BookWorlds

Harry Potter and the Marauders Quest

Syllabus - Spring 2012 Class Time (two hours a week)
Course Objective The objective of this course is to explore J.K. Rowlings world in the Harry Potter series. In this course we will help legitimize the genre of fantasy by exploring topics, themes, and issues brought about by this series. We hope to prove that Harry Potter is a work of academic merit. To do this, we will discuss (1) the history of magic, witchcraft, and wizardry; (2) childrens literature and fantasy novels; (3) mythology (with a concentration on Roman and Greek), philosophy, legends, and other literature; (4) society and social constructs, (5) the role of death and love, and (6) past and current political events, with a concentration on authoritarianism, police states, and government corruption. We assume you have not read the complete Harry Potter series upon entering this class. (This class will operate on a zero-spoiler policy!!) We will introduce you to the exciting, intensive, and absolutely magical world of Harry Potter. The People The course coordinators who will be facilitating this class this semester are: Katie Wallace k.wallace15@berkeley.edu Isabel Quirarte isabelq92@berkeley.edu Madeline Des Jardin m.bookworlds@gmail.com The sponsoring professor is ______________ of the History department. The Class This is a two (2) unit pass/not pass class in the History department. The class can be taken as P/NP. The Books (No specific edition needed.) Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone OR Harry Potter and the Sorcerers 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 Additional readings and multimedia resources will be available to you online. Do not be discouraged by the booklist. All seven books have been read in less than one day before, so it will not be hard to finish reading them throughout the semester. These books will be fun to read, so dont be surprised if you finish them all sooner than expected!

All books are available in nearly every bookstore (including used and online) and library (including ones on the Berkeley campus). You may use eBooks*. If you have trouble getting the books, contact a facilitator. *Laptop policy: Laptops are prohibited in class unless there are special circumstances (please contact a facilitator in such cases). The Rules You must abide by these rules in order to participate in the course. For any special circumstances, contact a facilitator as soon as possible. Cell Phones should be kept on silent or, even better, turned off. (If you have a Harry Potter ringtone, though, thats an entirely different matter. ) Tardiness - Please be on time. You are also expected to stay for the entire class period. Repeated truancy, without good reason, will result in loss of points. Food is allowed in class. We encourage you to bring Harry Potter-themed treats to share every week! However, we ask that the foods not be smelly, loud, or bothersome in any way. If you make a mess, you better clean it up! Absences Attendance every week is required. In some cases, missing a week of class is missing the discussion of an entire book. Plus, this course will be fun! Why would you want to miss it? If you have a good reason for missing class, contact a facilitator and your absence may not be considered a cut. The Grade This class will be graded on a Pass/Not Pass system and those who pass will be rewarded with two units in the History Department under History 98/198. The grade will be based upon the following: Attendance & Participation 50%. Attendance is absolutely crucial toward your success in this class. Roll will be taken during every class. If you come late or leave early without good reason, you will be docked points. We will hold discussions weekly, but participation goes beyond speaking in class. We want to see you involved in the activities (which will be very fun!). We will also have weekly assignments. If you can demonstrate your understanding of the readings and are active during class, you will receive a good participation grade. Homework Assignments 10%. There will be a homework assignment due every week, the details of which will differ. You will be graded on effort. The Final Project 40%. In lieu of a final, you will have a final project. You must submit a project proposal to the instructors by November *early in the month*. A handout containing more information concerning this project will be passed out a few weeks before it is due. The final project is your own creative interpretation of the material covered throughout the course. It can be whatever you want: a story written in the world of Harry Potter, an illustration of some sort, a video, a game, or performance art anything you like so long as it meets two conditions. The first is that you must relate it fairly explicitly to the course material. The second is that you must put some time into it; although we aren't expecting a drawing of yours to be worthy of the Louvre, we nevertheless will refuse to accept something obviously drawn in the ten minutes before class. You are allowed to work in a group. Final projects will not be accepted late barring grave circumstances (emphasis on grave), no exceptions to this rule will be granted. Dont stress about this the idea is that you put effort into it because you really like what youre doing.

Syllabus: (tentative and not complete; *dates operating on the assumption that class will be held on Tuesdays*) Class Topics & Activities Homework Week of: 1 Introduction Show up to class! BookWorlds Presentation 1/25 Syllabus 2 Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone Book 1; J.K. Rowling biography; Magic, Witchcraft, & Wizardry *excerpt about magic* 2/1 J.K. Rowling Houses 3 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Book 2; *excerpt on Race and racism race/racism/prejudice* 2/8 Social class and prejudice Character Duel 4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Book 3; list of magical beasts Legends 2/15 Magical Beasts and Creatures Patronuses Tea Leaves Activity 5 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Book 4 through Chapter 21; Physics, Metaphysics & Science 2/22 Communication Quidditch 6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Book 4, through end; Mythology 2/29 Quad-wizard Tournament 7 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Book 5 Family: the Ties that Bond and Break 3/7 8 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Book 5 Philosophy 3/14 Death 9 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Book 6 Good vs. Evil 3/21 10 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Book 6 Heroes and Villains 4/4 Characters 11 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Book 7 Return to Death and the Afterlife 4/11 12 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Book 7; The Tale of the Three Love Brothers 4/18

13 4/25 14 5/2 15 5/75/11

Last Day of Class Final Projects and Presentations Final Evaluations House Cup Reading Review Week

Term Projects!

Finals!!