Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. ~J.K. Rowling, "Dobby's Reward," Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999, spoken by the character Arthur Weasley
This summer J.K. Rowling answered mounting speculation about the nature of her new project and announced Pottermore, a unique and free-to-use website which builds an exciting online experience around the reading of her hugely successful Harry Potter books, and is partnered by Sony. The Pottermore project will also connect teachers and parents from Scholastic Inc. school and online channels directly to ebooks via Pottermore.
I'm excited about the new content from J.K. Rowling to go along with the books. This will surely inspire more interest in the series and bring a whole new generation of readers to Harry Potter. This is key because of the demonstrated power of the Harry Potter books to turn kids into lifelong readers.
For this project, J.K. Rowling has written extensive new material about the characters, places and objects in the much-loved stories, which will inform, inspire and entertain readers as they journey through the storylines of the books. Pottermore will later incorporate an online shop where people can purchase the long-awaited Harry Potter eBooks. It is ultimately intended to become an online reading experience, extending the relevance of Harry Potter to new generations of readers, while still appealing to existing fans. In keeping with Harry Potter’s international appeal, the site will launch in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish, with more languages to follow.
In the new website, the storyline will be brought to life with sumptuous newly-commissioned illustrations and interactive ‘Moments’ through which you can navigate, starting with the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone. On entering, you choose a magic username and begin your experience. As you move through the chapters, you can read and share exclusive writing from J.K. Rowling, and, just as Harry joins Hogwarts, so can you. You visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup.
Rowling revealed some key features of the website. She described how she has brought to life both the Sorting Hat and Ollivanders experiences from her books for the first time on Pottermore, by revealing the questions asked by the Sorting Hat - which places newcomers into their Hogwarts houses according to their characteristics - and the magic behind the Wand Chooser – which finds the right wand for each user from over 33,000 possible combinations. Rowling also revealed glimpses of the new information she has provided on some of the best-loved characters.
J.K. Rowling said:
“I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation. I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have. Just as I have contributed to the website, everyone else will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment – Pottermore has been designed as a place to share the stories with your friends as you journey through the site.”
Pottermore has been made possible with the support and partnership of Sony. Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Sony Corporation, said:
“Sony's association with J.K. Rowling's Pottermore brings together one of the world’s most innovative brands with the most successful book series in history, in a pioneering partnership that will help shape the future of story-telling. We are proud to be a part of it, both at this momentous announcement, and as we collaborate on its development over the coming years.”
On Sony’s partnership of Pottermore, J.K. Rowling said:
“As I think people know, I am very protective of Harry and have always been very selective with any new initiatives, but I am totally committed to making this partnership with Sony and this wonderful new website a success. There are many companies I could have worked with on this ultimate digital expression of Harry Potter’s universe, but it is Sony’s unique philosophy of creativity in harmony with technology that made them my first choice as main partner. The spirit behind Sony’s make.believe philosophy is one that rings true with Pottermore’s own values.”
Is your class entranced by the magic of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter? The excitement can carry you into many skill-building classroom activities.
Here is one example:
Make-Your-Own Trading Cards
Making trading cards is a great way to have your class practice recalling facts and details, summarizing, establishing sequential order, and presenting work orally. Ask your students to draw pictures of characters, scenes, or events from one of the Harry Potter texts on index cards. On the back of the cards, the children record who, when, where, how, and why details. Encourage them to share their cards in small groups by reading aloud, asking questions, and trading cards.
— Ida S. Gutierrez, La Feria, TX
I also found this lesson planning article from Education World What's All the Fuss About Harry Potter? - to be very useful. Check out Scholastic's Harry Potter Web Site for further tips, and see these thoughts on Teaching with Harry Potter - From AtoZ Teacher Stuff.
"I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind.... At these times... I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure." --spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire