of Resources in the Chinese New Year Narrative Pack – The Race
Challenge children to create their own race track
to help them plan their story.
Lesson 5 –
Creating and
describing
settings
Lesson 6 –
Planning
writing

Questions for Planning the Race Story
Model the planning of the race and allow
children to plan their own.
Children will then work on developing their own
race tracks and play with it to develop their
ideas. They will describe scenery on their race
tracks, labelling the areas.
The interactive Story Mountain will be used to
model planning ideas for the story. Children will
be supported to complete their own story
mountains.
Children will consider the lesson that can be
learnt from their stories and write it in secret to
keep hidden until they write their full stories.
Children will play a game in pairs to act out
characters, thinking of what they may say, whilst
their partner must guess what the animal is and
what is its personality trait.
Lesson 7 –
Story writing
Printables:
Children will then work on writing their stories,
responding to feedback to support and extend
learning.
Further sessions may be needed to complete
stories and evidence of the whole writing
process may be displayed on a literacy learning
wall.
Interactives:

Story Mountain
Printables:

Story Mountain Template
Interactives:

Story Mountain
Printables:

Questions for Planning the Race Story

Story Mountain Template

Chinese Zodiac – Story Starters