Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - What is the Story About?
Hello again Harry Potter for the third time in the third installment of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potterseries. I have a suspicious feeling that I probably do not need to explain what the story is about in details. Well, if I were to summarize the book in less than seven sentences (let me try), here I go. Harry blows up his aunt while at the Dursleys but does not get punished by the Ministry of Magic for breaking the law prohibiting the use of magic by underage wizards outside of school because everyone thinks that someone who broke out of Azkaban Prison is after his life. Harry thinks he is marked for death because he keeps on seeing a black dog whose presence is supposed to bring death. This foreshadows the introduction of Harry’s Godfather, Sirius Black, who can change into a big black dog, who is also the escaped convict from Azkaban Prison. Harry learns that Sirius was locked up because he was an accomplice to Voldemort in the murder of Harry’s parents. In the course of the story, it turns out that Sirius has been innocent for the whole time but someone else who has been quite close to Harry is the actual culprit of betraying his parents to Voldemort. Harry, Ron, and Hermione get into scrapes as usual throughout the school year and Harry struggles to control his fear of Dementors with the help of a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Lupin. After Harry, Rom, and Hermione learn the truth about who betrayed Lily and James, Harry and Hermione go back in time to save Sirius when he gets apprehended by the Dementors from Azkaban. (Rowling, 1999)
Prisoner of Azkaban - Why this Book for Junior Readers?
First of all, when you see children carrying one of the Harry Potter books like a precious cargo or a cute puppy, you know that they are reading the books on their own. I grew up with the books and I know in my bones that children love this story. Why not use something they actually feel passionate about in the classroom? The Prisoner of Azkaban is unique among the series for it is the only book in which Voldemort turns out not to have been behind all the threats and dangers Harry has been facing throughout the year. It is also one of my favourite books in the series because it introduces all four creators of the Marauder’s Map – James, Sirius, Lupin, and Pettigrew – and with them, a question of how friendship should be, which is something children deal with everyday as they interact with their classmates. In addition, the book introduces one of the most intriguing fantastical creatures – Dementors – and a counter-magic to tackle it – the Patronus Charm. To top it all, the book uses time-travel as a final resolution to solve a problem and who has not thought about what they would like to do if they could go back in time?
Prisoner of Azkaban - What can be done in a Classroom with this Book?
Idea #1: Mind Map on Dementors
-
Students will have an introductory lesson on making inferences using supporting evidence from the texts as well as on making connections within the text. Following this introductory lesson, students will be asked to individually write down words and phrases from the text that describe Dementors on their Mind Map. Then, students will add words and phrases that describe their thoughts and feelings about Dementors on their Mind Map.
-
Secondly, students will discuss first in groups and later as a class, what a Patronus is (not in terms of a textual definition but as an abstract concept) and why it can protect you from Dementors.
-
Individually, students will add what they have learned through the discussion about Patronus Charm on their Mind Map on Dementors.
Idea #2: Friendship Discussion – Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
-
Students will have an introductory lesson on making inferences using supporting evidence from the texts as well as on making connections between what is in the text to issues that students themselves deal in their daily lives.
-
Following this introductory lesson, students will be divided into 8 groups of 4 (adapt depending on the size of the class) and will be assigned a team: Team James, Team Sirius, Team Lupin, and Team Pettigrew. Students will discuss in what way the assigned character is a good or a bad friend to the other three. Students will need to support their arguments by referring to evidence in the text.
-
After 20 or so minutes, students will be regrouped using the jigsaw technique so that each group contain one specialist on each character. Students are given a handout to fill out so that they can write down both positive and negative behaviours each character exhibits.
-
At the end of the group activities, students will share what they have learned about friendship and what kind of a friend they should aspire to be in class.
Prisoner of Azkaban - Curriculum Connections
There are a few specific expectations from The Ontario Ministry of Education Language Curriculum 1-8 (2006) the study of this book will meet:
-
Grade 7 Reading strand 1.1 and 1.4 state that students will be introduced to variety of literary texts from different cultures and students will learn to make inferences and to interpret texts using what is in the texts to support their inferences/interpretations (p. 127). --> Idea #1 & Idea #2
-
Grade 8 Reading strand 1.6 states that students will learn to be able to extend their interpretations of the texts and connect their understandings from the texts to their own experiences, thoughts, and the world around them (p. 142). --> Idea #1 & Idea #2
-
Grade 7 Oral Communication strand 1.2 and 1.3 state that students will learn to identify and adapt respectful and effective listening strategies so that they can listen to their classmates without interrupting them and show interest and empathy while listening to others (p. 124). --> Idea #1 & Idea #2
-
Grade 8 Oral Communication strand 1.2 states that students will continue to identify and adapt respectful and effective listening strategies so that they could follow their classmates’ arguments critically and ask clarifying questions to solidify their comprehensions (p. 138). --> Idea #1 & Idea #2