Title of Book:
Author:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
J. K. Rowling
Publisher/Year: Scholastic Press/1997
ISBN: 0-590-35340-3
Grade Levels for Recommended Use: 9 th grade Biology
TEKS: (c)(6)(F) The student knows the mechanisms of genetics, including the role of nucleic acids and the principles of Mendelian Genetics. The student is expected to predict possible outcomes of various genetic combinations such as monohybrid crosses, dihybrid crosses, and non-Mendelian inheritance.
Brief Summary: This book, the first in a series of seven, follows the orphan Harry Potter as he learns his family’s history and enrolls for his first year at Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry where he will learn to defend himself and others against the dark arts.
Materials Needed: 1-notes handout, 1-pedigree handout/student
Suggested Activity: “Pedigree Construction.” While reading the character descriptions for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger from, Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone, students will take notes about the characters and their families. After reading, review the following vocabulary on the notes handout with students: allele, gene, genotype, phenotype, homozygous, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive. Additionally, review the following parts of a pedigree with students: generations, unaffected/affected/carrier male and female parents, marriage line, offspring line, offspring, and sibship line. Discuss the example pedigree and Ronald Weasley’s pedigree with students. Have students construct Hermione Granger’s pedigree and Harry Potter’s pedigree; when students have completed, check progress as a class and address any misconceptions.
References:
Harrell, P. E. & Morton, A. (2002). Muggles, wizards, and witches: Using Harry Potter characters to teach human pedigrees. Science Activities, 39 (2), 24-29.
Rowling, J. K. (1997). The boy who lived. In Levine, A. A., Harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone
(pp. 1-2). New York: Scholastic Press.
Rowling, J. K. (1997). Keeper of the keys. In Levine, A. A., Harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone (p. 51). New York: Scholastic Press.
Rowling, J. K. (1997) The journey from platform nine and three-quarters. In Levine, A.
A., Harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone (pp. 92-93, 99, 105-107). New York:
Scholastic Press.
Adapted By: Stephanie Medina (2011)