Just when you thought there was no new fix for a Harry Potter addiction, the National Library of Medicine comes to the rescue to make HP even more educational!!
The NLM has created an exhibit, teaching tools and lesson plans that reveal Renaissance history and science that inspired many of J.K. Rowlings fantasy creations. There are also language arts lessons based on themes from the book.
Although a fantasy story, the magic in the Harry Potter books is partially based on Renaissance traditions that played an important role in the development of Western science, including alchemy, astrology, and natural philosophy. Incorporating the work of several 15th- and 16th-century thinkers, the seven-part series examines important ethical topics such as the desire for knowledge, the effects of prejudice, and the responsibility that comes with power. This exhibition, using materials from the National Library of Medicine, explores Harry Potter's world and its roots in Renaissance magic, science, and medicine.
It fascinates me to learn how this magic has a root in historical reality. Though your students may not share my fascination, these tie-ins are a way to make Renaissance history and the study of science current and connected to a pop culture phenomenon.
The exhibit will be traveling through libraries starting in the Fall '09. Until then, all these resources are available on their Harry Potter's World website!
