how do you become an expert?

This week, as part of our Harry Potter theme, we'll dive into the world JK Rowling created when she penned the Harry Potter books. Even though this is a fictional world, there are oodles of sources connected to it: the books, movies, websites, articles. We will combine these motley sources to practice researching one focused topic.

Module summary:

• get sorted into your Hogwarts house
• watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• research one character, setting, or magical object from the world of Harry Potter
• construct an informational report considering the significance of this topic

JK Rowling: the ultimate external source on Harry Potter.

---

essential questions

• How does researching help us become experts in a given subject?
• How do we use external sources to give credence to our own ideas?

goals

• Students will understand that researching gives us greater knowledge on a given subject by offering multiple perspectives from credible sources.
• Students will understand that external sources are crucial to supporting our original ideas because they bring the weight of other experts and allow us to make connections.

activities

 Monday 

• warm-up: get sorted into your Hogwarts house on www.pottermore.com
  • create a free account
• review context of Harry Potter if there are any muggles in the crowd
• watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  • ​take notes: characters, settings, magical objects
  • discuss movie: what stuck with you? what do you want to know more about?

Tuesday

• finish watching movie
  • polish notes
  • discuss movie: what stuck with you? what do you want to know more about?
• explore Pottermore for an hour (yes, timed - really explore!)
  • take notes on 5 elements you explore and read about (what did you learn about these elements?)
• choose one character, setting, or magic object to research
  • find, read/watch, and take notes on three different sources (beyond Pottermore) about your subject

Wednesday

• finish researching
• conference with Christine about sources and findings
• build a research-based report about your subject
  • end product can be a PowerPoint, Prezi, video, podcast, written report... whatever floats your boat
  • report must contain a combination of text and multimedia (photos, illustrations, video, etc)
  • address the following: definition of your subject, background, role in stories, significance, viewpoints from other sources

Thursday

• conference with Christine 
• finish up report and polish as needed

Friday

• share findings about your subject with classmates
• get syllabus signed off

c-tachs

Writing

• Conduct short and more sustained research projects to answer a question or solve a problem
• Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
  

Reading

• Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media and formats in order to address a question or solve a problem 

documents

Construct HP World Syllabus
File Size:	49 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

---