April Fools' Day

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year." ~ Mark Twain

April Fools' Day, sometimes called All Fools' Day, is one of the most light hearted days of the year. Its origins are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from the adoption of a new calendar. April Fools' Day is observed throughout the Western world. Practices include sending someone on a "fool's errand," looking for things that don't exist, playing pranks, and trying to get people to believe ridiculous things. Taken from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html .

Teachers can help the children learn to appreciate the different beliefs as to why April Fools' Day is celebrated, to write a mythical story on how they believe April Fools' Day began, to comprehend the difference between a hurtful joke and a good natured prank, and to learn about other cultures and how they celebrate April Fools' Day on April 1.

Check out some more resources on April Fools' Day at: http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/april.htm Resources
http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm History
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/aprilfools/origins.asp Origins
http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgrane/holidays/2_brian.html Facts http://www.fi.edu/qa99/spotlight4/ April Fools' Day http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/april.html Unit
http://holidays.mrdonn.org/aprilfools.html All Over the World
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/aprilfool.shtml Activities http://www.vickiblackwell.com/aprilfools.html Resources http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/aprilfools.htm Resources
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp071.shtml Backwards Day Lesson