Why Is He Yawning?

Over time, humans have come up with many theories as to why we yawn. An interesting one from ancient times: yawning meant that evil spirits were trying to get inside you. Yikes!

For more info on yawning (and sneezing, hiccuping, and more) and a fun read-aloud, check out Why I Sneeze, Shiver, Hiccup, and Yawn by Melvin Berger. It skews a bit young but is full of fascinating facts!

Here’s a fun task for your class: Have them watch this 45-second video of people yawning and challenge them not to yawn. Keep track of how many can’t resist!

Interesting fact: in 1923, a British neurologist named Sir Francis Walshe noticed that his patients who were paralyzed still yawned. This shows that yawning isn’t something we can control!