Prediction 10

Both Six Envelopes and VISA take advantage of a concept called equivocation or “Magician’s Choice”, where a magician gives an audience member an apparently free choice, but frames the next stage of the trick in such a way that each choice has the same end result.

Equivocation is also the basis for this trick, in which you correctly predict the word that your students are going to make from 10 randomly selected letters.

For more information on the concept of equivocation, visit the wikipedia page.

      • You correctly predict the word that your students are going to make from 10 randomly selected letters.
      • Skills: Listening & reading
      • For practicing: Spelling, pronunciation of letters.

Demonstration & Explanation

 

Think-a-bit tip: As we suggested with “the list“, why not make your prediction the definition of the word that the students have to solve? In this case, once your students have found “cornflakes” you can ask them what cornflakes are, only to reveal that your prediction is the same as their definition (“a very popular breakfast cereal made of corn”).

Think-a-bit tip #2: Instead of letters, use words… in fact. Let’s say you’re a teacher of literature; write the first 12 words of “A Tale of Two Cities” on each of the cards and have the students put the words into the correct order, then reveal your prediction: “this is how A Tale of Two Cities begins”.

Next trick: “Liar Liar” >>