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Divination for Wizard Students

Learn about the history of popular divination practices included in the Harry Potter series. Includes 15 types of divination, including astrology, tea leaf reading, palm reading, crystal gazing, and more!
Lauren James
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(3,161)
Class
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What's included

4 pre-recorded lessons
average 40 mins per video
4 weeks
of teacher support
2 hrs 41 mins
total video learning hours
1 year access
to the content
Mastery Evaluation
1 hour per week. Students can post their answers to any "Expand Your Knowledge" challenge to receive feedback from the teacher.

Class Experience

US Grade 3 - 12
Divination has been used in cultures around the world for millennia. Many of these types of divination have recently become popular with young people, thanks to some popular wizard books that feature divination as a class at wizard schools. But...what is divination, and what does it look like in the real world?

In this class, we will examine fifteen types of divination through a historical lens. Where did these types of divination come from? How were they done in the past, and how does that compare to the methods found in the wizard world series?

Along the way, we'll discuss examples of each type of divination from popular wizard books. Is the Divination professor's approach accurate to how divination was performed in the "real world" throughout history? As a result of our exploration, we'll also be learning a bit about the history of China, India, Europe, and the Middle East!

This self-paced course is divided into four lessons. In each lesson, students first watch a recorded presentation (about 45 minutes each). For each type of divination presented, learners can try a hands-on project related to each type of divination, using materials they already have at home (or easily obtained from your local grocery store). This is a secular class, so each type of divination will be analyzed and discussed through a historical lens (but students are encouraged to respect others' beliefs).

This is a self-paced class, which means there is no live component. All four lessons are provided up front, so you can choose to move through the content as fast or as slow as your schedule dictates. 

Need a discount? Sure thing! All of my self-paced courses are "pay what you can afford." To get the discount you need, sign up for the course first, then message me with the discount you would like, and I will apply a partial refund. This must be done before the end of the first week of class.
Learning Goals
- What do people believe divination to be?
- What types of divination are found in the wizard world books?
- What is the history of each of these types of divination?
- How (if at all) are these divination methods practiced in modern day?
learning goal

Syllabus

4 Lessons
over 4 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Divination for Wizard Students, Part 1
 - Introduction to Divination
- Tessomancy (tea leaf reading) 
- Pyromancy (fire omens)
- Dream Interpretation 
- Recording length: 46 minutes total 
48 mins of video lessons
Lesson 2:
Divination for Wizard Students, Part 2
 - Runes (answering questions with rune stones)
- Ovomancy (predicting the future with egg white patterns)
- Astrology (using celestial objects to make predictions)
- Recording length: 65 minutes total 
66 mins of video lessons
Lesson 3:
Divination for Wizard Students, Part 3
 - Palmistry (palm reading)  
- Cartomancy (tarot cards) 
- Numerology, Arithmancy and Heptomology (using numbers to determine personality)
- Recording length: 47 minutes total 
48 mins of video lessons
Lesson 4:
Divination for Wizard Students, Part 4
 - Crystal Gazing (seeing visions using a crystal ball)
- Ornithomancy (predictions with birds)
- Myomancy (predictions with rats and mice)
- Ichthyomancy (predictions with fish)
- Xylomancy (patterns with wood or sticks)
- Catoptromancy (interpretations with mirror reflections)
- More types of divination
- Recording length: 50 minutes total 

Other Details

Parental Guidance
This course takes a historical approach to divination. In this class, it is taught that divination cannot be proven by science. Students will be asked to respect others' beliefs in this class, but the approach will be a historical one. Please note that the instructor is not a believer of divination; this course is taught from a historical point of view.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Harry Potter (book series and movies) Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity by Peter T. Struck The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud The Secret of the Runes by Guido von List The Book of Runes by Ralph Blum The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination by Robert Place The Fated Sky: Astrology in History by Benson Bobrick The Roma: The History of the Romani People and the Controversial Persecutions of Them Across Europe by Charles River Editors and Bill Hare
Outschool is neither affiliated with, nor sponsored by, nor endorsed by, Warner Brothers Entertainment, Inc., owner of the Harry Potter® mark.
Joined September, 2017
4.9
3161reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Brigham Young University
💰 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 💰
I offer a "pay what you can afford" discount for all flex classes. After you enroll, send me a message from the section you signed up for. I can then apply a partial refund to match the amount you need; it can be any amount! 

🎓 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🎓
From 2005 to 2021 I was a highly certified teacher in Arizona, in Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. (I allowed my teaching license to lapse after becoming employed by the University of Arizona.) I have a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science Education. I have four children ranging from 9 to 14 years of age. Besides teaching on Outschool, I am an advisor and educational outreach coordinator at the University of Arizona, and I also run my own small business giving astronomy shows in an inflatable planetarium for libraries and schools. In my spare time, I like to hike with my family, go on road trips, and volunteer with the Crisis Text Line (an organization that helps at-risk teens and young adults work through difficult situations).

📝 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 📝
Most of my classes come with projects or extension activities your child can do at home. Because every family situation is different, all of these activities and assignments are optional and at the discretion of the parent.

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Self-Paced Course
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$12

weekly or $48 for all content
4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content

Completed by 28 learners
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Ages: 8-18

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