Opportunity for creative expression, self-discovery, community-building, and increased cultural literacy were the primary benefits experienced by seventh and eighth grade students involved in a two-week, immersive unit on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at Clairbourn School. The middle school teachers cleverly designed a custom educational adventure to enrich the lives of students who did not sign up for the school’s Australia student-exchange trip, which occurred during the same time period.
The Harry Potter book series, with its adventure, teamwork, problem-solving, and personal empowerment themes, provides a treasure trove of content useful to educators seeking to connect with adolescents who are typically experiencing a stage of life where they are building their own identity. In her article “Why is Harry Potter So Popular,” writer Ann Darcy from Showbiz Cheatsheet explains, “…it portrays its protagonist as searching for and eventually embracing power. That is what adolescence, and indeed life, is all about. In other words, Harry Potter is popular because people can relate to it.”
Middle school teachers at Clairbourn knew that many of their students were Harry Potter super-fans, who had read every book in the series and had watched all of the films. But, because a large group of students were missing exposure to this book series, they felt exposure to the series could be beneficial for both old and new readers of the book.
The plan was to create an immersive, wizarding-world experience for Clairbourn students, in a Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry setting, where Harry-Potter themed classes and activities would have the potential to transport students into a better understanding of themselves and their abilities, build their collaboration and team-building skills, develop knowledge of a well-known and beloved story line, as well as empower students to form pop-culture-based connections with others.
Speaking on the value of sharing a popular culture experience, the Los Angeles Library Blog’s article on “The Power of Popular Culture,” explains, “Pop culture is important in American society because it provides us with a unique national culture; it helps to bridge our many differences and provides us with some commonality in a society that is so diverse.” In Los Angeles, where many cultures from all over the world are thrown together, it can prove beneficial to actively cultivate interests shared by a wide group of people, and thus create connections that fuel positive social and business interactions both now and later and in life.
Not surprisingly, getting buy-in from Clairbourn students was not difficult. They readily accepted the chance to heighten their school experience by participating in an induction into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry along with acquiring Harry-Potter style magical abilities. They found themselves sorted into academic houses, dressed in house colors (cosplay-style), and worked with their housemates to solve challenges and earn points toward the coveted house cup. As they took ownership of their new identities as Hogwarts students, they experienced a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves.
The value of the cosplay element in Clairbourn’s Harry Potter Unit cannot be overstated, because the benefits of cosplay are proving to be real and lasting to people in the process of shaping and developing their identities. According to the article “Getting in Character: The Psychology Behind Cosplay,” by Mindy Weisberger, there are “Cosplayers and psychologists who study the phenomenon reveal the individual and community features that make dressing up so enticing and rewarding.” Clinical Psychologist Robin S. Rosenberg from the University of California explains, “…sometimes, wearing a costume allows a person to tap into confidence they didn’t know they had, and helps them overcome shyness in real life. ‘When you do any kind of costuming—but particularly cosplay…it gives you permission to step outside yourself….’”
So what was it like to experience the Harry Potter Unit from the student perspective? To begin with, it started out as a complete surprise! When the students arrived at school on the morning of October 10, they had no idea what awaited them. As their teachers led them over to the historic Manor House in the center of Clairbourn’s campus, they could hear cinematic music beckoning them closer towards a sign that read “Privet Drive” positioned near the gate. As they entered the backyard, they saw a lawn in disarray, strewn with wax-sealed letters and (artificial) owls who appeared duty-bound to deliver the mail entrusted to their care. Soon they found themselves approaching No 4 Privet Drive, where they knocked and waited for an answer.
Abruptly, and with great displeasure, an owl-feather-covered Mrs. Dursley answered the door. She proved eager to dispatch the unpleasant business of magical children, who had been instructed to pick up their Hogwarts invitations littering her living room. As small groups of students entered the Dursley Home, they were sternly told to find their letter, sign an acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and reach inside Harry Potter’s cupboard under the stairs to retrieve their textbook (a copy Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). Distressed by the mess of letters, owl feathers, and invading wizarding-world students, the Dursleys quickly shooed the students out of their home, and on to their next activity.
Students soon discovered that all of their classes, including math, science, art, PE, English, History, and world languages, were transformed into lessons on magic. For their physical education classes, they played Quiddich-style flag-football games. For their language classes, they learned Parseltounge (snake language). For their Care of Magical Creatures class (art class), they recorded in their journals information about and drawings of magical creatures.
Later, they worked to create hand-sewn, plush owls, which in the book series are designed to carry messages between the world of magic and the Muggle world. Their nutrition break snacks were also true to the Harry Potter book series and included snacks like butter beer, lemon drops, Bertie Bott’s Beans, chocolate frogs, and pumpkin pasties.
During their English classes, they read designated chapters of the first Harry Potter novel, with each group of chapters designed to coordinate with upcoming activities. Science classes were transformed into magical offerings: in the potions class students learned real science via a lesson on making the Amortentia Love Potion, which covered chemical reactions, balancing chemical equations, and measurement conversion; and in their Transfiguration class, students practiced levitation during an activity where student used magnets and linear equations to “levitate” feathers. This was followed by a STEM challenge called the Dragon’s Lair, where students employed their engineering skills and to compete in building the tallest, stable structure to hold a heavy dragon figurine.
The learning adventures continued in math class where students where challenged to crack codes and learn Arithmancy (using numbers to divine the future) in the Revelio Charm activity. This was followed by an invisible math activity, where clues hidden by phosphorous ink remained invisibly cloaked until students followed the Marauder’s Map to reveal, with a fluorescent flashlight, the hidden secrets needed to solve the puzzle.
A special highlight of the Harry Potter unit was a surprise flight class, where each student learned to fly a broom (simulated in the school’s video room using green screen technology). During their fanciful flight over the scenic countryside around Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they each had the chance to battle imaginary wizards with their wands, ascend over obstacles in the landscape, and soar over the Hogwarts Express, transporting students along the railway.
By the time the unit came to a close, the students were very familiar with all things Harry Potter! They had seen the entire movie, finished the book and immersed themselves in Harry Potter experiences. Some final highlights included searching for magical creatures with Hagrid in the Jungle area on campus, competing in Harry Potter trivia games, and celebrating their overall accomplishments with a grand banquet held in the Manor House’s formal dining room.
The following week, when the Australia trip students reunited with their newly-minted “wizard” classmates, both groups were able to share dramatic tales of their exciting adventures. One was a physical trip of almost 8,000 miles to Melbourne, where new experiences of Aussie life down-under helped them to make connections, bravely try new things, and grow in confidence. The other was a journey of the imagination into the wizarding world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which allowed the students who stayed on campus to build their cultural literacy, deepen their connections, and discover new sides of themselves through a clever and creative educational unit.
Thanks go to Clairbourn School teachers and staff members Hayley Ball, Luke Ball, Cara Barker, Paul Barker, Laurie Corwin, Rosemary Kiertzner, Rebecca Messler, Ryan Morehouse, Janet Taylor, Mary Wright, Nancy Ward, and special guest Steve Ward for their extensive contributions in putting on this special educational unit for the middle school students.
Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.
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