Author: Coby

Club Imagination STEM Camp

July 18, 2016

Hogwarts U.S.A. Finally Open!
Despite the tumultuous Battle of Hogwarts in 1998, plans to expand the magical learning community have culminated in the opening of a satellite campus in the U.S.A., to be located in the town of Cobleskill in Upstate N.Y. This school will be the sister school to nearby Ilvermorny School on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts. Wait lists of magical-born students were notified in late June that they had been accepted, and will arrive on campus today. Instructor Kate Elder, formerly a civil engineer in the non-maj world, is excited to finally get to live openly in a magical learning community. She will teach the first-year course entitled The Magic of Science, 101.
Schedule for First Day of Classes
9-10: House Sorting, Names, Notebooks & Snake Science
10-11: Snack & Games: Quiddich Theme
11-11:45: Survival Tips
12-2: Lunch and Campus Tours
2-3:30: Tower Crusher

“However, as I hope to persuade you, there are some interesting connections between science and magic. They share a belief, as one mathematician put it, that what is visible is merely a superficial reality, not the underlying "real reality." They both have origins in a basic urge to make sense of a hostile world so that we may predict or manipulate it to our own ends.” ― Roger Highfield, author of The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works

Bouck Hall, Headquarters of Hogwarts USA

Meet the 3 Houses of Hogwarts, U.S.A.
The Cannons
“Annie Jump Cannon (December 11, 1863 – April 13, 1941) was an American astronomer whose cataloging work was instrumental in the development of contemporary stellar classification. With Edward C. Pickering, she is credited with the creation of the Harvard Classification Scheme, which was the first serious attempt to organize and classify stars based on their temperatures.” (from Wikipedia).
Members of the House of Cannon are talented in astronomy and divination. They are strong in intellect, meticulous and detail-oriented. They also dream big, with their eyes turned to the stars. Their house color is black, in honor of their love of the night sky.
The Goddards
“Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882-1945) is considered the father of modern rocket propulsion. A physicist of great insight, Goddard also had a unique genius for invention. It is in memory of this brilliant scientist that NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was established on May 1, 1959.” (from NASA.gov)
Members of the House of Goddard are talented flyers, strong in adventure, and curious tinkerers who never give up. They move fast, and are always thinking of their next exciting destination Their house color is green, because a green light means go!
The Julians
“Percy Lavon Julian (April 11, 1899 – April 19, 1975) was an African American research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. Julian received more than 130 chemical patents. He was one of the first African Americans to receive a doctorate in chemistry. ” (from Wikipedia).
Members of the House of Julian are talented in both potions and botany. They persevere despite adversity, make great healers and excel at repelling the Dark Arts. Their house color is red, in honor of their ability to stop disease.

Annie Jump Cannon

Dr. Robert Goddard

Dr. Percy Levon Julian

Links You Need to Know
STEM camp page
Harry Potter Wiki
Harry Talks to Snake
Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony
What’s Your Patronus? Online Quiz
MACUSA
Ilvermorny School
Ilvermorny Sorting Quiz
How to Play Muggle Quidditch

Harry Potter discovers that he can speak to snakes.

First Years Study Snakes
First year students in Instructor Elder’s Magic 101 course study magical growing snakes. What makes them grow? It’s a superabsorbent polymer that can absorb 300 times it’s weight in water. Students will track the growth, more in future editions.

First Years to Learn Patronus
A patronus is your magical guardian. No magical education would be complete without this all-iimportant survival strategy; but it is more than a weapon of self-defense, your patronus is an extension of your personality. Normally an advanced topic, students at Hogwarts, U.S.A. will learn the powerful patronus charm in first year. “These students are exceptional,” said Instructor Elder, “and are ready for advanced magic.” More on their progress in the next issue.
"This ancient and mysterious charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings. The Patronus Charm is difficult, and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full, corporeal Patronus, a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity. You may suspect, but you will never truly know what form your Patronus will take until you succeed in conjuring it."— Miranda Goshawk (author of the Standard Book of Spells)
From Muggles’ Guide to Harry Potter

Instructor Elder’s Patronus is Rabbit