Harry Potter Wizard School

Lyric and I have been reading the Harry Potter books for  few months.  We are on book five.  I never had a desire to read them before, but after we went to Universal in November I decided to see if she liked them--she did!  I wish we would have started reading them before the trip!  I told Lyric after we finish the last book we need to plan a trip back to Universal!

As Unschoolers, we don't have much planned instruction going on around here.  Things are pretty spontaneous and learning just happens.  But I decided to see if Lyric would like to attend "Wizard School"  She loved the idea, so I did a little research and found some cool books and ideas to help with our "school."  Cadence happens to have a really cool stuffed owl from Build a Bear, so I wrote Lyric a letter and tied it to the owl's leg.  Cadence delivered it for me.

Lyric's Acceptance Letter From Hogwarts:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Lyric Alexandria Cox,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please see list of necessary equipment.
Term begins on July 30th. We await your owl by no later than July 20. Please send a formal typed letter by owl as soon as possible.

First year students will require a wand.

Students may also bring an owl, a cat or a toad.

PARENTS ARE ALSO REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK!

Yours sincerely,

Professor Cox

Deputy Headmistress

 Lyric then worked really hard and typed up a reply:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Dear Professor Cox,
I would love to attend Hogwarts.  Do you know where I can get an owl and a wand?
I'm 8 years old and I like to play music and read Harry Potter and other books.
Please put me in Griffindor because Harry, Ron and Hermione are in that house.
I will be looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Lyric Cox

P.S. I will not bring a broomstick! =^)

After she worked so hard on the reply she didn't "send" it back, so Hogwarts sent her another letter:

 

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Lyric,

I was very disappointed we did not receive your acceptance letter with return owl! Luckily, I was able to send Claudine, one of our house elves, to retrieve it because I knew you would not not want to pass up an opportunity to attend Hogwarts.
Unfortunately, your family lives to0 far from Diagon Alley for you to purchase an owl or a wand. Your sister Cadence will be able to make contact with an owl from Hogwarts for you to use. If you need to communicate with us just let Cadence know and she can summons an owl.
We will be sending you an email with directions to make your own wand. As you probably know we wizards are not big fans of muggle communication methods, but in recent months we have learned how to use email. You will probably want to get some help from your father on the wand.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to guarantee which house you will be placed once you arrive at Hogwarts. You will be given a quiz and will attend a Sorting Hat Ceremony and the hat will decide on your placement.
Lyric, we look forward to your attendance at Hogwarts and know you are going to have a great first year!

Yours sincerely,

Professor Cox

Deputy Headmistress

PS Madam Pomfrey was very happy to hear you would not be bringing a broom. You would be shocked to know how many first years have been sent to the hospital wing for trying to fly before they were ready!

 I sent her an email with a website to make the wand and told her she should get her daddy to help her (that kind of thing is more his department).  But they never got around to making the wand.  So, I sent her this letter: 

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Lyric,

As you can see your first assignment for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is attached to this letter. The assignment covers two subjects: Word Wizardry and Arithmetic. Please use your arithmetic skills to complete the puzzle. When you have completed the puzzle please give it to your sister Cadence, as she does have the spell to contact Hogwarts for an owl. We look forward to receiving your completed assignment and hope you find the task somewhat challenging, but also enjoyable!

Sincerely,

Professor Cox

Deputy Headmistress

PS After completing the puzzle, it is very important that you begin work immediately on your next task. You will be given a clue in the puzzle for your next task.

This was the attached assignment:

(the code was in a chart, so it was was easier to tell what letter went with what number)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

_____ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ _____ ______ ______

(2+2) (8+7) (15+10) (7+8) (10+11) (10+9) (10+10) (5+4) (7+5) (5+7)

_____ ______ _____ ______ ______ ______ _____ ______ ______ ______

(13+10) (1+0) (7+7) (10+10) (11+9) (8+7) (4+3) (7+8) (9+11) (14+1)

______ ______ ______ _____ _____ ______

(13+10) (5+4) (16+10) (0+1) (9+9) (2+2)

______ _______ _______ _____ ______ ______?

(10+9) (2+1) (7+1) (9+6) (6+9) (6+6)

If so,

you need a …

_______ _____ ______ ______!

(13+10) (0+1) (7+7) (2+2)

The answer:  Do you still want to go to wizard school?  If so, you need a wand!

It really wasn't her fault she hadn't made the wand because she was going to need help, but she loved doing the assignment.

 Tonight, Owly is going to deliver this letter:

Lyric,

Your skills on the Word Wizardry assignment were quite impressive! We have a new challenge for you to complete. We would like for you to come up with a puzzle for us to complete. You may use the secret code from your last assignment or you may come up with your own. Remember, you may use numbers, dots, symbols or anything you wish for your secret code. You may have us use our arithmetic skills to complete your puzzle or you can make it easy on us. Be creative and come up with a cleaver phrase for us to decode. We know you are quite the jokester. You may want to give us a riddle and have us use your secret code to figure out the answer. Lyric, we know you are a hard worker and look forward to watching you grow as a student and a wizard. On the attached page you will find a chart you may use to make your secret code. Fell free to make your own if you feel this does not suit your needs.

I would also like to inform you an important time has arrived in your wizard education. On August 12, 2o12 you will need to attend your sorting ceremony. Please go to the kitchen at at 11:00 a.m. where you will be given more instructions.

Sincerely,

Professor Cox

Deputy Headmistress

 

 I found this quiz that I am going to have her take.  Also, Story has agreed to be under the table and speak for the sorting hat.  We gave our witch's hat to Goodwill, so I'm not sure what we will use for that?  Probably just one of the girls hats.  I was thinking about attaching some eyes and a mouth to it... 

It is really interesting to me how my view of learning has changed over the last few years.  When I was teaching, if I had done an assignment like this with my students.  When I thought of or found activities for them to complete I would have thought, "They will learn a lot from this... or This activity will teach this..."  But as an Unschooler I don't think about learning.  I know my girls are going to learn what they need to know when they need to know it, so my only "motive" for doing something like wizard school is because I think it will be fun.  I am only going to include things that I think Lyric will enjoy doing.  So far we have both had fun with it!