Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Book Discussion: Flexible Schedule
In this 9-week course, students will read and discuss Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling.
Janelle Fila
Average rating:
4.6
Number of reviews:(903)
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What's included
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Students will read approximately four chapters a week on their own time. Each Sunday, students will have access to the new video and a corresponding one page worksheet with discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. Each week, I assign a short writing assignment focused around that week's discussion questions and ask the students to share their responses in the classroom. There are also daily activities each day like vocabulary words, an I Spy game, word searches and crossword puzzles to test their comprehension from the weekly chapters.Assessment
The more questions, comments, and posts that students share in the classroom, the more I can understand their knowledge and comprehension of the topics we are discussing.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
Students will read approximately four chapters a week on their own time. Each week a new video will discuss the pages that the students have previously read. This class does not meet live. The prerecorded sessions will emphasize characters, their motivations, theme, story plausibility, and inferences about what might come next. Each Sunday, students will have access to a video that covers the important elements of the week's reading and a corresponding one page worksheet with discussion questions and places for fill-in-the blank answers. The worksheets will also address/remind the students of some of the important topics from each chapter. Each week, I assign a short writing assignment focused around that week's discussion questions and ask the students to share their responses in the classroom (so other students may view, comment, and interact as well). I also ask students to submit any vocabulary words the students didn't recognize or passages the students did not understand. The more questions the students ask, the more "discussion" we can have in the classroom after each chapter. Weekly breakdown: Sunday: Students will receive a worksheet and discussion questions for each weekly video. There is one weekly writing assignment to complete after the weekly readings. Monday: I post an I Spy challenge and ask the students to list one specific item they can "spy" from the week's reading. Students can also challenge other students (or myself!) to find other items as well. Tuesday through Fridays: I will post a vocabulary word for the students to use in a sentence that showcases their understanding of the definition. Saturday: I post a link to a Harry Potter themed crossword puzzle, word search or other fun resource the students can fill out to further immerse themselves in this world. Students can share their experience (was there a crossword clue they didn't know the answer to or a word that they just could not find?) in the classroom to share their experience with their classmates.
Learning Goals
Week 1 Chapters 1-4: Do students agree with the Ministry of Magic that Harry's use of magic was improper? Who was Aunt Petunia's howler from and what does it mean? What do students think is the Order of the Phoenix?
Week 2 Chapters 5-8: The students get a closer look at the Order of the Phoenix, their headquarters, and their task. How do students feel about Harry's hearing? What are some of the causes of Mrs. Weasley's emotions?
Week 3 Chapters 9-12: Do students agree with Hermione that the Ministry of Magic is trying to interfere at Hogwarts? What might that look like for Harry for the rest of the school year? Are students surprised by who is supporting Harry and who is against him?
Week 4 Chapters 13-16: A lot of changes are happening at Hogwarts in these chapters. How do students feel about the new High Inquisitor? Do students think Sirius will stay safe or is he bound to get in trouble? How do students feel about Harry's responses to all of these changes?
Week 5 Chapters 17-20: Are students surprised by the formation of Dumbledore's Army? Are students surprised by Hagrid's story? How do they feel about what happens during the Quidditch match? And what do they think Harry actually saw (or worse, did)?
Week 6 Chapters 21-24: Emotions are high for a lot of characters in these chapters. Do the characters have a right to be angry? Do students think learning to read minds with Snape is a good idea or a terrible idea?
Week 7 Chapters 25-28: How do students feel about the use of newspapers and journalism within these chapters? Why does Dumbledore take the blame for Harry's actions? How does that make Harry feel?
Week 8 Chapters 29-33: These chapters are bad for Harry but good for the Weasley boys. How do students feel about the turn of events? Things are really moving fast now. How do the students feel about Hermione's plan? Is Harry's any better? Do students feel like it will work out in the end or are things about to get worse before they get better?
Week 9 Chapters 34-38: How much of what happens in the Department of Mysteries is Harry's fault? Do students blame Harry? Do students think Harry will blame himself? Are students satisfied with the explanation and ending? What, if anything, do students wish had happened differently?
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Harry Potter is a book about witches, wizards, and witchcraft. This book is the longest all of the seven books. Its edgier themes will appeal more to older kids and may not be appropriate for younger audiences. This book contains one of the worst teachers of all times, and she causes Harry quite a bit of physical pain. Harry leads his friends into a very dangerous battle surrounded by weird magical items at the Ministry of Magic, which results in the death of a beloved character at the end of this book.
Supply List
The students will need a copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to read on their own. It can be borrowed from the library or even listened to as an audio book. The students will not need a physical copy of the story in class, although they may find it helpful to have while filling out their worksheets or working on their writing assignment.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Outschool is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., owner of the Harry Potter® mark and related Harry Potter marks.
Joined June, 2019
4.6
903reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Spalding University
I have an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults. During grad school, my 30 page critical essay cited numerous quotes from the Harry Potter series. I felt so fortunate to get to read Harry Potter as part of my education! I want to share that love and passion for Harry Potter to all readers. It is such an immersive world and so much fun to escape to. There is so much to be learned from this series, especially for students who love reading about creative worlds or who have any interest in creative writing. This book particularly leads to good discussion about some of Harry's rather poor decision making skills that endanger (and even cause the death) of his closest friends. Reviews
Live Group Class
$10
weekly or $90 for 9 weeks9 weeks
Completed by 1 learner
No live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
