To encourage my 6 year old son who is not too enthusiastic about school, I've come up with a way to add a bit of interest-based learning to his lessons. The kids love Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone movie. We do read aloud on Fridays, but I wanted to add a bit more. I wanted to use the lessons in the afternoon for science and other things we need to do anyway. Just turning it into a magical Hogwarts experience could be enough to keep him interested. So here's what I have so far.
First Years Introductory Lessons
- Wands and Woods - Learn about trees then make your own wand at the end of the course.
- Know Yer Habitats - Hagrid's pre-course to the other Magical Creatures courses. Teaches all about habitats and biomes.
- Care of Magical Creatures: Familiars - Learn about toads, cats and owls. Dissect owl pellets. Learn about each animals habitats, what they eat, where they live and more. They get to choose a stuffed familiar when the course is complete.
- House Lessons - One of the first courses - studying the origin of each house, what character traits they represent, our own house lessons and rules, bullies.
- Arithmancy - Math - Easily change math program to magical terms.
Science
- Astronomy - Learn about the constellations.
- Study of Magical Creatures: Fairies - Read fairy stories, make a fairy house using Fairy Houses . . . Everywhere! (The Fairy Houses Series)
, make fairy wings, draw fairies, make our own Pressed Fairy Book, play with Flower Fairies Paper Dolls
.
- Study of Magical Creatures: Dragons - Read dragon stories, learn about the different kinds, try to draw our own dragons. Read How to Train Your Dragon Series.
- Study of Magical Creatures: Snakes - Learn about the different types, study markings, poisonous or not, what they eat, where they live and more.
- Study of Magical Creatures: Bats - Learn about bats using Scholastic Dollar Sale book.
- Study of Magical Creatures:A-L and M-Z. Read stories about the magical creatures. Read Harry Potter Schoolbooks: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
. Read Spiderwick Chronicles and make your own field guide of magical creatures. This could go with the Fairies study, but I have a lot there already. Don't forget Care and Feeding of Sprites from the Spiderwick Series also.
- Potions & Alchemy - I have Scientific Explorer's The Magic Science for Wizards Only
, crystal growing kit, a liquids and solids kit, this would be a good time to make our own slime. I have Bubbleology that would probably fit in here.
- Herbology - A nature study on plants, grow our own herbs, a trip to the botanical gardens, I have a fungi and bacteria kit to use from Magic School Bus Science. Hands of a Child has a Botany Lapbook.
- Transfiguration - Learn about the metamorphosis of butterflies, grow crystals (?), still working on this one.
Language Arts
- Folklore & Literature - The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter, Third Edition
ties the books to tales of folklore. This is also when we would do a lit study on the Sorcerer's Stone. I will probably be saving this for last.
- Charms & Spells - Study the names of spells. Decipher what it means, memorize the spells.
- Quills and Spelling - Practice handwriting through copywork of quotes of the books. Practice dictation and narration through this as well.
Extra-Curricular
- Wizards Chess - Learn chess through No Stress Chess
game.
- Honeydukes Home Economics - Cook our way through The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook
from the library.
- Honeydukes Arts and Crafts -
- Quidditch - Use Harry Potter Schoolbooks: Quidditch Through the Ages
