Make sure the person who is writing the name of the missing person writes on the centre slip while the other two students write the names of a student in their class on each of the other two slips. Have the slips folded and dropped into the hat.
When you reach into the hat, all you need to do is feel for the slip with two rough edges.
When you have found it, don't bring it out right away. Have the students concentrate on the names they have written. Bring out the slip, still folded, and hold it against your head.
Build up the suspense until you have created a mystery. Then reveal the slip in your hand as the one with the missing student’s name. For added showbiz flair, leave the room while the names are being written (so that all the spectator students are aware of the names chosen), and then be led in blindfolded for a dramatic presentation.
Mind Trick 2: FAMOUS NAMES
The illusion:
Have members of the audience call out the names of about ten famous people, past or present. You can adapt this trick to curriculum by having students choose key words.
Each name/word is written on a separate card. The cards are then well mixed and you make a prediction on a pad of paper as to which card you think will be picked. A student selects one of the cards. He reads his selection aloud and the name you wrote on the pad is the same as the name read.
How it’s done:
You will need ten small cards or a small pad of paper to write the names on and a hat.
With everything at hand, ask someone to call out the name of a famous person/a key word associated with the lesson topic. Write this down on one of the cards and drop it into the hat. Ask for another name/word. This time do not write the name/word that is called, but write the first name/word that was called. Now both cards in the hat have the same name written on them. As different names/words are called you continue writing the original word on each card until you have about ten cards in the hat, all with the same word on them. Now write this word on the pad so that the audience does not see it.
Place the pad where it can be seen, but with the writing away from the audience. Invite a student to come up and assist you. Shake the hat to mix the cards. Ask the student to reach into the hat and select one of the cards, and read the word written on it, aloud.
After he does this, turn the pad around to show that the name selected was the same as the one that you predicted on the slate. Be sure to destroy the slips after the trick, so that no one may see them.
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