Give each student or group a tangram set (paper or plastic).
Briefly introduce the history of tangrams and their Chinese origins.
Show the list of the 12 Chinese New Year animals:
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
Challenge students to create each animal using all seven tangram pieces.
Encourage them to:
Experiment with shapes and orientations
Compare their designs with classmates
Explain how they decided on each arrangement
Have students choose one animal and write a short description or story about it.
Display all completed tangram animals as a “Chinese Zodiac Gallery.”
Connect the activity to geometry standards by discussing shapes, symmetry, and spatial reasoning.