Goggles Safety

Introduction

This deck of cards is a great way to introduce a serious safety concept to your students with the help of a little magic. Students will be amazed to see that their teacher can perform magic, and will not soon forget the lesson they just learned about the importance of wearing goggles in the science classroom and laboratory. This is a beginner level magic trick that only requires about five minutes to learn. However, practicing the procedure well before your performance will ensure that the “magic” behind the card trick is not revealed.

Concepts

• Safety
• Observation
• Discrepant event

Materials

Safety Precautions

Although the materials in this demonstration are considered non-hazardous, please observe all normal laboratory safety guidelines.

Disposal

The Goggles Safety card deck is reusable and should be stored for future use.

Procedure

1. Lay out the three “whole” playing cards—out of the view of the students.
2. The blank card should be in the middle, between the two cards picturing a student wearing safety goggles.
3. Place the half card, with the picture of the student without safety goggles, over the top of the blank card. The picture of the student should be in front of the blank card and the back of the half card should cover the back of the blank card. The top edge and sides of the half card should be lined up with the top edge and sides of the blank card as shown in Figure 1. This is the “gimmick” card.
   {12679_Procedure_Figure_1}
4. Place the gimmick card on top of the card on the left and place the card on the right on top of the gimmick card.
5. Square up the cards and place them in the palm of your hand (for right-handed people, this is usually your right hand).
6. Slide the cards down so that the students see the top portion of all three cards as shown in Figure 2.
   {12679_Procedure_Figure_2}
7. Point out that two students are wearing safety goggles and the third student is not. Use the following patter: There were three students assigned to a lab group. Notice that two of the students are following the laboratory safety rules and are wearing goggles and one student decided not to follow the rules and is performing the experiment without goggles.
8. Square up the cards again and grab them with your other hand. The palm should be down with knuckles closed and facing the students. Only a small portion of the back of the cards should be showing.
9. Remove one card at a time from the deck and place them face down on a lab table or desk. Retain the half card in your partially closed hand. By placing the whole cards on the table in the order they were in your hand, you should have the two students with goggles on either side of the blank card.
10. Continue the patter as the two cards with students wearing goggles are turned over. Then, turn over the middle (blank) card: This student wore safety goggles during the experiment and the experiment went well (turn over the first card). This student also wore safety goggles during the experiment and completed the assignment safely (turn over the second card). This student, however, chose not to wear goggles. During the experiment, acid splashed out of a beaker and into the student’s face. The student was rushed to the eyewash and the eyes and eyelids were rinsed for 20 minutes. Even though the eyewash was used, this is all the student was able to see from that moment forward (turn over the blank card). I hope you will remember to wear your safety goggles during every experiment in this class and at any time when asked. It would be a shame if you were to lose your sight as this student did.
11. Show the students that the cards are real, but be careful not to expose the half card in your hand.
12. Collect the cards for the next safety demonstration or for storage.
13. If asked to repeat the Goggles Safety Card Trick, simply reply, “You only get one chance to be safe.”

Teacher Tips

• Be creative.
• Try to secretly place the half card in your pocket after you lay the whole playing cards out on a lab table or desk.
• Make up a story or scenario that fits with the class’s personality.
• Use this activity as a discrepant event. Get the students to figure out the magic behind the trick. Answer only “Yes” and “No” questions until they discover that the half card rests on top of the blank gimmick card.