Author Study
J.K. Rowling
By Carolina Cardoso
Selections
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Fiction:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Nonfiction:
The Big Book of Castles by English Heritage
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This is London by Miroslav Sasek
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The Salem Witch Trails by Gail Stewart
The Salem Witch Trials by Sandy Asirvatham
Who is J.K. Rowling? By Pamela Pollack
Theme Study
• Students will take part in an author study on the
life of Harry Potter. This unit will blend reading
and writing with science, social studies,
mathematics, art, music, and physical education.
• Students will be able to use creative, fiction
writing to understand the themes of courage and
friendship. They will be able to perform
character analysis as well as creatively write, be
able to identify solid, liquid, and gas. See how
Hogwarts is based on real places, make volcano
potion lava, learn how to play the theme song,
and create a Harry Potter portfolio.
Language Arts: Writing Activities
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Have children create a “rhyming spell” that explains a scene in the book.
Have children write in diaries after every reading section about their
reactions, what they thought was interesting, etc.
Have children become one of the characters and have them write in their
journal as their character, and what is going on it that stage of the book.
Have children write down words that are not familiar, and put them up on
the Hogwart’s Wall of Words.
Have children write a poem about their favorite character.
Children will create another’s acceptance letter to Hogwarts and we will seal
them in envelopes to look original.
Children will see pieces from The Big Book of Castles and write about their
favorite castles, where they are located, and how they came about in that
location.
Use 6+1 Writing traits to create an alternate ending to one of the chapters
out of the book.
Have children write about what magical powers they would want and why.
Have children create a dialogue that follows the style of a trial from the
Salem witch trail days and read aloud to class.
Language Arts: Reading Activities
• Students will read chapters in the 1st Harry
Potter novel, some at home, some in class
as silent reading, some the teacher will
read to the class.
• Students will then read up on all types of
castles like the one that Harry lives in.
• Students will share their poems and
journals.
• Students will buddy read on the book.
Language Arts: Speaking Activities
• Students will participate in a grand conversation before each
Language arts lesson about what they read and how they felt about
the section of the book (Start with The Sorcerer’s Stone).
• Students will participate in reader’s theatre on their favorite scene.
• Each day students will come in small groups to the Hogwarts Wall of
Words and try to pronounce the words with the help of their peers if
necessary.
• In large groups, have children all sit in a circle in the middle of class
and talk about the character they dislike the most and what that
character does that makes them so evil, likewise with favorite
character.
• In large groups, sit in a circle on the floor and the teacher will pick a
word off the word wall and use it in a sentence, then the class will
play telephone and see if the word stays the same.
Language Arts: Listening Activities
• Listen to sections, in small groups, of the book
on CD.
• Students will listen to the teacher when they
read sections aloud to the class.
• Students will listen to the instrumentals of the
theme song to Harry Potter.
• Students will listen to other student’s opinions in
grand conversation, reading their poems, short
stories, and journal logs.
Language Arts: Viewing Activities
• Students will view the first movie in comparison to how
the book was written.
• Students will look at paintings and pictures of their
favorite characters and draw their own depiction of the
characters. Divide into small groups and have each
children do a different character, put together in a class
book at the end of project.
• Students will create the platform signs and hang them
around class.
• Students will go to the site referred to on the technology
slide and mix up potions and participate with the
interactive site.
• Discuss how the music in the movie affects your mood
when watching it.
Language Arts: Visually
Representing Activities
• Students will create pie pieces referring to the
platform station their group is working on for a
sign to hang( see math section).
• Students will read words on the Hogwarts Wall
of Words.
• Students will create wands from sticks and
other various arts and crafts.
• Students will watch the other student’s
presentations of Reader’s theatre.
• Students will help create their “house” signs (ie.
Gryffendor, Hufflepuff, Syltherin, Ravenclaw).
Math
• Students will :
– Each be in groups and then make “Platform Signs” For the
Hogwarts express using fractions and visually representing them
with pie pieces and hang them around the class room while
everyone will be assigned different tickets daily( to go to a
station) and different activities will be held. Stations include( 1 ½
, 2 ¾ , etc.)
– Students will create a potion using fractions to measure out
proper ingredients!
– Students will learn fractions at these train platforms.
– Graph which character is their favorite/ least favorite.
– Learn currency/ money/ how to make money with different
combinations at platforms as well.
– Create math word problems that involve Harry Potter.
Science
• During a Volcano lesson in science have children make a potion
using their math skills to have the volcano erupt lava.
• Harry encounters snakes and spiders, learn about insects and
reptiles.
• Harry finds the sorcerer's stone, have the children learn about the
rock cycle, also the states of solid, liquid, and gas.
• Harry’s time at Hogwarts seems out of this world…like the planets!
Have children learn about the planets and create them/ hang them
up and give tours to younger classes of their “out of this world
planetarium”.
• Do Hypothesis and observation experiment with dry ice and record
results when water is poured over it (potion making class).
Social Studies
• Students will find 3 castles in existence that they like and
tell a small history on each in a presentation with a visual
aid.
• Students will complete a KWL about the city of London,
and a main castle presented on by the teacher.
• Students will do a city report where they look at
countries/ cities in Europe and they will create a
presentation on that chosen city.
• Plot time line of Harry’s year at school.
• A “muggle report” on a famous president/ prime minister
in history.
Music
• Have children create their art projects while
listening to the theme song from Harry Potter.
• Have a music teacher come in and teach the
children how to play the Harry potter theme song
on the recorder.
• Have the children sing their “spells” to small
groups (limericks).
• Have children listen to clips of song pieces from
the main soundtrack and create a picture of what
that song means to them/ what pops up in their
head automatically when hearing it.
Art
• Have the children pick sticks from outside and use tin foil
and crafts to make their own wands.
• Have children fashion out of paper, crafts etc, their very
own Sorcerer’s Stone, and what they think it looks like.
• Have a hat that children add things too that create the
“Sorting Hat” and place every child in a house ( in each
corner of the room). The house with the most points gets
a treat at the end of the unit.
• Have children create their Mascot logo to put in their
house corner.
• Have students draw a character, each get the same in a
small group, and put in a book at the end.
• Sketch shape of Hogwarts castle.
P.E.
• Harry likes to play quidditch, so let’s go outside and play it
on the ground.
• Have three of the children be the dog fluffy and have five
children at a time be “Harry” if Fluffy tags one of the other
children before they make it to the finish line they are out.
• Draw a checker board outside with chalk and have the
children play human checkers ( like Harry plays wizard’s
chess)
• Have the children play freeze tag but when tagged they have
to say the charm that freezes the enemy in Harry Potter.
(Stupify!)
• Throw paper balls outside with spells written on them and
students must say where in the book it is said when they are
hit with the ball.
• Make Tri- Wizard Tournament!
Technology
• Students will listen to parts of chapters on audio
tape on one platform for reading.
• Students will watch the movie at the end of the
lesson to compare and contrast the book and
the movie.
• Students will listen to the theme song of Harry
Potter while doing their writing projects that are
assigned in class.
• Children will visit
http://harrypotter.scholastic.com/
Language Arts Strategies
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Activating background knowledge: students will think about the castles they
have seen in the nonfiction pieces and apply that to the Hogwarts castle.
Brainstorming: students will brainstorm what to create for the “house” piece
of art, as well think of many ideas to describe characters through writing
activities.
Connecting: Students will write a short rewrite of a present day scene in
Harry Potter using a castle they have learned about, and pieces of London
knowledge.
Predicting and Monitoring: Students will predict what is going to happen
next in the story line, and see how the characters react to each other and
the situations they are put through.
Playing with Language: Students will vividly describe and create what they
characters are like in the story.
Revising: Students will make changes to others short stories and create a
small alternate piece to their class mates work (collaboration).
Visualizing: Students will imagine what their favorite/ least favorite
characters look like.
Grouping Patterns
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Small groups:
• Math time fractions
• Listening to audio clips
• Visiting the Harry Potter Website
• Creating art projects, like house signs
6+1 Writing traits to create alternate ending, independently then group editing
• Large Groups:
• Grand conversations
• Watching the video to compare
• Read aloud by teacher
• Reader’s theathre
• Popcorn read
• Telephone game
• Learning how to play the recorder
• P.E. activities
• Share rhyming spells (poem)
Time Schedule: Morning
Lang.
Arts
Monday
*Read chapter 1
of HP Sorc.
Stone
•Add words to
Word Wall
•Provide info on
castle that
matches
Hogwarts
•HW: Read Ch.2
Tuesday
•Grand
discussion
• Read Ch. 3
•Add words to
word wall
•Journal about
who their favorite
characters are
•HW: CH. 4
Wednesday
•Grand discussion
•Read CH. 5
•Journal about which
characters they dislike
•Add words to word
wall
•Start practicing words
•HW: Reach CH. 6&7
Thursday
•Create poem on
favorite character
•Create another’s
acceptance letter to
Hogwarts, use 6+1
•HW: Reach CH. 8&9
Friday
*Share poem in
author’s chair
*Continue acceptance
letters
-send them out in mail
when finished and
designed
HW: READ Ch. 10
*Spelling test next
week
Social
Studies
* Learn about
London and
castles/ going
back in time
•Learn about 3
famous castles
•Have students
choose their
favorite
* Create a KWL chart
about the castle that
they chose
*Plot timeline of Harry’s
Time in school so far
* Plot timeline of major
events happening in
castle that students
chose.
* Combine KWL charts
about castles so all
groups go in-depth on
them.
Art/Musi
c
*Create sorting
hat- sort each
child into a
house
* Listen to songs
in HP during
craft time
•Have children in
each house
contribute to a
big Logo
representing
their house.
•Listen to songs
in HP during
craft time
•Have the children
make their own wands
•Listen to songs in HP
during craft time
*Create enveloped, and
wax seal for
acceptance letters
*Create their own
sorcerer’s stone
Listen to songs in HP
during craft time
*Learn how to play
recorder for theme
song ( longer lesson)
* Listen to songs in HP
during craft time
Time Schedule: Afternoon
P.E.
Monday
Play Quidditch
on the ground.
(2 soccer balls
to make goals,
1 tennis ball
hidden)
Science
•Learn about
solar systems
•Explain “ Out of
this World
Planetarium” and
how Harry will
travel to each and
we are going to
visually build
them.
Math
* After reading
about the main
characters in HP,
decide which
characters they
like, and graph
the results.
Wednesday
Throw paper ball
with spell on it
and student must
say where in the
book it is used.
Thursday
Fluffy game
Friday
Freeze tag
•Begin construction
model/ presentation
on the assigned
planet given/
constellation
*Continue planet
models
*Create
presentation on
the assigned
planet
*Continue Planet
Models
*Put unknown words
on Word Wall
* Create presentation
on the assigned planet
*Hang up planets/
constellations and give
tours to younger kids in
the dark with flashlight
while groups talk about
their assigned part.
*Graph the
characters they liked
the least
*Create a giant
pie chart with
percentages out
of the whole
class who liked
each character
brought up.
*Create a giant pie
chart with percentages
out of the whole class
of who disliked which
characters -for each
one brought up.
*Compare both charts
by making a bar graph
with most liked vs.
most disliked
characters.
Tuesday
Outside chalk
checkers with
students as
pieces
Assessment
• Visually Representing: The ultimate Project: create a Christmas
store called “Diagon Alley” that the children receive donations from
the community, letters they make go out to parents of higher grade
levels and they sell these things and donate the money to a
fundraiser/ the school.
• Students will create their Harry Potter portfolio throughout the unit.
• Spelling test from Hogwarts Wall of Words.
• KWL about castles, and the city of London.
• Journal entries along the way about what they felt about the book/
characters/ moral of the story.
• 6+1 Writing traits for acceptance letters, alternate endings, and
dialogues for witch trails.
• Poetry Numerical Score Assesment