In this skills based KS4 science lesson pupils will be able to make their own hypotheses and investigate practical scenarios in a range of different contexts.
They will learn about metals and alloys and how vibrations alone can cause a solid metal structure to break. You’ll also investigate the properties of light. Students will learn how the refractive index of a substance can determine whether it can become invisible.
KS4 science Harry Potter lesson
When the Death Eaters rip through the sky curling around the Millennium Bridge in Central London, it cracks, crumbles and plummets into the Thames.
How much of this is science and how much is magic? It is interesting that the filmmakers chose this bridge. After all, it had a history of swaying from side to side as people walked across it.
Can we explain the Death Eaters’ feat using science not magic? What about making things disappear or evaporate in a flash of light? Is there a potion that can conjure fire without needing matches?
Finally, immerse your class in the world of chemical potions with redox reactions. Create spectacular light shows and obtain pure metals like silver.
Dr Joanna L. Rhodes is a teacher of science at Shelley College, Huddersfield. Browse more ideas for teaching with Harry Potter.
