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Celebrated on April 1 each year, April Fools’ Day is a favorite holiday of joksters and pranksters. If your students are into silly gags, bringing April Fools activities into the classroom can help keep them engaged in their lessons while also building background knowledge on the holiday's history, celebrations, and origins.
Explore the history of April Fools’ Day in social studies
Read about fictional tricks and pranks in ELA
Try a “magic trick” in science
[Explore the history of April Fools’ Day in social studies](id-ss)
Help students discover why April Fools’ Day exists with resources about its history and origins:
Where did April Fools’ Day come from?
The exact origin of April Fools’ Day is a mystery, but some historians believe it started in the late 1500s in France. Students can read more about the holiday’s potential creation and the way people celebrate it in modern times with articles on topics like:
Various theories for how the holiday started.
Why counterfeiting isn’t a prank, but a crime.
How YouTube took action on content policies after dangerous pranks and challenges overtook the platform.
Discover stories with plot twists and surprise endings
Plot twists in literature can be unexpected and exciting. They can also make stories more engaging. Students can learn more about how authors create these intricate twists and turns and then try the technique themselves.
First, have students read the fictional story “Open Window” by Saki and discuss the story's surprising twist as a class or in small groups.
Next, ask students to brainstorm their own story with a twist ending using a plot diagram graphic organizer to collect their thoughts.
Finally, extend the lesson by using “Open Window” as part of a paired text analysis where students can compare the themes of the story to the way real people reacted to a fake radio broadcast in the 1930s.
Dive into the myth of Prometheus, the prankster
Mythology is full of characters who personify traits and learn hard lessons. Students can learn more about the story of the Greek god Prometheus, who was a notorious prankster, using the following lesson:
First, share the video “The Myth of Prometheus” to familiarize students with the story.
Finally, have students answer the focus question, “How do the sound and visual elements in the video contribute to your understanding of the meaning behind the myth of Prometheus?” Try this short answer response on Newsela Writing!
[Try a “magic trick” in science](id-sci)
April Fools’ Day may also be a favorite of magicians or anyone who loves magic tricks. Try some experiments that look like magic but have scientific principles behind them, like:
Creating a rainbow using capillary action.
Making a layered drink using the properties of density.
Create a “drinking candle” that extinguishes itself.
No tricks. Just great content and activities.
Even on April Fools’ Day, we’re serious about delivering high-quality instructional materials. Newsela’s suite of subject products has various content and resources—like news articles, primary sources, literature selections, and interactive videos—to help you teach about any topic.
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