Review by Polly Conway, Common Sense Education | Updated July 2013
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The Harry Potter Alliance

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Fan site promotes real-world heroics with activism for social justice

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • English Language Arts
  • Social Studies
Skills
  • Character & SEL
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
7–12
Great for:
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (2 Reviews)
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website

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Pros: It's an outstanding way to bring together kids who may otherwise feel isolated; they'll feel empowered by the community here.

Cons: Younger Harry Potter fans may feel left out of this high school and college-based organization.

Bottom Line: A fun, empowering community for Potter fans who want to talk Hogwarts and make the world a better place while they're at it.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

If your school doesn't have a chapter, find out what it takes to get one started; bringing students together to do good works in Harry's name could be a great addition to the clubs and after-school activities list. If you've got an ethics or current events class filled with Harry Potter lovers, you could certainly spend a day talking about the parallels between Harry's universe and our own troubled world. Question students about other fictional characters who fight injustice. Ask them: How do they go about it, and would that work in the real world?

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Standards:

The Harry Potter Alliance is the website for a nonprofit organization that promotes social justice among fans of the popular book series. Their motto? "Did you ever wish that Harry Potter was real? Well, it kind of is." Just like Dumbledore's Army fought to create unity and empowerment for underserved wizards, the Harry Potter Alliance focuses on making the real world a better place. Kids who join the alliance can get involved with online campaigns, join a local chapter, or attend LeakyCon, a yearly conference.

By following in the footsteps of the boy hero, Harry Potter himself, kids can really consider what it means to fight injustice. Many, though not all, chapters are organized through school clubs. Students can use chapter meetings to socialize as well as plan events, and use their imaginations to think of novel solutions for some of the world's biggest problems.

 

The Harry Potter Alliance really empowers students, confirming that they have a voice, and offers them lots of ways to use that voice for good. They'll learn social skills and, ultimately, skills for organizing charity drives, protests, or online campaigns that promote change in the world. They'll learn that getting together with their Potter-loving friends can make a difference, and that there are different ways to create a supportive community.

The HPA is an outstanding outlet for Harry Potter lovers who want to continue Harry's work, in their own way. It might seem silly, but there are some great parallels between what Harry, Ron, Hermione, and their crew do in the books, and how people continue to fight for social justice here in the Muggle world. It's a great take on fandom (which can often create quite insular communities), using that passion for the greater social good. For kids who identify as "nerds" or don't feel connected to a certain crowd at school, the HPA could be right up their alley, as it isn't just limited to Harry Potter fans but branches out into other kinds of fictional heroes, from Doctor Who to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Harry Potter Alliance brings like-minded kids together in a way that makes helping feel like magic.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

This site is designed to appeal to the serious Harry Potter fan, and it does a great job. These folks really understand the community, and it's a very engaging way to get kids into social justice. The site's design is outstanding.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

As kids get together to talk Potter, the HPA nudges them toward the real world, where many people face Voldemort-esque threats every day. Social skills learned here can translate to future confidence.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

It's a little tricky to figure out what you can actually do on the site, but there's a ton of support, extensions, and real-world opportunities, including LeakyCon, a conference for social warriors. 

Common Sense Reviewer
Polly Conway Classroom teacher
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Reading Literature

  • RL.11-12.9

    Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

  • RL.7.9

    Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

  • RL.8.9

    Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.

  • RL.9-10.9

    Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).

Speaking & Listening

  • SL.11-12.1b

    Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.

  • SL.7.1b

    Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

  • SL.8.1b

    Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

  • SL.9-10.1b

    Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.

Writing

  • W.11-12.9

    Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  • W.7.9

    Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  • W.8.9

    Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  • W.9-10.9

    Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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Teacher Reviews

(See all 2 reviews) (2 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Steve T. , Technology coordinator
Technology coordinator
Activism for Harry Potter Fans
It would be a mistake to dismiss the HPA as crass attempt to capitalize on the Harry Potter franchise in the name of charitable good. A review of their website and its entry on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_Alliance) demonstrate that they are a serious non-profit engaged with significant social issues. Mature middle school students and high school students who are looking for social justice causes are the best fit. The HPA could form the basis for a wonderful unit in project-based learning, especially for students who were (or are) enraptured by the Harry Potter book series. It would be important that students understand that the HPA is not a Potter fan club or fan fiction site, but is rather based on the themes of justice, sacrifice, human rights, and equity that are present in J.K. Rowlings writing. The only "magic" in this site is that which results from people working together to right a wrong. Students will learn that you can't wave a wand to make things better, but with perseverance and hard work you can make a difference. Your students may initially wish to affiliate with a local chapter (listed on the site), comprised mostly of high school, university, and community organizations. Internet access means that even if there is not a chapter in your local area, you could talk to one or two in your region. Alternatively, you could add an international element to the project by connecting with any of the dozens of overseas chapters. It would be important that students engage in more that simple fundraising for HPA but also learn activist skills to raise awareness and support within their local community, including thought leaders from government, business, and non-profits. This will require a significant commitment from an adult supervisor who can facilitate introductions and help students navigate the system. HPA engages in fundraising for its 501c.3 activities. It also offers merchandise, some of which is clearly aimed at older students or adults, such as a t-shirt promoting Dumbledore's Bass Ass Army. You do not want your students buying and wearing to school anything contrary to student dress regulations.
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