Teaching Harry Potter: Writing Activities
Literature opens the door to entirely new worlds, allowing students to experience life from different perspectives. Harry Potter offers so many creative and purposeful writing activities: descriptive writing, persuasive essays, scripts and newspaper articles, reports etc.
Below are 10 example writing activities based on Harry Potter. Each activity is designed to help students strengthen specific skills while sparking their imagination and enthusiasm for writing in English.
- Descriptive Writing: Create a Character Profile
Activity: Students choose a character from the book (e.g., Harry, Hermione, Ron) and write a detailed character profile. This should include physical appearance, personality traits, and their role in the story, with references to the text to support their descriptions.
Writing Purpose: Descriptive writing – to portray a character in detail.
Skills Practiced: Adjectives, personality traits, and present simple tense.
Example Prompts:
- “Describe Harry Potter as he is introduced in the story. What does he look like, and what is his personality like?”
- Narrative Writing: A Day at Hogwarts
Activity: Have students write a journal entry or short story about a typical day at Hogwarts. They can write from Harry’s, Hermione’s, or any other character’s perspective, or even create their own student. This can include lessons, magical experiences, and interactions with others.
Writing Purpose: Narrative writing – to tell a story with a clear sequence and structure.
Skills Practiced: Past simple and continuous tenses, sequencing, and linking words.
Example Prompts:
- “Write a journal entry from Harry’s point of view about his first day at Hogwarts.”
- Persuasive Writing: A Letter to the Dursleys
Activity: Students write a persuasive letter to the Dursleys, explaining why they should treat Harry better. The letter could come from Harry’s friends, a professor (e.g., Professor McGonagall), or even Hagrid. The students should provide strong arguments to support their position.
Writing Purpose: Persuasive writing – to convince the reader to agree with a viewpoint.
Skills Practiced: Persuasive language, modals (should, must), and formal tone.
Example Prompts:
- “Write a letter to the Dursleys from Professor McGonagall, explaining why Harry deserves better treatment.”
- Creative Writing: Invent a New Spell
Activity: Have students invent their own magical spell, giving it a name, describing what it does, and explaining how it is performed. Then, students write a short paragraph explaining when and why they would use this spell at Hogwarts.
Writing Purpose: Creative writing – to invent and describe new concepts.
Skills Practiced: Imagination, descriptive language, future forms, and modals.
Example Prompts:
- “Create a new magical spell and describe what it does. When would you use it at Hogwarts?”
- Informative Writing: Write a Guide to Hogwarts
Activity: Students write an informative guide to Hogwarts, aimed at introducing a new student to the school. The guide should include details about the houses, subjects offered, important rules, and general life at Hogwarts.
Writing Purpose: Informative writing – to explain facts and provide clear information.
Skills Practiced: Organizing information, clear writing, and linking words.
Example Prompts:
- “Write a guide for new students about Hogwarts. Include information about the houses, classes, and rules.”
- Explanatory Writing: How to Catch the Golden Snitch
Activity: Have students write a set of instructions on how to catch the Golden Snitch during a Quidditch match. The instructions should include key steps, tips, and strategies needed to succeed.
Writing Purpose: Explanatory writing – to give clear, detailed instructions.
Skills Practiced: Sequence of events, use of imperatives (e.g., “Fly,” “Catch”), and descriptive language.
Example Prompts:
- “Write a set of instructions on how to catch the Golden Snitch. Include helpful tips for beginners.”
- Reflective Writing: My First Year at Hogwarts
Activity: Students write a reflective essay about their first year at Hogwarts. They should focus on their growth and the challenges or lessons they’ve encountered.
Writing Purpose: Reflective writing – to express personal reflection on an experience.
Skills Practiced: Past tenses, transition words, and expression of opinions.
Example Prompts:
- “Write a reflective essay on your first year at Hogwarts. What were the best parts of your year, and what did you learn from your experiences?”
- Book or Film Review: Share Your Thoughts on the Book
Activity: At the end of the course students write a book review, summarizing the plot, discussing the characters, and sharing their personal opinions. They should also decide whether they would recommend the book to others and explain why.
Writing Purpose: Evaluative writing – to express opinions and evaluate the book.
Skills Practiced: Summarizing, opinion expression, and evaluative adjectives.
Example Prompts:
- “Write a book review of the book or film. Discuss the plot, characters, and whether you would recommend it to others.”
- Script Writing: A Scene from the Book
Activity: Students will write a short script for a scene from the book. They can choose a significant moment (e.g., Harry’s first trip to Diagon Alley, the Sorting Hat ceremony) and adapt it into a script format, including dialogue and stage directions.
Writing Purpose: Script writing – to adapt a narrative into a dialogue-driven format.
Skills Practiced: Dialogue writing, narrative structure, formatting for scripts.
Example Prompts:
- “Write a script for the moment when Harry first meets Hagrid. How would you present this scene in a film?”
- Newspaper Article: Write for the Daily Prophet
Writing a newspaper article helps students understand journalistic writing, focusing on clarity and structure.
Activity: Students write a newspaper article for the Daily Prophet, reporting on a significant event from the book (e.g., the discovery of the Philosopher’s Stone, a Quidditch match, or Harry’s victory over Professor Quirrell). The article should include a headline, an introduction, the body of the article, and a conclusion.
Writing Purpose: Journalistic writing – to inform and report on an event.
Skills Practiced: Headline writing, summarizing key events, and structuring an article.
Example Prompts:
- “Imagine the Daily Prophet covered the discovery of the Philosopher’s Stone. Write an article reporting on the event.”
Summary Activity
As an ongoing activity, students can practice writing weekly chapter summaries of the book. This regular exercise helps them develop skills in summarizing key events concisely while reinforcing their reading comprehension. Though not the focus of this post, this task provides a great opportunity to practice writing in a more structured, straightforward manner.
Conclusion: Building a Strong Writing Foundation with Harry Potter
These activities not only motivate students to write but also help them gain confidence in expressing their thoughts and ideas in English. With a variety of tasks to choose from, you can keep your students engaged while helping them become stronger, more versatile writers.