Horoscopes ? Class Exercise 1
You are provided with a model “all purpose” horoscope, aimed at the average year 8 child ? say 12 to 14 years old.
SUGGESTED USE:
1. Cut and paste this horoscope onto twelve separate pages.
2. Change the font, font colour and font size to your taste.
3. Modify the heading slightly so that you have a horoscope for each star sign.
4. Alter the font on each page so that it appears as if you have twelve different documents.
5. Save them.
6. Print them off, preferably on different colour sheets; A4 parchment is best , if available.
7. “Distress” your twelve horoscopes so that they look well-consulted.
8. While your class is working quietly on some other useful project, call each student up one at a time. After ascertaining their “star sign“, rummage through your sheaf of twelve documents until you find the “right” one. Don’t allow students to see other people’s horoscope, because, after all, there’s a principle of privacy involved!
9. Allow the student to read “their” horoscope, or better still, read it to them.
10. Ask the student to indicate whether the horoscope was very accurate / reasonably accurate / poor. Keep a tally.
11. Once every student has had a chance to be involved, draw the class’s attention to the result of the tally. You can confidently expect that a high percentage of the class will rate their horoscope as “very accurate”
12. Read the text out loud to the class and ask them to put up their hand if they recognised it as theirs. At this stage, students will realise that the twelve horoscopes were identical.
13. Get students to tell you why one single text appeared to apply to each student separately, and how this “generalist” approach to horoscope writing might be present in the horoscopes of various media outlets.
HOROSCOPE FOR SAGITTARIUS (FOR EXAMPLE)
You are a sensitive person with a good sense of humour. People can generally rely on you . However, not everybody you know really appreciates you ,understands you, or gives you credit for the skills that you know you have. You have plans for the future, but some of your deepest wishes you keep hidden even from those closest to you. Your tastes in music are not shared by everyone in your family. You enjoy the company of others, but you also appreciate quiet time on your own.

Horoscopes – Class Exercise 2

Have the subjects each look at the first table Character Traits According to Astrology to decide which of the twelve descriptions best suits them (positive and negative traits must be taken together – you can’t “Mix and Match“). You can open these tables for viewing or downloading using the link at the bottom of the page.
When they have all done that, reveal the second table Astrology.com Says.. , which assigns a sign of the zodiac to each set of characteristics.
Do a quick survey to see how close the subject’s characteristics that they assigned themselves came to those that the Astrology site assigned to them on the basis of their birthday.
The final table is to assist you in taking an overall Group Result .

These tables will open when you click on them.