Pupils from St Martin’s Garden Primary in Bath recently took part in a Harry Potter book event that combined a chemistry-based magic show with science and literature-related activities.
The magic show was led by Kenneth Hunter, a chemistry teacher from Ralph Allen School, and was full of whizzes and bangs. The children were instructed to say different spells, in Latin, from Harry Potter to make the magic happen. The results saw water transformed into a green potion and then back to clear water, potions bubble up and froth, objects explode and shoot up into the air, a big transparent tub glow in rainbow colours and an ordinary bottle turned into a rocket.
The activities in the afternoon were just as amazing. The children experimented with artificial snow, invented their own spells and potions, made strange substances involving slime and gloop, wrote instructions about how to become a wizard or witch, watched video clips to explain the chemistry behind the magic and read chapters from Harry Potter.
“The day was a successful fusion of not only literacy and science, but also in providing the children with a creative and inspiring cross-curricular learning,” explained Maya Mucunka, the Science Leader at St Martin’s Garden Primary.
English Leader, Meg White, added, “Harry Potter is a modern classic of children’s literature so celebrating Harry Potter Day 2018 was an amazing opportunity to enthuse our readers.”