Lesson plan

Magic (illusion)

Magic is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It encompasses the subgenres of close-up magic and parlor magic, among others. It is to be distinguished from supernatural magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, has become a popular theatrical art form. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant, Howard Thurston, Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic", a period in which performance magic became a staple of Broadway theatre, vaudeville, and music halls. Meanwhile, magicians such as Georges Méliès, Gaston Velle, Walter R. Booth, and Orson Welles introduced pioneering filmmaking techniques informed by their knowledge of magic. Magic has retained its popularity into the 21st century by adapting to the mediums of television and the internet, with magicians such as David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, Paul Daniels, Criss Angel, David Blaine, Derren Brown, and Shin Lim modernizing the art form.…

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Article summary

Magic is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It encompasses the subgenres of close-up magic and parlor magic, among others. It is to be distinguished from supernatural magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, has become a popular theatrical art form. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant, Howard Thurston, Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic", a period in which performance magic became a staple of Broadway theatre, vaudeville, and music halls. Meanwhile, magicians such as Georges Méliès, Gaston Velle, Walter R. Booth, and Orson Welles introduced pioneering filmmaking techniques informed by their knowledge of magic. Magic has retained its popularity into the 21st century by adapting to the mediums of television and the internet, with magicians such as David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, Paul Daniels, Criss Angel, David Blaine, Derren Brown, and Shin Lim modernizing the art form.…

Key claims

  1. date of establishment: 1873 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. date of formation: 1905 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. publication date: 1584 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. publication date: 1614 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of establishment is "1873". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the date of formation is "1905". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the publication date is "1584". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the publication date is "1614". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378909188

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.