Designed by Joanna Jakubowska for Pearson Longman

PHOTOCOPIABLE

FESTIVAL WORKSHEETS

April Fool's Day Lesson

Preintermediate PLUS

April fool - someone who is tricked on April Fools' Day, or the trick that is played on them

April Fools’ Day - also All Fools' Day; April 1

st

, a day when people play tricks on each other

1. Fill the gaps in the text with the correct words from the box below.

hole

popular

jokes

traps

messages

deceive

keen

shoelace victims laugh

parents

practical

The first day of April is known in England as All Fools’ Day or April Fool’s Day. It is a

day for playing tricks and making (1)…………. .You are allowed to play as many tricks
as you like on as many people as you can (2)…………. . Children are especially very
(3)………. on April Fool's Day because then they can shout ’April Fool’ and have a

good (4)…………. . Their (5)…………. could be anybody – other children,
(6)……………, teachers, friends, shop assistants or anyone else gullible enough to fall
into their well-laid (7)………. . April Fool tricks are usually oral or (8)…………. . So
don’t panic when someone tells you that you have got a (9)………….. in your dress, a

stain on your trousers, an insect in your hair or your (10)…………….. is undone. The
most (11)…………… practical jokes are as follows: a bowl of water placed where
someone will step into it; a sleeve or trouser-leg sewn up; a letter containing some
devious (12) …………… or invitations. Are you going to play any tricks on April 1

st

?

2. What tricks do people in Poland usually play on that day?

! Have you ever played a practical joke on a friend?
! Has anyone ever played a trick on you?
! Do you remember any jokes played on listeners or viewers by radio or TV

stations on April Fool's Day?

3. It’s time to play tricks with WORDS!!!

Tricky words: trick, play , joke

Why are these words tricky? Read the examples below and make your own sentences
with these words illustrating the difference between noun/verb.

trick (noun)

‘ I'm getting tired of your silly tricks.’

trick (verb)

‘I'm not trying to trick you - just answer the question.’

play (noun)

‘ The play is about two men on trial for murder.’

play (verb)

‘Charles likes to play Celtic music on his flute.’

joke (noun)

‘Do you want to hear a good joke?

’

joke (verb)

‘I never joke about money.’

Examples come from

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English on CD Rom

Designed by Joanna Jakubowska for Pearson Longman

PHOTOCOPIABLE

FESTIVAL WORKSHEETS

April Fool's Day Lesson

Teachers Notes

1. Start the lesson by writing the date "1

st

April" on the board and asking

students to say what comes to their minds when they think of that day. Try to

elicit words such as:

a joke, a trick, a practical joke, to play a joke on

someone, to take sb in, to deceive, gullible, devious...

Check if students

know what April Fool and April Fool's Day are.

2. Then distribute worksheet A and ask the students to read the text about April

Fool's Day and fill in the gaps.

Exercise 1 - ANSWERS:

1) jokes

2) deceive
3) keen
4) laugh

5) victims
6) parents
7) traps
8) practical

9) hole
10) shoelace
11) popular

12) messages

Check the answers and make sure that students understand the text.

3. Follow the gap fill activity with a personalized speaking task. Ask the students

to answer questions in exercise 2 in pairs or groups of three first and then ask
each of the pairs/groups to report the most interesting story.

4. Tell the students that some words can play tricks on them. They can be both

verb or noun, can sound very similar or are false friends. Do exercise 3 with

the class and then, if you have time, elicit similar 'tricky words' examples.

1.