5.

1b Resources on the Web – Michelle Lau

Name:
 “5 Science Experiments Inspired by Harry Potter”
 https://www.edutopia.org/article/magical-approach-science-lessons

Grades:
 Gr. K-12

Synopsis
 Engage young budding scientists with various scientific concepts by using elements from Harry
Potter books and movies
 Science experiments include:

1. Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak

a. Movie Background
i. Harry inherited his father’s cloak which grants the wearer invisibility powers
b. Science concept
i. Light refraction
c. Experiment:
i. Place a penny underneath a clear cup, and let the students see the penny. When
you fill the cup with water, the penny will disappear at a certain angle

2. Alastor Moody’s Magical Eye

a. Movie Background
i. Moody received a magical eye after he lost his real one in battle. The eye allows
him to see through any materials, including Harry’s invisibility cloak
b. Science Concept
i. Light refraction, focal points
ii. “Rochester Cloak”
c. Experiment
i. “Arranging four convex lenses in a straight line will cause light to bend between
them. This creates a “tunnel” between two of the lenses—if you place your
hand in the right spot, you’ll be able to see right through it.”
ii. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W5T-qOQF50
 3. The Pensieve
a. Movie Background
i. In the Hogwarts headmaster’s office sits a large basin filled with a shimmering
liquid. “One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours them
into the basin, and examines them at one’s leisure” (Terada, 2019)
b. Science Concept
i. Science of memory
ii. How to boost memory
c. Experiment
i. https://www.education.com/science-fair/?q=memory includes experiments
such as
1. Does age affect memory?
2. How short is short term memory
3. Music and memory
4. Exercise and memory

4. Sorting Hat
a. Movie Background
i. The sorting hat is responsible for sorting and assigning students into one of the
four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.
b. Science/Math Concept
i. categorizing, pattern recognition, and observation
c. Activity
i. Sorting shapes and colour, animals, rocks, various plants

5. Other Science activities:

 Flying broomsticks and aerodynamics/propulsion

 Transmogrification and states of matter
 Newt’s suitcase and tesseracts
 Magic wands and pyrotechnics
 Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and taste buds
 The Philosopher’s Stone and alchemy
 Levitation and magnets

References
Terada, Y. (2019, September 12). 5 Science Experiments Inspired by Harry Potter. Retrieved from
Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/article/magical-approach-science-lessons