Harry Potter Book Six Activity

JK Rowling leaves her reader’s hanging at the end of her sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. After Severus Snape, the greasy haired potions master appears to have used the unforgiveable Avada Kedavra curse to murder Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the readers are left wondering whether he is as evil as he seems or whether there is some other explanation. After all, Harry has been warned over and over again that Dumbledore, who is widely believed to be the most powerful wizard in the world “has his reasons” for trusting Snape.

Have a Trial for Severus Snape:

Preparation: Students should have read the first six books in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Scholastic, 1997), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Scholastic, 1999 ), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Scholastic, 1999), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Scholastic, 2000), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Scholastic, 2003), and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Scholastic, 2005).

Core Areas: Literature, Rhetoric/Logic, Critical Thinking, Public Speaking, Persuasive Writing

Materials: Several copies of each of the Harry Potter books 1-6 for reference.

Day 1 Activities:

As a Class

• Read aloud chapter 27, "The Lightning Struck Tower" in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
• As a class, discuss the following questions. Ask students to provide textual examples to support their answers.

1. What phrases in this section show Dumbledore's trust in Snape?
2. Does your impression of Draco Malfoy change in this chapter? Why or why not?
3. How do Draco, Severus Snape, and the rest of the Death Eaters know that Dumbledore is in the tower? Is it a "lucky accident" that Draco found him, or is there another possibility?

In Small Groups

• Divide students into four groups (Classroom Management Tip: divide larger classes into more gorups) Provide each student with a card that has one task.
• Group 1: Find incidents (list quotations and page numbers) in any of the first six books in which Albus Dumbledore says or shows that he has complete trust in Severus Snape.
• Group 2: Find incidents when the Avada Kadavra curse is used or described (list quotations and page numbers) in any of the first six books. Compare these incidents with the incident when Snape appears to use the curse on.
• Group 3: Find at least ten incidents (list quotations and page numbers) from the first six books when Harry has misjudged Severus Snape.
• Group 4: Find incidents from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (list quotations and page numbers) that point to Snapes guilt in the murder of Albus Dumbledore.

Day 2 Activities:

As a Class

• Ask each group to report on their group answers.
• Ask each group to report on their task and quotations, and allow students spend some time arguing Snape’s innocence or guilt.
• Take a silent vote on Snape's innocence or guilt.

What predictions does your class have for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ? Celebrate with a class Quidditch Match followed by a Harry Potter Celebration !

What is Harry Potter's Future?

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds