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Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “Why Do We Yawn?” by Roni Caryn Rabin

The “Ask Well” section invites readers to ask questions about health and wellness. A reader asked:

Is there a purpose to a yawn? I know it means you’re sleepy, but is the body trying to accomplish something by the act of yawning?

In this lesson, you will learn about theories of why people yawn and what happens when we yawn as well as write your own theory as to why we do.

Warm-Up

Before reading the article, watch this video:

Did you yawn after watching it?

Roni Caryn Rabin describes a yawn in this way:

Yawning consists of a deep inhalation of air accompanied by a powerful stretching of the jaw, followed by a shorter expiration of air and rapid closing of the jaw.

Why do you think our bodies yawn? Come up with as many reasons as you can.

Vocabulary

Look at the nine words below that appear in the featured article. Define as many of them as you can.

1. contagious

2. physiological

3. speculate

4. deprivation

5. oxygenation

6. inhalation

7. cerebral

8. antagonize

9. synchronizing

You can find out what all of these words mean and practice using them by checking out this list on vocabulary.com.

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article, or follow along with this PDF, then answer these questions:

1. What are some theories about why people yawn?

2. Why is yawning is contagious?

3. Did you yawn while reading the article?

4. Have you noticed other times that you yawn that aren’t mentioned in the article?

Going Further

Option 1:

Are you curious about health and wellness issues? “Ask Well” has answered many reader questions, like “Why Is My Eyelid Twitching?” “I’m Addicted to My Phone. How Can I Cut Back?” and “Does It Matter if I Eat the Stickers on Fruits and Vegetables?”

With your classmates, brainstorm some health and wellness questions, then choose one to research and write an answer to it, as Roni Caryn Rabin does in the piece you just read. One place to look for answers: Science News for Students.

Option 2:

Watch the video above, then do an experiment:

• Create list of five people and/or animals you will see soon.

• Predict what you think will happen if they see you yawn.

• Then, try yawning around them. (Be careful not to tell them what you’re doing!)

• Note if they yawn, and record your results.

What happened? Did you find that yawning is, in fact, contagious?

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