SAVY 2019: Session 4, Day 3 – Unpacking the Magic of Harry Potter (Holland W.) (Rising 5th/6th)
Hello SAVY parents!
We had another excellent day dissecting the magical world of Harry Potter.
To warm up this morning, the students played a quick round of charades to display their patronus to their classmates. There were a lot of really cool animals!
Shifting away from critical lenses, we discussed the lucrative world of Harry Potter. Commercialization is a huge part of Harry Potter, which has generated a lot of revenue. The Harry Potter business is worth $25 billion (from 2017) and counting. To emphasize this point, we watched a video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apLed6626T0), and students made a list of different ways that Harry Potter generates money. One of the big sources of revenue is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. We watched a clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfjuBaWTLO4) displaying marketing for the theme park and how it makes an impact on our wallet. This led us into an article (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-wizarding-world-hollywood-review-20160404-column.html) and a discussion about how social class theory may apply to this review. Ask your Harry Potter aficionado how this theory can apply to the theme park! Not only does this article discuss what to do and cost at Universal, but it also reveals that Harry Potter is timeless and pervasive enough to influence the masses.
The morning continued with new information! We watched another clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny1zPqt8LVE) to discuss what really goes on behind the scenes at amusement parks and their design. With this knowledge, the students set out to design their own Harry Potter theme park ride! There were some awesome designs that are ride-worthy.
After a break for Quidditch and lunch, the students prepared to collect their qualitative data. They had the opportunity to interview rising juniors and seniors in high school that are attending Vanderbilt Summer Academy (a residential program for rising 8-12th graders, similar to SAVY). The students acted with poise and grace when interviewing the older students, and the VSA students had a blast! We were all super impressed by their maturity 🙂
After collecting data, the students started to synthesize and analyze. They started to notice patterns in their interviews, and they are making connections. Tomorrow, we will really dive into analysis and how to look at their data and support their findings.
Leave a Response