“Harry Potter” Outreach Activities
“Harry Potter x Science” After School Program (Elementary School and Middle School)
Exploring the Science Behind the Harry Potter Book Series
Wit Beyond Measure is Man’s Greatest Treasure
“7 Years of Hogwarts in 7 Weeks”
Week 1 / Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Sorcerer’s Stone – science behind gold and stained glass
Every Flavor Beans – food science
Activities
Use of gold and silver nanoparticles to make stained glass
Identify different flavors in Every Flavor Beans (or Jelly Belly)
Week 2 / Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Tom Riddle’s Diary – science behind invisible inks
Basilisk – Titanoboa, snakes, fossils, paleontology
Activities
Use of different invisible inks (e.g., blue-to-clear thymolphthalein ink, glow-in-the-dark ink, grape juice concentrate, lemon juice, water as ink – water calligraphy etc.)
Fluorescent minerals
Week 3 / Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Hippogriff – real hybrid animals, chimeras
Genetics – DNA structures and functions
Activities
Build a paper DNA model
Make gene keychains
Week 4 / Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Goblet of fire – science behind fireworks, glow sticks, LEDs, lasers, plasma ball
Solar energy – solar cells, photosynthesis
Activities
Make a glow stick or ChemLight using various fluorescence dyes
Creating a laser show with prisms and mirrors
Week 5 / Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix
Invisibility cloak – optical effects, refractive index, invisible objects
Quidditch – science of flight
Activities
Optical illusion experiment (invisible glass objects in baby oil and syrup)
Make a realistic (and functional) paper plane
Week 6 / Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Blood – science behind blood typing
Genetics – dominant and recessive genes
Activities
Use a blood typing kit (with synthetic blood only)
Determine whether one is a supertaster
Week 7 / Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Water-repelling materials – science behind self-cleaning materials
Herbology – plant science
Activities
Demonstrate the lotus effect using a nanotextured shirt and water-repelling paint (Lotusan)
Understand the difference between hydrophobic and hydrophilic thiol-gold self-assembled monolayers