Magic in the Classroom

Magic is surrounded with an air of surprise, mystery and wonder. Simple tricks to complex illusions leave us pondering questions, such as how does that work, and how is it possible. It is that natural ability of magic to inspire the imagination and hook the audience, which makes it a tremendous teaching tool.

Captivating Classroom Applications

Using magic-related activities and resources can promote student engagement, decreasing behavior problems. In the same manner it can increase student motivation and enjoyment in the classroom. There are a myriad of ways to seamlessly incorporate magic into the school day; two easy ways to do this is using anticipatory sets, or hook tricks and content connections.

• Anticipatory Sets and Lead Ins- Magic tricks and illusions have the ability to engage learners’ imaginations and critical thinking skills. When preparing to teach a vocabulary lesson, I decided to add a twist. Instead of reading cards posted on our focus wall chorally, I posted “blank” cards. Each card had been pretreated with a word written in invisible ink created from lemon juice. Using a flashlight fitted with a small heat lamp, we discovered each word. The initial thrill of this magical lead-in lasted throughout the lesson.
• Content connections- Oftentimes, I have heard colleagues say they are sick of gimmicks being used to momentarily gain student attention. Magic is more than a gimmick or bit of flash, it can also serve as the vehicle to share content. Teach By Magic online videos share simple to use tricks and illusions that actively model content objectives. One of my favorite tricks involves folding a dollar bill into fourths and then tipping it to the side to reveal a fourth of a dollar, a quarter.

Motivating Magic Types and Resources

There are a wide variety of resources freely available for the novice to experienced educational magician. These resources tend to fall within several broad categories.

• Brain Teasers and Puzzles- Problems, riddles, and puzzles inspire and prime students' minds to explore problem solving and complex thinking processes.

• Card Tricks- A commonly known way of using cards to reveal different effects or results, these are easy to perform single-handily and with no more than a deck of cards.
• Tricks and Illusions- There are a vast range of actions and methods of intrigue; these can be used to entertain, engage, and enhance content. 

Tips from Teachers Using Magic

• Start simple and slow, with an easy to use trick that appeals to you.
• Develop your own style for using magic that fits your personality and teaching style.
• Don’t repeat the same tricks again and again; they’ll lose their appeal.
• Use it sporadically and spontaneously, it shouldn’t be an expected part of lessons.
• Carefully choose whether or not to have students help or volunteer for a trick, it can make others feel left out.

Magical Lessons and Activities: 

Magic Sum

Students use a magic trick while learning two-digit addition.  Since this is a tricky concept for students to understand, adding a motivating element can help them internalize this skill.

The Magician's Apprentice

Everyone in class gets a chance to practice giving and getting directions in this exploration of the world of magic. Students recreate a trick. After evaluating the clarity of the instructions, students take turns teaching a partner their trick. This is a great activity to promote critical thinking skills.

The Magic Words 

Students create a magical illusion inspired by a literature passage. This is a creative way for students to review and analyze the classroom literature.