Author Study

J.K. Rowling

By Carolina Cardoso

Selections• 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• This is London by Miroslav Sasek • 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

• 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• 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• 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: MorningLang. 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/Music

*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: AfternoonP.E. Monday

Play Quidditch on the ground. (2 soccer balls to make goals,

1 tennis ball hidden)

Tuesday

Outside chalk checkers with students as

pieces

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

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.

•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.

Math * After reading about the main characters in HP, decide which characters they like, and graph the results.

*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.

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