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Middle School Assembly & Library Program · Grades 5–8 · 40–45 Minutes
They think they can’t be fooled. That’s exactly why they can.
- Grades 5–8
- 40–45 minutes
- 10 to 350 students
A mentalism show that stops halfway through and explains itself — deception, influence, and why a brain that is working perfectly still believes things that were never there.
Check my dates See what happens in the room
Or call me directly — (716) 940-8963. That’s my cell.
The problem
By thirteen, they’ve decided they’re too smart to be fooled.
It’s a wonderful age for it. They’ve worked out that advertising is trying to sell them something, that adults don’t know everything, and that a lot of what they were told when they were small was simplified. So they arrive at a healthy new conclusion: you can’t fool me.
Which is, of course, the single most foolable state a person can be in.
Your students are making real decisions on a phone that is engineered by very clever people to hold their attention. They are reading things written specifically to be believed and forwarded. Nobody has ever sat them down and shown them the actual mechanics — how attention gets steered, how a choice gets nudged, how confidently a person can remember something that never happened.
You cannot lecture a middle schooler into humility about this. But you can fool them thoroughly, in front of their friends, and then show them exactly how it was done. That lands in a way a slideshow never will.
That’s the whole design of this assembly.
What happens
What happens in the room
“Mind Control: Fact Or Fiction?” runs 40–45 minutes. Every demonstration is followed by the explanation, which is the part your staff actually bought.
- The psychology of deception — how we get deceived, demonstrated on a room full of volunteers before it is explained to them
- The psychology of influence — why we pay attention to some things and walk straight past others, and who benefits from that
- Optical illusions — the easiest way in, because the eye keeps being wrong even after the trick is explained
- Neuro-Linguistic Programming and hypnosis — what these actually are, what they aren’t, and why the version in films is fiction
- Things they can test themselves — sent home with them to try on their families, which is where the real learning happens
- Plenty of genuine magic — because a room of thirteen-year-olds gives you about ninety seconds before it decides whether to listen
Getting fooled in front of your whole grade, and then being shown precisely how, teaches something a warning never could.
Grades 5–8 · 40–45 minutes · psychology, not a hypnotist act
The question every principal asks
“Is this a hypnosis show?”
No. I want to be completely clear about that before you take this to a committee, because the title does a lot of work and it isn’t always the work I intend.
- I don’t hypnotize your students. I explain how hypnosis actually works, and how far it is from the version they’ve seen on television.
- Nobody is made to look foolish. Volunteers are part of the demonstration, not the punchline — and at this age that distinction is the whole ballgame.
- Nothing is left mysterious. Every effect is taken apart. The students leave knowing how, which is the opposite of a show that trades on mystique.
- Age-appropriate throughout, and written for grades 5–8 specifically rather than trimmed down from an adult act.
What your students actually learn is human behavior, psychology and sociology. The best part is that they don’t notice they’re learning it.
Two audiences, one program
It books as a library program too.
This is one of the few programs I run that works just as well outside a school gym. The content doesn’t change much — the framing does.
Schools
Grades 5–8 assembly
Pitched as critical thinking and media literacy, with follow-up your teachers can use.
Libraries
Teen & young adult program
Pitched as an evening event — the same psychology, a looser room.
If you’re a school with a public library nearby that runs teen programming, mention it when you get in touch. Two bookings in one trip is a conversation worth having, and it has made the numbers work for more than one district.
Looking for something darker for teens? · See Horror In The Library →
For your staff
What your teachers get out of it
An assembly is forty-five minutes. What makes it worth the money is what happens in the classrooms afterwards.
A media literacy hook
“Remember how he got the whole room to pick the same card?” is a better way into a misinformation lesson than any worksheet.
Real curriculum ties
Psychology, sociology and human behavior, delivered at a level grades 5–8 can hold onto.
It works on the cynics
The students hardest to impress are the ones who most enjoy finding out how the trick was done.
Genuinely different
Your students have seen an anti-bullying assembly. Most of them have never seen anything like this one.
Zero prep
Nothing for your staff to organize, print, or supervise. I arrive, I set up, I go.
Fits almost any room
Stage, auditorium, cafeteria or a classroom. Ten students or three hundred and fifty.
Get the details
Send me your dates and I’ll send you everything.
Fill this in and I’ll email you the full program outline for “Mind Control: Fact Or Fiction?” — what’s covered, how it fits your schedule, and the library version too if that’s useful. I answer these myself, usually the same day.
What lands in your inbox
- The full program outline for “Mind Control: Fact Or Fiction?”, grades 5–8
- What’s covered, so you can hand it to a teacher or a committee
- How the day runs — I arrive, set up, and I’m gone before the buses
- A quote for your building, based on your date and where you are
- The library version, if you run teen or young adult programming
Enough to print, forward, and walk into your next committee meeting.
Would rather just talk it through? Call or text (716) 940-8963 — that’s my cell phone.
Proof
What schools say about Cris Johnson’s assemblies
The first two are from this program. The rest are from assemblies across grade levels — middle schools, high schools, central schools and elementary.
“It was totally entertaining and fun to watch. The kids were really involved and they loved it. It was really fun to see their personalities come out and their creativity. I would LOVE to recommend this program to other schools.”
Liz BannerTeacher
Brockport High School, Brockport, NY
“Outstanding! Very entertaining… great idea to relate the message with personal experiences! Great message!”
Ms. Kelly KotlikTeacher
North Tonawanda Catholic School, North Tonawanda, NY
“Cris is really great with the kids… He is both entertaining and informative. We have had him two years in a row and the kids really enjoy Cris’ programs. Outstanding!”
Carm ProctorPrincipal
Jefferson Middle School, Jamestown, NY
“Great control of the audience with an appropriate message!”
Dan BraceyPrincipal
Washington Middle School, Jamestown, NY
“Thank you for coming to Chittenango Middle School again this year! Our 5th graders truly enjoyed your assembly! Your commitment to helping students understand the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, through the use of magic tricks, makes a strong impact. Your show is entertaining, educational and fun! Thank you for what you do.”
Chris ChandlerSchool Counselor
Chittenango Middle School, Chittenango, NY
“Cris is very energetic and funny. The kids and the teachers were very impressed. They LOVED it! One of our sixth grade teachers said it was the BEST assembly presented at this school in 20 years!”
Amy MckentySchool Librarian
St. John of Rochester School, Fairport, NY
“It was phenomenal.”
Scott MoorerPrincipal
Chestnut Intermediate School, North Olmsted, OH
“Cris did a great job with our assemblies! His presentation was developmentally appropriate and his message was delivered in a fun way. Outstanding message!”
Bonnie SmithPrincipal
West Valley Central School, West Valley, NY
“It was engaging, informative, extremely well done and a lot of fun. He kept the kids attention for 40 minutes… No easy task! I laughed as hard as the kids!”
Donna BensteadTeacher
Springville Elementary, Springville, NY
“Wellness Day was a huge success and we are so grateful for your part in it. From the opening session through the afternoon groups our students were involved and in tune with the objectives of the day. We received a lot of positives in response to your involvement. Thank you for sharing your talents and for your interest and support of the youth of today.”
Linda HathawayWellness Committee
Geneseo Central School District, Geneseo, NY
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Easy to host
I make this the easiest thing on your calendar.
- I bring everything. All my own props and tables, my own backdrop, and a compact professional sound system, at no extra charge.
- Almost any room works. Stage, auditorium, classroom or cafeteria, large or small — and anywhere from 10 to 350 students.
- Fast set-up, and I work around your bell schedule rather than the other way around.
- Fully insured, with a certificate sent ahead if your district needs one.
- Follow-up materials for teachers so it turns into classroom time, not just an afternoon off.
- I hit 45 minutes. Schools plan around that number, so I treat it as a promise.
The no-risk part
If your students aren’t amazed, you don’t pay — and I donate $500 to your PTA or PTO.
In over 20 years of full-time performing, not one school has ever taken me up on it.
Book it
The good dates go early.
I book 200 to 250 shows a year, and the dates schools want most — the ones that sit neatly in a term without colliding with testing — are spoken for a long way out. The schools that get their first choice are the ones that reach out before everybody else starts looking at the calendar.
Call or text me at (716) 940-8963 — that’s my cell phone — or email [email protected]. You’ll be talking to me, not an agency.
A Middle School Assembly Teaching Critical Thinking Across the Northeast
Is mind control real? Cris Johnson’s jaw-dropping mentalism program uses that question to teach middle schoolers critical thinking and media literacy — skills that matter more every year. Schools across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and beyond book it for a mind-bending experience that’s as smart as it is stunning. A genuinely different assembly your students won’t forget.