If I Ran the Circus...

I would make it full of kids! :) Yesterday I taught my jester lesson. Bet you didn't know...

~there is actually record of a dwarf who entertained a pharaoh in Ancient Egypt

~the word for "actor" and "jester/clown" is the same word in Latin and Chinese

~what we think of as renaissance jesters came from the Roman empire. Occasionally the emperors of Rome banished actors from the cities, so they traveled around the occupied regions, including Britain.

~in the middle ages and renaissance, jester was the only profession that could ascend the social ladder. Jesters could be anyone: peasants, apprentices, disrobed monks, petty thieves, etc. If you were entertaining enough you could be "discovered" by a rich lord or even royalty and be promoted to a high social standing.

~the court jester represented freedom of speech for a society that had none... he could say (almost) anything to the lord/king as it was always taken as foolery. He/she (yes there were famous women jesters too!) allowed the king to laugh at himself which made him much more lovable to his subjects.

~royal physicians of the middle ages prescribed laughter to balance the four humors that governed the mind and body. So even then they knew that laughter was the best medicine! :)

Ok so there is much more... but if you want to know I'll let you go to the library! After the lesson I taught them how to make jester hats. I found the pattern online and they were a hit! Today they finished the hats and a friend of Dedra's came and taught them how to juggle (kind of). They had a blast anyway... and here are some pictures of both the hats and the juggling.

So it was a great way to end the week! Unfortunately this weekend is going to be too short since we are doing a group unit plan (meeting tomorrow afternoon) and we also have to each do an individual lesson plan to teach Monday from the unit. So.... lots of homework! But for now, I am treating myself to pizza and an evening of doing nothing :)