Over the past few months, 5th-grade students at Colegio Concepción have had the opportunity to dive into the world of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as part of their reading plan. This engaging activity, conducted in three sessions throughout May, June, and July, was a unique collaboration between the Spanish subject and the English Immersion Program, allowing students to engage with the story in a hands-on way.
The activity, organised by Mr. Marcos from the English Immersion and Spanish language elementary teachers Ms. Susana Lizama and Ms. Daniela Matamala, began with a geographical contextualisation of the British Isles, setting the stage for their exploration of both British geography and the magical journey in the book.
What made this activity particularly interesting was how it blended the Spanish curriculum with the English Immersion program. Although the class was conducted in Spanish, it was possible to connect British culture, history, geography, and literature to the activity, demonstrating how English and Spanish can work together seamlessly by focusing on culture.
The students then engaged in an interactive exercise, using the methodology of Social Mapping. Social Mapping is a technique that allows for the collective construction of knowledge about a territory through the visual representation of its characteristics. In this case, students received maps of the British Isles and were tasked with tracing the journey from King’s Cross to Hogwarts (London to Scotland), focusing on the route of the Hogwarts Express and using their imagination. They were encouraged to design magical train stations along the route, blending creativity with the cultural knowledge they had gained.
Each group designed their own “magical train station,” incorporating elements from the story, such as the names, architecture, and atmosphere of their stations, while also considering magical creatures, characters, and other fantastic elements. This exercise allowed students to tell a story through a map, combining real geography with the magic of the Harry Potter universe.
The activity culminated in presentations where students shared their magical stations with the class. They explained how their stations fit into the broader journey of the Hogwarts Express and how they connected with the magical world of the book. As a small gift, each student received a Hogwarts Express ticket, allowing them to take the route they had created on the map — a tangible and exciting connection to the magical journey.
We invite you to check out the highlights of this magical experience!
