Astronomy, Astrology, and Greek Mythology for Wizards - Harry Potter Inspired (Six pre-recorded classes you can watch anytime - 5 hours and 35 minutes total!)
Learning with Lauren (Online)
About
This class is meant to show students the relationship between Astronomy, Astrology, and Greek Mythology, through the lens of Harry Potter. We'll also cover the difference between astrology and astronomy (why one is a science and one is a belief), and gain an appreciation for how J.K. Rowling incorporated Greek Mythology and the constellations into her character creation.
This course has six parts to it. Each part consists of a downloadable video presentation (between 45 and 50 minutes long) hosted on Google Drive, along with some resources and project ideas to expand the students’ understanding.
Part 1: Astronomy vs. Astrology
Part 2: Planets
Part 3: The Moon
Part 4: More Mythology
Part 5: Stars and Constellations
Part 6: Stars and Constellations, Continued
By the end of the class, students should be able to:
★ Define the following terms: astronomy, astrology, horoscope, zodiac, constellation, myth, foreshadowing.
★ Understand the difference between astronomy and astrology.
★ Illustrate (with examples) why astronomy is a science, and astrology is a belief system.
★ Recall how/where Harry Potter learns about astronomy and astrology.
★ List some basic characteristics of the planets of the solar system.
★ Explain how the astrology of the planets emerged from the Greek and Roman religious beliefs about the planets.
★ Use a star wheel to locate and identify constellations in the night sky.
★ Separate fact from fiction when it comes to the moon and human behavior.
This course has six parts to it. Each part consists of a downloadable video presentation (between 45 and 50 minutes long) hosted on Google Drive, along with some resources and project ideas to expand the students’ understanding.
Part 1: Astronomy vs. Astrology
Part 2: Planets
Part 3: The Moon
Part 4: More Mythology
Part 5: Stars and Constellations
Part 6: Stars and Constellations, Continued
By the end of the class, students should be able to:
★ Define the following terms: astronomy, astrology, horoscope, zodiac, constellation, myth, foreshadowing.
★ Understand the difference between astronomy and astrology.
★ Illustrate (with examples) why astronomy is a science, and astrology is a belief system.
★ Recall how/where Harry Potter learns about astronomy and astrology.
★ List some basic characteristics of the planets of the solar system.
★ Explain how the astrology of the planets emerged from the Greek and Roman religious beliefs about the planets.
★ Use a star wheel to locate and identify constellations in the night sky.
★ Separate fact from fiction when it comes to the moon and human behavior.
Course Content7 lessons | 5 hr 29 min
1. Introduction1. Introduction (1 min)
View1 min
2. Video 12. Video 1 (52 min)
52 min
3. Video 23. Video 2 (1 hr 1 min)
1 hr 1 min
4. Video 34. Video 3 (59 min)
59 min
5. Video 45. Video 4 (45 min)
45 min
6. Video 56. Video 5 (54 min)
54 min
7. Video 67. Video 6 (54 min)
54 min
Provider
About
Lauren Ard is a highly certified teacher in Arizona, in both Science and Language Arts. She has a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science Education. She has been teaching online classes on Outschool since 2017, and branched out to add Kid Pass, Udemy, and Teachers Pay Teachers to her repertoire in 2021. Before that, she taught middle school science in person at public schools in Arizona.
Besides teaching online, Lauren also runs her own business doing astronomy shows in an inflatable planetarium for libraries and schools in Arizona. She has been doing this since 2014. In her spare time, she likes to hike with her family, go on road trips, and volunteer with the Crisis Text Line (an organization that helps at-risk teens and young adults work through difficult situations).
Lauren's teaching philosophy is that pop culture can boost learning. She believes that incorporating pop culture references - such as Pokemon, Zelda, and Harry Potter - can boost learning and retention by tying students' existing interests to important science and social studies topics. Almost all of Lauren's classes incorporate pop culture topics that kids are already passionate about, to lure them into a learning environment conducive to long term retention.
Besides teaching online, Lauren also runs her own business doing astronomy shows in an inflatable planetarium for libraries and schools in Arizona. She has been doing this since 2014. In her spare time, she likes to hike with her family, go on road trips, and volunteer with the Crisis Text Line (an organization that helps at-risk teens and young adults work through difficult situations).
Lauren's teaching philosophy is that pop culture can boost learning. She believes that incorporating pop culture references - such as Pokemon, Zelda, and Harry Potter - can boost learning and retention by tying students' existing interests to important science and social studies topics. Almost all of Lauren's classes incorporate pop culture topics that kids are already passionate about, to lure them into a learning environment conducive to long term retention.
