Looking for an April Fools Day science lesson? How about an April Fools Day science lesson that also utilizes critical thinking and generates debate? Sure, there are some science lessons out there that fulfill the list. Many of these April Fools Day science lessons have students observe a discrepant event. Unfortunately, this also requires lab equipment, materials, and some sort of set up (and subsequent clean up). But, is there an April Fools Day science lesson that does the same thing but doesn’t require a list of materials and setup instructions?

Two words summarize the science lesson that gets all students thinking (and may even trick a few too): flat earth. A quick disclaimer: I do not believe in flat earth at all. However, for one lesson every year, I pretend to be a card-carrying member of the flat earth society. I tell students the earth is actually flat and round like a frisbee or pizza (and not spherical like a basketball). I know, as science teachers, the idea of flat earth sounds absurd and crazy. The lesson gets students to think they’re science teacher is crazy too and it also generates a lot of debate. One year, I even convinced a handful of kids that the earth was flat (while I made a whole bunch of other students mad because they couldn’t handle “the truth”). The best thing is, teachers can use this science lesson regardless of whether it’s April Fools Day or not. Handouts are available for download at the end of this post as well.

Another disclaimer: I actually got this lesson idea 15 years ago from Bruce Gurney, former UBC Faculty of Education science instructor and retired North Vancouver teacher. And, I’ve used the lesson every year since (it’s definitely stood the test of time).

Flat Earth, April Fools Day Science Lesson 101

Most (if not all) students know the earth is spherical. But, besides a teacher telling them the earth is spherical, how do students know this to be true? What is the evidence and reasoning that supports the fact that the earth is spherical? In other words, how do students know that what they know is actually true? That is the premise behind this lesson. I mean, what if someone else stands up and says the earth is not spherical but flat. How do we know flat earth is wrong? Thus, during the lesson, I ask students to provide evidence to support the fact that the earth is spherical.

Quick History

The idea that the earth was spherical was first proposed in the 6th century BC. In 3rd century BC, Eratosthenes, a greek astronomer, was able to estimate the circumference of the earth by studying the differences in the way the sun casts a shadow at Alexandria and Syrene at the summer solstice. This all took place before ships were able to circumnavigate the globe (during the 1500s) and before the advent of airplanes (1903) or space satellites (1957). Thus, I like to ask students to provide evidence that does not require tech (ie. photos from space, google maps, etc).

Before the lesson

Produce something formal-looking for students to look at or copy down (I usually make a powerpoint presentation). Some flat earth facts to Include in the presentation are:

• The Earth is flat and round like a cookie or pizza.
• The continents on the Earth are laid out like it is on the United Nations Flag.
• The sun and moon revolve around the Earth.
• The “north pole” is actually the centre of the Earth’s surface.
• The Earth is surrounded on all sides by a wall of ice that holds the oceans back. This ice wall is what navigators call the “south pole” or Antarctica.

To start the lesson

Tell the class that today’s lesson is on astronomy. Then, have students copy down their notes from the powerpoint presentation. I generally have one flat earth fact per slide with accompanying photos. I also try to act as normal as possible – like this is just any other lesson I give. Typically, by the third or fourth slide, students will generally raise their hands, ask questions, or bring up objections.

Field Notes

Some tips to help you perform your best in this April Fools Day science lesson:

1. Provide flat earth evidence

According to the Flat Earth Society Page (yes, they exist), “The simplest is by relying on one’s own senses to discern the true nature of the world around us. The world looks flat, the bottoms of clouds are flat, the movement of the Sun; these are all examples of your senses telling you that we do not live on a spherical heliocentric world.” Thus, if students ask why you think the earth is flat, say “Look outside. The world is flat.”

Also, the United Nations Flag is also the same as the map that Flat Earth believers ascribe to. Thus, I tell students that, secretly, there are signs that Flat Earth may be true.

2. Ask what evidence support spherical Earth model

This is a fun part of the lesson. Students will try to refute your flat earth model. They’ll certainly bring up photos from space. Or how they can see the earth’s curvature from the plane. And how a ship’s mast will always appear on the horizon before the hull. I handle these objections by using the following.

• Photos are easily manipulated through things like Photoshop.
• Visual observations from a distance (like the plane or the ship) can be explained using refraction.

Our handouts also provide more details as to how I handle the 7 most common questions from students.

3. Answers to uncommon flat earth questions

Students always ask other questions about the flat earth model. It’s ok to say you don’t know – because just because you don’t know doesn’t mean it can’t be true. It just hasn’t been confirmed yet. For example, students usually ask, “what happens if you drill through the Earth? What’s on the other side?” To which I answer, “the biggest drill in the world has yet to drill through a hundred kilometers in depth – the earth is much thicker than that. And, no one knows what’s on the other side – no one’s flown their. And, if someone has flown their, it’s probably being kept under wraps. Government conspiracy.” And, yes, government conspiracy is a valid answer too.

As a rule, try to move the conversation back to what evidence students can provide that the earth is spherical. In fact, a lot of students cannot provide much evidence beyond photo evidence or seeing the curvature of the Earth from a plane.

Important: Before the End of Class

Make sure you tell students you don’t actually believe in flat earth and that this whole April Fools Day science lesson has been, well, a hoax. How do we know the earth is spherical?

One piece of evidence I give relates to lunar eclipses. Specifically, when the earth casts its shadow on the moon, it is always the same curvature – thus supporting a spherical earth. A cookie-shaped earth would cast a different shadow each time depending on the angle and position of the sun and moon relative to the earth.

Wikipedia’s page on Spherical Earth provides a good list of evidence too. And, it provides a historical account of the discoveries that lead to the acceptance of spherical earth as well

Wrap Up

An April Fools Day science lesson doesn’t have to require special setup or equipment. In fact, instead of observing discrepant events, we can get the same self reflection and questioning by asking students how they know what they know is true. How do students know the earth is not flat when what we see in front of us is flat land? Being a true scientist means we ask questions – and sometimes, it’s good to question our own assumptions too. Click the link below to download the handouts to this post, where I provide more details into how I handle objections. As always, please share our resources with your colleagues. And, if you want to receive weekly updates from us, please sign up for our newsletter too.

Until next time, keep it REAL!

Resources

Handout(s): 52 – Flat Earth _ April Fools Day Lesson Handout

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