Spatial Requirements: Regular classroom setup: little or no space required
Activity Type: Object lesson
Grades: 1-12
Group Size: 2 or more
Time: 5-10 minutes

Introduction: This activity will help students understand that when they follow the formula for jumping hurdles, they increase their chance for success.

Materials:

• Dollar bill 
• Five dollar bill  (or any two bills, as long as they are different)
  
  

Activity:

Ask for a volunteer who has a one and a five-dollar bill (or any two different bills). 

Invite the person with the money to the front of the room.  Have them stand to the right of you.  Ask for the two bills from the person.  Place one bill face up on a flat surface.  Place the second on top.  

Ask your assistant to tell the audience which bill is on top.  Now, with both hands, roll up the bills from the bottom (closest to you) so that only the corner of the bill to the right is visible.

As the bills are being rolled up, ask your volunteer to put their finger on the corner of the bill to your right.  

Ask the person which bill is on top.  Say, “I bet you five dollars (or whatever the largest bill is on top) that it switched places and is on the bottom.”  

Regardless of what their answer is, show them that the bill has switched places.  Give them their money back and have them go back to their seat.  

The trick

As you are rolling up the bills, the bill on your left needs to flip over in your hand so that it will be on top.  Make sure that when you practice rolling it up, you keep the audience from seeing the bill flip over.  The following pictures show the right hand only.  The left hand is where the “slight of hand” takes place.  Follow the pictures carefully.  Notice when the bill on the left flips over.  

Practice in front of a mirror before you do the activity.  You need to be able to fool yourself before you can fool an audience.  

Processing the Experience:

• How did the bill change places?  (trick, slight of hand, magic, illusion, etc.)
• What is magic?   (A person that knows the rules and follows the pattern the same way each time)
• As you face challenges, problems, or trials in your own life, how effective are you in solving them?
• How can following the formula for “jumping hurdles” help you become a better problem solver?  
• Do you have challenges/problems in your life that you can’t seem to overcome?  What are they?
• Do you believe that you can overcome the hurdles in your own life?  Why or why not?
• Is it easier to give up when you have a tough challenge or keep going?  Why?
• Who are the people that can help you overcome your challenges?
• Would your hurdle be easier to overcome if you had a support system?  Why or why not?