Posted: 7/5/05
Being Harry Potter: Young witches and wizards learn about the magic of science
by Sarah Daniels
Thisweek Newspapers
A look of disgust crosses Molly Grace Dicksonís face as she passes a plastic sandwich bag filled with crushed corn flakes, warm water and yeast from her left hand to her right.
The 7-year-old crunches up her nose as she peers at the soggy brown mass within the bag. She squishes the bag between her palms.
ìEw. This feels gross,î she says to her fellow witches and wizards gathered around her. ìThis feels disgusting.î
Disgusting? Perhaps. Educational? Definitely.
Dickson and more than a dozen other students are learning the science behind seemingly magical phenomena in a Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District continuing education class called ìCamp Runestone for Young Wizards.î
The class explores the science behind some of the magic in the popular Harry Potter books.
Class instructor Sara Belleau, an employee of the Science Museum of Minnesota, said the purpose of the class is to teach young wizards and witches the difference between science and magic.
On Wednesday, the students were making ìburping bagsî like the one Dickson was holding. The yeast reacts with the other ingredients in the bag, causing it to fill with gas and eventually pop open, or ìburp.î
ìWeíre learning today about potions,î Belleau said. ìPotions are magic. Chemistry is science.î
Samantha Creeger, 11, said sheís enjoying learning about the facts behind phenomena such as the ìburping bags.î
ìI think itís really fun, because you get to do a lot of experiments,î Creeger said of the class.
Creeger said her favorite experiment to date has been learning about invisible ink.
Creeger seems to have big plans involving her new-found knowledge about invisible ink.
ìI think I might write some letters to my friends,î she said.
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