Using Magic to Teach Science:

Professional Development for Chemistry Teachers

Taylor Murie
ED 4261 YA
 What is ?

Originally started as a set of 7 novels by J.K. Rowling

The first novel was released in 1997
Each novel is based on a certain year in Harrys schooling
8 Movies were created based on the novels
The first movie was released in 2001
The Fanbase for Harry Potter is HUGE
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play released in 2016)
Pottermore
What is ?

What are the novels about?

Harry, an orphan living with his wretched aunt and uncle, who finds out that he is
magic, and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
He meets Ron and Hermione, his best friends
They fight Lord Voldemort, who is the wizard that murdered Harrys parents
The storyline follows Harrys journey through his teenage years and his
encounters with Lord Voldemort
We will focus on the Chemistry of Harry Potter!
Why look at The Chemistry of Harry Potter?
Magical chemistry may help engage students who are
typically not engaged in science
There are cross-curricular links between science and
subjects like: Drama, English and Mathematics
It engages students sense of curiosity
Students may see science as less formal and more fun
General Curriculum Connections with The Chemistry of Harry Potter

Scientific Investigation Skills Expectations Specific Expectations (Grade 11 Chemistry):

Synthesize, analyse, interpret, and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data; solve problems involving quantitative data;
determine whether the evidence supports or refutes the initial prediction or hypothesis and whether it is consistent with
scientific theory; identify sources of bias and error; and suggest improvements to the inquiry to reduce the likelihood of
error

Identify and locate a variety of print and electronic sources that enable them to address research topics fully and
appropriately

Select, organize, and record relevant information on research topics from a variety of appropriate sources, including
electronic, print, and/or human sources, using suitable formats and an accepted form of academic documentation

Communicate ideas, plans, procedures, results, and conclusions orally, in writing, and/or in electronic presentations, using
appropriate language and a variety of formats (e.g., data tables, laboratory reports, presentations, debates, simulations,
models)

Many magical aspects of Chemistry also have their own connections to the curriculum documents
How Chemistry and Magic Intertwine in Harry Potter
Coloured Fires, Flames and Sparks
Wand Sparks
Handful of flames
Special Inks and Paper Treatments
Invisible inks
Color-changing inks
Transformations & Potions
Thickening potion
Crystal Ball
 One by one, the Beauxbatons
Coloured students stepped across the Age
Line and dropped their slips of

Flames, Fires parchment into the blue-white

flames. As each name entered
the fire, it turned briefly red and
and Sparks emitted sparks.
-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire p. 262
 Wand Sparks from Harry Potter

Curriculum connection: Gr 12U C2.1,

 Different Metals
Produce Different
Coloured Sparks
To recreate green wand sparks,
use a Copper (II) Salt

To recreate red wand sparks, use

Lithium

Materials

-Paper
-Small paintbrush
-Ink
-Developer
Video Demonstrations
Burning Lithium Chloride Burning Copper (II) Sulfate
How Does this Work?
When these compounds are being burned, the electrons become excited

When the fall back from their excited state to their ground state, they emit light
at certain wavelengths

The certain wavelength corresponds to a colour in the visible spectrum, and

we observe this
Carrying a Fire in your Hands
There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a
handful of flames. - Harry Potter Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban p. 83
 Materials
-Paper

How Can This Be Done With Science? -Fuming Nitric and

Sulfuric Acid
-Match/Source of Fire

A muggle-chemist can make great use of flashpaper, a form of cellulose nitrate.

It can be purchased at a magic shop or prepared by soaking paper in fuming nitric
and sulfuric acids. Be careful when doing this!
Flashpaper burns quickly and completely because its chemical structure contains
plenty of oxygen to cover the paper into gaseous products.
Ignite a small crumpled wad of flashpaper and toss it into the air away from your
audience and other flammables
 Materials
-Paper

How Can This Be Done With Science? -Match/Source of Fire

-Isopropyl Alcohol
(50%)

The effect of a flame that does not

consume the burning substrate is also
charming.
Soaking a cloth or paper towel or
paper currency in 50% isopropyl (or
ethyl) alcohol offers a way to burn
off the flammable liquid without
harming the substrate
Technically you could hold this in
your hands, but you need to be
extremely careful
Special Inks and
Just tap it again and say, Mischief
Paper managed! And itll go blank.

Treatments -Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban p.

192-193
Invisible Inks
As a third-year student, Harry uses the magic of The Marauders Map, a device his father helped
construct in his own student days at Hogwarts. Once activated with the proper words, the map
shows every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds, including moving ink dots indicating the
location of everyone in the castle. The map can be wiped clean after use and then appears to be an
old bit of parchment.
 How Can This Be Done With Science?
Use one of the below ink sources and develop using a development method Materials

-Paper
-Small paintbrush
-Ink
-Developer

Curriculum connection: Gr 12U D3.1

Invisible Ink Demonstration
Colour Changing Inks
They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. -
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone p. 79

As with the invisible inks described in the last section, the general idea is to write the message on absorbent paper with a cotton swab or
small paintbrush, let the color-changing ink dry, then spray or brush the paper with the developing chemical
Chemists are well-versed in using compounds that change colors to indicate a change in pH, voltage, or the nature of species in solutions.
These indicators are ideal inks and developers because their color changes are vivid and their chemistry is generally well-understood.

Materials

-Paper
-Small paintbrush
-Ink
-Developer
 Colour Changing Ink Other Options
Think Ink
Reaction between Starch and
Iodine
Ink changes from milky to
black

Curriculum connection: Gr 12C D3.1

How Does This Work?
Iodine has two different oxidation states one where the iodine molecules have a negative charge (I-) and the
other where they have no charge. Only the iodine with a zero oxidation state can combine with starch to make the
blue-black color.
Oxidation and reduction reactions can make the iodine shift back and forth between these two states
When the two solutions are first mixed, all the iodine has a negative charge, and two separate reactions begin.
Reaction #1 (oxidation) changes all of the I- to I0, but Reaction #2 (reduction) is faster and changes the I0 right back
to I- again, so it has no chance to combine with the starch.
The iodine reacts back and forth between these two states thousands of times a second (of course you cant see
this) until all other chemicals that make Reaction #2 happen are all used up.
Then its time for Reaction #1 to change all of the I- to I0 one last time, it combines with the starch, and you have
the back ink!
Transformations They had Potions that afternoon,
which was an unqualified disaster.
& Potions Try as Harry might, he couldnt get
his Confusing Concoction to
thicken. . .

-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban p.

318
Thickening Potion
Who would not benefit from having a good thickening recipe on hand?
Pectins for gelling jams and jellies, starches for gravy and pudding making, and gelatin to thicken
sweet or savory liquids are all easily available at a grocery store.
Failing those thickeners, you should look for a disposable diaper or fake snow, which contains
granules of a water-absorbing polymer that would most certainly thicken his potion.
Sodium polyacrylate forms a cross-linked gel in water, and it has an antidote. Adding common
table salt to the gel will return it to its original fluidity.

Materials

-Sodium Polyacrylate
-Water
-Table Salt
Sodium Polyacrylate Demonstration
Crystal Ball Creation Materials

-Dry Ice
Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a -Detergent
crystal ball full of pearly white mist -Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban p. 296 -Polyester Fabric

Use dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide! The fact that dry ice sublimes (passes from solid to
gas at ambient conditions) and can be trapped in various ways leads to fascinating effects.

To make a large-sized crystal ball in a bucket:

Partly fill the bucket with water and add several chunks of dry ice.
Have available a small amount of dilute detergent solution and a piece of polyester fleece
fabric two inches wide and several inches longer than the diameter of the bucket.
Wet the fleece well with the detergent solution.
Hold one end of the fleece in each hand, and gently pull the fabric across the rim of the
bucket. You want to make a film of bubble solution completely across the container.
As the dry ice continues to sublime, the bubble film will expand with pearly white mist.

Students can make teacup-sized crystal balls using small plastic cups and shorter strips of fleece
fabric. It is important not to drip detergent solution into the cup with the dry ice and water, because
many small bubbles will form instead of a single dome.

Curriculum connection: Gr 11U E3.3, F3.2, F3.3

Crystal Ball Creation Demonstration
 In Conclusion
There are many ways to bring fun and interesting
science lessons to the classroom

Lessons based on magical aspects may be great ways

to try and get students engaged and interested in
science
References
Steve Spangler Science: https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/think-ink/
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/blog/2012/09/28/the-ultimate-harry-potter-party-2/
Copes, Jane S. 2006. Journal of Chemical Education Vol 83(10)
Government of Ontario. 2008. The Ontario Curriculum Grades 11 and 12 Science
Pool, Joanna. 2011. Igniting Students Excitement in Science Through the Magic of Harry Potter:
http://scienceblogs.com/usasciencefestival/2011/04/27/igniting-students-excitement-i/
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-teacher-uses-magic-to-teach-science-2009nov19-story.ht
ml
Various Videos. Youtube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=-qI_L3qbA-E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfMfWDqqeVc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QThQQzNnYg4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xrNjPEi2Uw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFnuqLryxlk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y131nRcBr0w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsb9WzCiwNE