Magic 8 Ball

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/magic-8-ball

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who invented Magic 8 Ball?1946
2. What is the object type?Fortune-telling novelty toy
3. What is the key inventors?Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman
4. How does a Magic 8 Ball give an answer?When you shake it, the die moves around in the liquid. The small window on the ball shows one face, and that face has the answer.
5. Why does the Magic 8 Ball have 20 answers?The 20 answers are split into 10 positive, 5 negative, and 5 neutral so the ball feels random but not too discouraging.

Novelty item: An unusual or amusing object, often sold as a souvenir or gift, designed to entertain.
Divination: The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means or chance.
Icosahedron: A polyhedron with 20 faces, typically equilateral triangles.
Cultural artifact: An object made by a human being that has cultural meaning or significance.