Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

2. Have students write a journal entry from the point-
of-view of someone they know, such as a classmate and then discuss the experience. Does putting
themselves in someone else’s shoes help them gain more empathy for the person? Why or why not?
3. As students listen, have them jot down the names
of the characters, then discuss how the characters’ names reflect their personalities. Why is Gilderoy Lockhart’s name appropriate? Flitwich’s? Sinistra’s?
4. The monster in this story can petrify people with a glance. Have students read the myth of Perseus and the Medusa to compare with this scene. Did this myth influence J. K. Rowling? What other stories and myths might have influenced her?
B. Art and Music:
1. Have students select background music that is
appropriate to some of the scenes. Impressionistic
music by Ravel or Debussy might be fitting, or
they might find the soundtrack from the Harry
Potter movies.
2. Have students make a bulletin board about the story.
They could put up a background of a wall with a small
entrance, and draw the various creatures Harry
encounters. If they can find toys, stuffed animals,
or other Harry Potter items, they could include them.
3. Have students put together a book of magic, illustrated
with magical creatures with instructions for magic
potions, magic tricks, and magic lore.
4. Have students make gargoyles out of papier maché
to display in the classroom or school library.
5. Have students find sound effects to illustrate a
dramatic reading of the story. What would be heard
at the ghosts’ party? In the Chamber of Secrets? In Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom stall?
C. Social Studies:
1. Many fantastic creatures appear or are mentioned
in the story, such as ghouls, gnomes, pixies,
werewolves, unicorns, centaurs, and elves. Have
students select one and find out more about these creatures. In what historic period were these believed
in and what are some of the tales written about
them? For example, where and when were unicorns prominent? Centaurs?
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Theme Related
Reading and Listening:
imagine what would happen if an adopted child
were treated this way today. Why do we have laws
protecting children? When were they enacted? Are there any recent cases of children being mistreated? What happened?
3. Malfoy and his friends say cruel things about “Part
Bloods.” Have students find out about prejudice in our
own history toward people of mixed racial or ethnic blood. For example, how were people treated who were part white and part Native American during the settling of the West? How were the children of slaves and white landowners treated? Is this still true?
D. Science and Math:
1. Have students find out about ghosts. What evidence
have people put forth to prove ghosts exist? How has
this evidence been disproved by others?
2. Have students find out about the snowy owl. Would an
owl be able to carry messages the way Hedwig does?
Why or why not? What birds do carry messages?
What kind of training do they need? Why are they
able to do this?
3. Harry is able to speak to snakes. Have students find
out about snakes. Why are “snake charmers” able to
get their snakes to obey them? Are snakes sensitive
to certain sounds?
USING AUDIOBOOKS
IN THE CLASSROOM
When it comes to teaching today’s students, sometimes books are just not enough. In an increasingly technological and information-savvy world, the ability to read will be critical to every child’s success. The value of audiobooks as a learning tool in the education of children is widely recognized by
experts. Audiobooks bring written text to life, adding an
interactive quality that can ignite a child’s imagination. They encourage reading by broadening vocabularies, stretching
attention spans, and fostering critical-thinking skills.
Listening to audiobooks in the classroom can effectively
enrich the reading experience and aid your students in
understanding and appreciating literature, history, theatre arts, and more!
Listening Library offers additional titles that explore similar themes and content areas. Use the information below to
purchase book and tape kits from our extensive list of award-winning and popular titles to enhance the learning experience for students in every classroom or library.
Other titles in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series:
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Other titles students may enjoy:
• The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
• The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
• The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke