Book Bag Activities for
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
By: Christi Cunningham

• Rowling, J.K. (1997) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc

Rationale:

• There are many reasons why I chose to use this book. I think it’s a fun book about kids, so the children can relate to different characters. It’s also a fantasy book, which allows the kids to use their imaginations. I think it’s the kind of book that kids will read for enjoyment and have fun with.

Information about the author:

• J.K. Rowling was born on July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England. Her full name is Joanned Kathleen Rowling. Her family moved twice while she was growing up. The first time they moved to across Bristol to Winterbourne. Then, when she was nine years old her family moved to Tutshill, which was a more country setting. Rowling says that she remembers she always wanted to write, and the first story she wrote was about a rabbit when she was five or six years old. Her favorite memories center around reading.
• Rowling went to high school at Wyedean Comprehensive, and her favorite subject was English. She was not really involved in sports, but her favorite activity was telling stories during lunchtime. She went to college at Exeter University and got a degree in French. Rowling then moved to London to work as a researcher and bilingual secretary. While she was working there, she thought of the idea of a boy who is a wizard and didn’t know it. She started to write Harry Potter, and it took over her writing time. She moved to Portugal to teach English as a Second Language. After her marriage to a Portuguese TV journalist ended in divorce, she returned to Britain with her infant daughter and a suitcase full of Harry Potter notes and chapters. She continued on her book and finished it, and then started sending it to publishers. She was rejected several times before she found a London agent.
• Rowling’s book was published in June 1997 and it achieved almost instant success. It won the Smarties Book Prize Gold Medal for ages 9-11 and was named the British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year. Scholastic Books bought the American rights for $105,000.00. This money made it possible for her to quit her job and become a full-time writer. She continued the seven-book saga, and each other book had success as well. She published Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 1998, and then Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 1999. Harry Potter took over the top three slots in the New York Times bestsellers list. Rowling now lives in Edinburgh, Scotlans, with her daughter and continues to work on writing the Harry Potter books.

Questions to use with the story:

• Before reading: Look at the cover and predict what you think the book is about. What do you think the Sorcerer’s Stone is? What do you think it looks like?
• During reading: What did Harry find out about his real parents from a letter? Why was everyone afraid of Voldemort? What new school did Harry go to, and who went to this school?
• After reading: What would be a daily schedule for Harry at his school? Why do you think Harry was successful at the end of the book? Do you think he could have been successful without the help of Hermoine and Ron, why or why not? Predict what will happen in the next book. How would you have defeated Voldemort if you were harry?

Activities to use with the story:

• Have the students keep a list of vocabulary words they don’t know while they are reading. Then go over these words as a class and find the meaning of the words. Then, compile them to make a “Harry Potter Dictionary.”
• Have the students write a letter or invitation to a wonderful place that nobody knows exists. They must include details about the place and describe what it is, what it is for, who goes there, and what it looks like.
• Have the students write in a journal while reading the book. You can give them starter topics, such as: which house they would like to be a member of and why, what they would do with an invisible cloak, what desire they think they would see in their reflection in the “Erised” mirror. Also, they can write ideas about what they have read.
• Have the students make a running list of characters in the book. They should include what house the character belongs to or what subject the teacher may teach. Then, they can either write a few words to describe the character, or they can draw a picture to represent the character.
• Have the students draw the Hogwarts Academy or create a model of it using clay or other materials. They can either portray one room in detail, or they can create the whole campus.
• Let the class work together or in small groups to create their own version of Quidditch that they can play as a class. They must come up with a set of rules and regulations for the game. Then let the class try to play their game.
• Have the students make a scrapbook of the experiences Harry and his friends go through during the book. They can create newspaper articles to tell about events. They can also draw pictures or cut pictures from magazines.
• Have the students put music or a rhythm to the sorting hat’s song on page 117. Then let them perform it for the class. They can also write their own song that they think the sorting hat might sing.
• Split the class into four groups and let each of them represent one of the houses in the book. These members of the groups can work together on projects or activities. They can also have discussions about the readings. During this time you can have a class competition, and each activity can be worth a certain amount of points. The team with the most points at the end wins a prize.
• Have the students rewrite the ending of the book. Then have them predict what they think will happen in the future for Harry Potter and his friends.

Props:

• Wand
• Pictures/models of trains
• Gold Stone
• Mirror

Bibliography of other related books:

• Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Scholastic Inc
• Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Scholastic Inc
• Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Scholastic Inc

Assessment Plan:

• I plan to assess the students by asking them comprehension questions during and after the story. I may also have them do an application activity to see if they can relate what they read into a given situation. I might also have the students keep a journal or portfolio while reading the story.
• I will assess the book by having the children evaluate it. I will ask them questions about how they liked the book. I will also compare that to my ideas about the story.
• I plan on assessing myself by looking at how well the students do on their assignments. That will help me to know if I taught everything well. Also, I may have the students let me know how well they liked the assignments. Then I will know if they are good activities or not.