1
课程详述
COURSE SPECIFICATION
以下课程信息可能根据实际授课需要或在课程优化之后产生变动。如对课程有任何疑问，请
联系授课教师。
The course information as follows may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen
circumstances, or following review of the course at the end of the session. Queries about the course should be
directed to the course instructor.
1.
课程名称 Course Title
The Science of Harry Potter
2.
授课院系
Originating Department
语言中心 Center for Language Education
3.
课程编号
Course Code
CLE042
4.
课程学分 Credit Value
2
5.
课程类别
Course Type
通识选修课程 General Education (GE) Elective Courses
6.
授课学期
Semester
春季 Spring / 夏季 Summer / 秋季 Fall
7.
授课语言
Teaching Language
英文 English
8.
授课教师、所属学系、联系方
式（如属团队授课，请列明其
他授课教师）
Instructor(s), Affiliation&
Contact
（For team teaching, please list
allinstructors）
语言中心教师
9.
实验员/助教、所属学系、联系
方式
Tutor/TA(s), Contact
无 NA
10.
选课人数限额(可不填)
Maximum Enrolment
（Optional）
2
11.
授课方式
Delivery Method
讲授
Lectures
实验/实习
Lab/Practical
其它(请具体注明)
Other（Pleasespecify）
总学时
Total
学时数
Credit Hours
32
0
0
32
12.
先修课程、其它学习要求
Pre-requisites or Other
Academic Requirements
CLE030 EAP
13.
后续课程、其它学习规划
Courses for which this course
is a pre-requisite
N/A
14.
其它要求修读本课程的学系
Cross-listing Dept.
N/A
教学大纲及教学日历 SYLLABUS
15.
教学目标 Course Objectives
The Science of Harry Potter is a course in which students will explore the connections (historically, currently, and in the
future) between what has been called “magic” and what we have now come to call science. Using the novel as a
launching point, students will connect themes from fantasy and magic to developments in science and technology,
thereby fostering critical thinking skills such as synthesizing, drawing connections across realms, and analyzing
consequences. Language skills in vocabulary, listening, reading, and speaking will also be emphasized. The course will
cover topics such as how Harry Potter’s magic mirror serves as inspiration for combining neuroscience and artificial-
intelligence in treatment of depression patients or how NASA scientists have used the Harry Potter game of Quidditch
and flying broomsticks to create prototypes of the self-propelling vehicles of tomorrow. Ultimately, the course seeks to
develop skills that students can apply to all their studies in the future, such as analyzing and annotating texts to prepare
for class discussions, using technology to enhance their vocabulary acquisition, adjusting authentic listenings texts for
their own self-study needs, and most importantly, applying critical thinking skills to the ways in which they react to and
interact with the world around them.
16.
预达学习成果 Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will:
• apply critical thinking skills such as synthesis, analysis, questioning, and hypothesizing to both annotating texts and
participating in seminar-style discussions;
• employ speaking strategies and language chunks to describe scientific processes, compare, persuade, predict,
hypothesize, agree, disagree, critique, and synthesize;
• understand and use successful vocabulary acquisition strategies such as the use of spaced repetition study apps,
frequency-based word lists, and corpus-based dictionaries;
• be aware of and utilize methods for improving listening and pronunciation skills by using tools such as audiobooks,
podcasts, and film;
17.
课程内容及教学日历 （如授课语言以英文为主，则课程内容介绍可以用英文；如团队教学或模块教学，教学日历须注明
主讲人）
Course Contents (in Parts/Chapters/Sections/Weeks. Please notify name of instructor for course section(s), if
this is a team teaching or module course.)
3
Please see attached course schedule.
18.
教材及其它参考资料 Textbook and Supplementary Readings
The main materials for this course are: novel, audiobook files, podcasts, and instructor’s slides.
Additional materials will provided to students via Blackboard. Sources for classroom instruction
may include:
Required Textbook: Rowling, J.K. (1999). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York,
NY: Scholastic.
Supplemental Textbook:
Reference Materials: Highfield, R. (2002). The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really
Works. New York, NY: Penguin.
Reference Materials:
Berridge, E. (2017). Why tech needs the humanities. Ted Talk. Retrieved from: https://
www.ted.com/talks/eric_berridge_why_tech_needs_the_humanities?language=en
Connor, A.M., Karmokar, S. & Whittington, C. (2015) From STEM to STEAM: Strategies for
enhancing engineering & technology education. International Journal of Engineering
Pedagogies, 5(2), 37-47.
Herzing, D. (2018). Dolphins: Breaking the Code. The Changing Seas Documentary Series.
South Florida Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved from: https://www.changingseas.tv/
season-10/1001/
Merriman, H. (2018, April 12). How did China ban ivory? The Inquiry (BBC Podcast). Retrieved
from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswqt2
Merriman, H. (2018, July 12). Can we ever understand animals? The Inquiry (BBC Podcast).
Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswqth
National Geographic. (2018). Pangolins: The most trafficked mammal you’ve never heard of.
Video retrieved from: https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/00000162-b55d󶂢
d63a-a76e-bf7d57720000
Root-Bernstein, R. (2008). Arts Foster Academic Success: Avocations of Nobel, National,
Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members. Journal of Psychology Science and Technology,
1(2), 51-63.
Vedantam, S. (2017, March 20). The Scarcity Trap: Why we keep digging when we’re stuck in a
hole. Hidden Brain (NPR Podcast). Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/2017/03/20/520587241/
the-scarcity-trap-why-we-keep-digging-when-were-stuck-in-a-hole
Vedantam, S. (2017, Dec 4). The sorting hat: What can a personality test tell us about who we
are? Hidden Brain (NPR Podcast). Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568365431/
what-can-a-personality-test-tell-us-about-who-we-are
Vedantam, S. (2018, Dec 13). Yum and Yuck. Hidden Brain (NPR Podcast). Retrieved from:
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/13/676467019/yum-and-yuck-the-psychology-of-what-we-eat-and󶂢
what-we-spit-out
课程评估 ASSESSMENT
19.
评估形式
Type of
Assessment
评估时间
Time
占考试总成绩百分比
% of final
score
违纪处罚
Penalty
备注
Notes
出勤 Attendance
15
*** More than
3 absences =
failure of the
course
课堂表现
Class
Performance
35
Online interactive BB tasks,
Discussion Boards, and Seminar
Preparation
小测验
Quiz
课程项目 Projects
25
*** MUST
Students will research a scientifific
4
complete this
project on
time to receive
a passing
grade
endeavor that correlates with
themes in the novel
平时作业
Assignments
25
*** MUST
complete the
synthesis
assignment on
time to receive
a passing
grade
Synthesis Assignment
期中考试
Mid-Term Test
期末考试
Final Exam
期末报告
Final
Presentation
其它（可根据需要
改写以上评估方
式）
Others (The
above may be
modified as
necessary)
20.
记分方式 GRADING SYSTEM
A. 十三级等级制 Letter Grading
√ B. 二级记分制（通过/不通过） Pass/Fail Grading
以上课程信息可能根据实际授课需要或在课程优化之后产生变动。如对课程有任何疑问，请联系授课教师。
The course information as follows may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen circumstances,
or following review of the course at the end of the session. Queries about the course should be directed to the course instructor.
课程审批 REVIEW AND APPROVAL
21.
本课程设置已经过以下责任人/委员会审议通过
This Course has been approved by the following person or committee of authority
Center for Language Education
Week
Topic/Learning Objective
Materials and Assignments
Class Format
Week 1
What can magic teach us
about science?
The importance of
STE(A)M over STEM
______________
Introduction to the course:
•
Objectives
•
Blended format
•
Blackboard layout
•
Schedule
•
Grading system
•
Rules
Reading Strategy: Writing
critical open ended questions
to prepare for advanced
seminar-style discussions
Root-Bernstein, R. (2008). Arts Foster Academic Success: Avocations of Nobel,
National, Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members. Journal of Psychology
Science and Technology, 1(2), 51-63.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Chapter 1 & Audiobook clips
Materials
•
Welcome & Syllabus Review
•
Navigating the BB site together
•
Mini-lecture: Combining the Arts and Science
•
Mini-lecture: Annotating when you read (Open-ended questioning)
•
Discussion: What connects magic & science? Why study Harry Potter at a STEM
university in China?
HW for next week:
•
Read HP Chapters 1-3 and write 2 critical open-ended discussion questions.
Print and bring to class
•
Download the Quizlet App and register
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week 2
Vocabulary Strategies:
Using spaced repetition to
study vocabulary (Quizlet
App)
Listening Strategies: Using
audio books for self-study
Reading Strategies:
Annotating a text and
writing a reading response
paper
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Chapters 1-3 & Audiobook clips
HW due in class today:
•
2 critical open-ended discussion questions about Chapters 1-3
In Class
•
Seminar-style small group discussion
•
Quizlet tutorial and practice
•
Using audio books to increase reading speed and improve pronunciation
•
Annotating texts (Making connections & Analyzing Passages)
•
Practice applying annotation skills to reading response papers
HW for next week:
•
Review vocabulary from Chapters 1-3 (Quizlet App)
•
Bring your headphones and be ready to use Quizlet.
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week
Week 3
Connecting Harry’s ability
to speak with snakes
(Parseltongue) with
scientists quest for 2-way
communication with animals
——————-
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening Strategies:
Organizing your notes in
order to later create a verbal
summary
Speaking Strategies:
Simplifying your language
for good verbal summaries
Herzing, D. (2018). Dolphins: Breaking the Code. The Changing Seas Documentary
Series. South Florida Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved from: https://
www.changingseas.tv/season-10/1001/
Merriman, H. (2018, July 12). Can we ever understand animals? The Inquiry (BBC
Podcast). Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswqth Four
scientists are interviewed on their work regarding human-animal communication.
HW due in class today:
•
Bring your headphones and Quizlet loaded on a device
Materials:
•
Mini-lecture: How to move from academic notes to a verbal summary
•
Dolphins: Breaking the Code: Videos and note-taking practice
•
Discussion Board: Looking forward, what might animal-human communication
bring?
HW for next week:
•
Read HP Chapters 4-5 and write 2 critical open-ended discussion questions.
Post on Padlet (see Padlet tutorial on BB to register for a Padlet Account).
•
Review vocabulary from Chapters 4-5 (Quizlet App)
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Topic/Learning Objective
Materials and Assignments
Class Format
Week
Weeks 4
Connecting the magic of the
Harry Potter world to real-
life science through your
own research presentations
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Speaking Strategies:
Simplifying your language
for good verbal summaries
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Chapters 4-5 & Audiobook clips
HW due in class before class starts Week 4:
•
2 critical open-ended discussion questions about Chapters 4-5 posted on
Padlet
In Class
•
Introduction of the presentation assignment
•
Building on verbal summary skills from Week 3 (applying those skills to your
own presentations)
HW for next week:
•
Read the presentation Assignment carefully (see PDF on BB)
•
Send Allison your presentation topic request by WeChat. First Come, First
Serve!!!
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week 5
Magical creatures vs.
today’s endangered animals
______________
Listening Skills: Listening
for numbers and figures in
academic videos
Speaking Strategies:
Creating and using slides
successfully in an academic
presentation
National Geographic. (2018). Pangolins: The most trafficked mammal you’ve never
heard of. Video retrieved from: https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-
videos/00000162-b55d-d63a-a76e-bf7d57720000
Review before class today:
•
Presentation Assignment PDF
Online Materials
•
Welcome WeChat discussion
•
Mini-lecture: Creating and using slides successfully in an academic presentation
•
Pangolins: Video & note-taking practice
•
Discussion Board: What similarities are there between the way animals are
exploited in the Harry Potter world and in ours?
•
You MUST complete all the tasks on BB in order to receive credit for this
week’s class and earn homework points toward your final grade.
HW for next week:
•
Read HP Chapters 6-7 and write 2 critical open-ended discussion questions
on PADLET!
•
Presenters from Group 1 should be ready to workshop
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Topic/Learning Objective
Materials and Assignments
Class Format
Week
Week 6
Connecting the magic of the
Harry Potter world to real-
life science through your
own research presentations
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening & Speaking Skills:
Clarifying and offering
feedback diplomatically
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Chapters 6-7 & Audiobook clips
HW due in class today:
•
2 critical open-ended discussion questions about Chapters 6-7
•
Presenters from Group 1 should be ready to workshop
In Class
•
Seminar-style small group discussion
•
Workshopping student presentations on the following topics:
Owls (bionics), Hagrid (giant genetics), Wizards’ Robes (material science),
Wizards Wands (computer science), Platform 9& 3/4 (wormholes, physics)
HW for next week:
•
Review vocabulary from Chapters 6-7 (Quizlet App)
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week 7
Connecting the Hogwarts
Sorting Hat to psychological
personality tests
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening Skills:
Recognizing tangents in
narratives and learning to
focus on key ideas
Vedantam, S. (2017, Dec 4). The sorting hat: What can a personality test tell us
about who we are? Hidden Brain (NPR Podcast). Retrieved from: https://
www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568365431/what-can-a-personality-test-tell-us-about-who-
we-are
Review before class today:
•
Vocabulary from Chapters 6-7 (Quizlet App)
Online Materials
•
Welcome WeChat discussion
•
The Sorting Hat & Personality Tests: Videos, vocabulary, and note-taking practice
•
Discussion Board: Are personality tests a useful tool or a risky path to
discrimination?
•
You MUST complete all the tasks on BB in order to receive credit for this
week’s class and earn homework points toward your final grade.
HW for next week:
•
Read HP Chapters 8-10 and write 2 critical open-ended discussion questions.
Print and bring to class
•
Presenters from Group 2 should be ready to workshop
•
Review Vocabulary Review vocabulary from Chapters 8-10 (Quizlet App)
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Topic/Learning Objective
Materials and Assignments
Class Format
Week
Week 8
Connecting the magic of the
Harry Potter world to real-
life science through your
own research presentations
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening & Speaking Skills:
Clarifying and offering
feedback diplomatically
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Chapters 8-10 & Audiobook clips
HW due in class today:
•
2 critical open-ended discussion questions about Chapters 8-10
•
Presenters from Group 2 should be ready to workshop
In Class
•
Seminar-style small group discussion
•
Workshopping student presentations on the following topics:
Sorting Hat (neuro-technology), Potions (chemistry), Flying Broomsticks
(engineering), Fluffy the 3-headed dog (genetics), Regrowing Bones (bio-
technology)
HW for next week:
•
Review vocabulary from Chapters 8-10 (Quizlet App)
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week 9
Connecting Bernie Botts’
Every Flavor Beans to the
science of disgust (biology
and psychology)
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening Skills: Drawing
inferences based on
anecdotes
Vedantam, S. (2018, Dec 13). Yum and Yuck. Hidden Brain (NPR Podcast).
Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/2018/12/13/676467019/yum-and-yuck-the-
psychology-of-what-we-eat-and-what-we-spit-out
Review before class today:
•
Vocabulary from Chapters 8-10 (Quizlet App)
Online Materials
•
Welcome WeChat discussion
•
Yum & Yuck podcast: Videos, vocabulary, and note-taking practice
•
Discussion Board: What can the podcast teach us about “disgust” and cultural
sensitivity?
•
You MUST complete all the tasks on BB in order to receive credit for this
week’s class and earn homework points toward your final grade.
HW for next week:
•
Read HP Chapters 11-13 and write 2 critical open-ended discussion
questions.
•
Presenters from Group 3 should be ready to workshop
•
Review Vocabulary Review vocabulary from Chapters 11-13 (Quizlet App)
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Topic/Learning Objective
Materials and Assignments
Class Format
Week
Week 10
Connecting the magic of the
Harry Potter world to real-
life science through your
own research presentations
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening & Speaking Skills:
Clarifying and offering
feedback diplomatically
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Chapters 11-13 & Audiobook clips
HW due in class today:
•
2 critical open-ended discussion questions about Chapters 11-13
•
Presenters from Group 3 should be ready to workshop
In Class
•
Seminar-style small group discussion
•
Workshopping student presentations on the following topics:
Invisibility Cloak (material science), Mirror of Erised (AI), Real Quidditch
(anthropology), Potions Dying Out (envionmental science & chemistry)
HW for next week:
• Take a break 😀
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week 11
Connecting Diagon Alley
and magical ingredients to
the exploitation of animals
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening Skills: Navigating
non-native accents in
English
Vedantam, S. (2017, March 20). The Scarcity Trap: Why we keep digging when
we’re stuck in a hole. Hidden Brain (NPR Podcast). Retrieved from: https://
www.npr.org/2017/03/20/520587241/the-scarcity-trap-why-we-keep-digging-when-
were-stuck-in-a-hole
Review before class today:
•
Vocabulary from Chapters 14-15 (Quizlet App)
Online Materials
•
Welcome WeChat discussion
•
The Scarcity Trap: Videos, vocabulary, and note-taking practice
•
Discussion Board: Have you ever judged someone harshly that may have been
suffering from the scarcity trap?
•
You MUST complete all the tasks on BB in order to receive credit for this
week’s class and earn homework points toward your final grade.
HW for next week:
•
Read HP Chapters 14-15 and write 2 critical open-ended discussion
questions. Print and bring to class
•
Presenters from Group 4 should be ready to workshop
•
Reading Response #2 due to BB before class starts Week 12
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Topic/Learning Objective
Materials and Assignments
Class Format
Week
Week 12
Connecting the magic of the
Harry Potter world to real-
life science through your
own research presentations
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening & Speaking Skills:
Clarifying and offering
feedback diplomatically
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Chapters 14-15 & Audiobook clips
HW due in class today:
•
2 critical open-ended discussion questions about Chapters 14-15
•
Presenters from Group 4 should be ready to workshop
In Class
•
Seminar-style small group discussion
•
Workshopping student presentations on the following topics:
Dragons (bionics), Griffins (genetic hybrids), Elixir of Life (biology),
Philosopher’s Stone (chemistry)
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week 13
Connecting The Mirror of
Erised to the psychology of
scarcity
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening Skills:
Understanding implied
conclusions
Berridge, E. (2017). Why tech needs the humanities. Ted Talk. Retrieved
from: https://www.ted.com/talks/
eric_berridge_why_tech_needs_the_humanities?language=en
Online Materials:
•
Welcome WeChat discussion
•
Why Tech needs the humanities: Videos, vocabulary, and note-taking practice
•
Discussion Boards: a) What connections between magic and science have
resonated with you most this semester? b) Does tech really need the humanities?
Is STE(A)M more useful than STEM?
•
You MUST complete all the tasks on BB in order to receive credit for this
week’s class and earn homework points toward your final grade.
HW for next week:
•
Read HP Chapters 16-17 and write 2 critical open-ended discussion
questions.
•
Presenters from Group 5 should be ready to workshop
•
Review Vocabulary Review vocabulary from Chapters 16-17 (Quizlet App)
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Topic/Learning Objective
Materials and Assignments
Class Format
Week
Week 14
Connecting the magic of the
Harry Potter world to real-
life science through your
own research presentations
______________
Critical Thinking Skills:
Making comparisons and
connections between fiction
and reality
Listening & Speaking Skills:
Clarifying and offering
feedback diplomatically
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Chapter 16-17 & Audiobook clips
HW due in class today:
•
2 critical open-ended discussion questions about Chapters 16-17
•
Presenters from Group 5 should be ready to workshop
In Class
•
Seminar-style small group discussion
•
Workshopping student presentations on the following topics:
Giant Squid (biology), Bernie Botts’ (biology & psychology), Werewolves
& Vampires (biology), Original Dumbledore (history of science)
HW for next week:
•
Start preparing your synthesis assignment (due Week 16)
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week 15
Sytheszing and Digging
Deeper
In-Class Reading Responses and Roving Discussions in response to the film/book
combo
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Week 16
Wrapping things up
JK Rowling’s Graduation Speech at Harvard
“Read the World” Challenge
HW due before class today:
•
Synthesis Assignment
Live Zoom + BB + WeChat Mix
Topic/Learning Objective
Materials and Assignments
Class Format
Week