THEORY: Hogwarts curriculum (was: Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: Snape and DADA

[macfotuk at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 112151

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, annegirl11 at j... wrote:
> Nora said:
> > If I were Headmaster, all the kids would 
> > have to take literature courses, just to have to *think*.  
Alas...
> 
> When I first read PS/SS, and I saw Harry's text book list, I tried 
to
> line up which book would cognate to which Muggle subject. It didn't
> entirly work, but I still fanwank that Wizard schooling isn't that
> different from muggle, only the format. Potions = chemistry,

Mac interjects: I agree insofar as chemistry is an exact science and 
reactants must be mixed and treated precisely, although cooking also 
springs to mind - a well-brewed potion owes more to the mastery of 
the maker (a bit like a souffle) than to the recipe per se 
(instruction list). Also ingredients being magical (many having to 
be harvested during the correct phase of the moon) are a bit akin to 
canned versus fresh, organic - which can produce dishes of quite 
different eating experience from an identical recipe.
   
> Transfiguration = physics/biology/biophysics, Herbology = plant-
based
> biology/some chemistry, arithmancy = maths, etc. The wizarding 
education
> system apparently doesn't *divide* the sciences the way we do, 
i.e. a
> class on biology, both plant and animal. 

Care of Magical Creatures?
 
> So, my theory is that in the vast areas of the kids' schooling 
that we
> don't see, they are learning literature, creative and academic 
writing,
> basic arithmetic, even music or art. 

All those essays and textbooks to read presumably take care of 
reading and writing and, arguably languages, but it seems distinctly 
odd from an author of JKR's voracious novel consumption that there 
isn't an equivalent medium by wizards (novels/fiction that is), but 
maybe all the missing things (art, music and novels) could be in 
muggle studies? Where do the WW portrait painters learn their art? 
or robe-makers (Madame Malkin)? or the musicians (Weird Sisters)? 

Where are the 'games'/PE/sports? - PE is compulsory as far as know 
in muggle education worldwide. Hogwarts classes do one broom lesson 
(it would seem) and then never again - what DOES madame Hooch teach? 
Can Hermione fly a broom (as a complete one-time muggle before 
Hogwart's)?

>  The classes are just divided
> differently. I can see how art would be part of Care of Magical 
Creatures
> (because you have to draw what you see), early Arithmancy probably
> teaches "muggle" math as a foundation (in a wizarding way that 
doesn't
> marginilize non-mathy kids), maybe the kids learn literature in 
several
> classes by reading classic books related to the subject.
> 
> If you're a wizard professor, with a life expectancy of 150+ 
years, you
> have the time to be trained beyond the core curriculem you want to 
teach,
> which would allow the education system to be much more 
interdisceplenary.
> 
> Aura
> 
> ~*~
> Well that's a horse of a different color.
> Fanfic and original stuff at www.homepage-host.uni.cc/w/ofnone