Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

A resource created by Sue Riley

Descriptions of Dumbledore, Hagrid and Harry Potter
1. Read the description and draw one of the three characters. The pupils will highlight sections of the text describing Dumbledore, Hagrid or Harry in different colours depending on what element they describe (e.g. physical characteristics, clothing etc.)
2. The pupils will then draw pictures with a border creating a space to write down the sections of text used as labels.
3. The pupils will write their own descriptions of a character that they would use in a story. They will use lots of description.
4. The pupils will swap descriptions and draw their partner's character.
The pupils will reflect on the process and compare the drawing with the image they have created. How can they improve their description?

Sorting Hat's Song

OHP of the song needed
1. Shared reading of the poem, pupils to read together to maintain correct pace.
2. Analyse rhyme scheme of the song.
3. Pupils to add lines to the poem about a new house called 'Calenang'
4. Which house do you think Harry Potter will be in and why?
5. Which house would you like to be in and why?
6. Class Teacher's sorting hat - sort pupils out into teams, using the houses from the story. Allow the teams to collect points and award prizes for the team with the most points at the end of the scheme.

Description of Albus Dumbledore
Nothing like this man had ever been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.

Description of Hagrid
If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing compared to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he has hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.

A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

Description of Harry Potter
Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry has always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he rally was because he had to wear old clothes of Dudley's and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright-green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning.

Sorting Hat's Song

'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you want to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Griffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Extra Activities
1. Alphabetical order activities with the author and book titles on Harry's school list.
2. Comma worksheet (Writing Lists Using Commas).
Teacher will need to explain the use of commas in writing lists. The worksheet can be used as an exercise.
3. Hermione's logic puzzle from Chapter Sixteen Through the Trapdoor. PDF Hermione[1]
4. Newspaper report on Harry Potter starting school. Look at PDF potter[2]
5. Sports report on the Quidditch match in Chapter 11
6. Character roleplay
7. Chapter 12 - What would you see in the mirror?
8. After Harry has met Fluffy or Norbert bring in Frankenstein extract to look at a new monster.
9. Letter home to the Weasley family or the Dursley family about Ron and Harry's first days at Hogwarts.
10. Nouns - teacher explanation. Use School shopping list (pg. 53) and Christmas dinner (pg149 *harry�� ph.150 top hat lopsided)
11. Discussion of why Harry Potter books have become controversially banned from some American schools - perhaps leading to debating. (PDF againstharry)