With magic and mystery inspired by the Harry Potter stories, many ideas for teaching strategies and lesson plans come to mind. You can let your imagination run wild.

Science lessons plans incorporating evidence for solving mysteries such as fingerprints, dental impressions and disappearing ink come to mind. Invite a member of your local police force to come and give a basic talk to your students on how they solve crimes using this type of evidence. Is there a student in your class who has had dental impressions or molds made from plaster of paris during a treatment for teeth straightening with braces? Using water based paints, demonstrate how each student has finger prints that differ from everyone else. Hand print artwork can then be done. Turn hand prints into imaginary butterflies or birds.

Hermione's Time Turner can be incorporated into your history lessons. Turn back the time to yesteryear and discuss the people and events from that time.

One of my favorite items from Harry Potter is the Sorting Hat. First year Hogwarts students are sorted into the four (4) houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or I have found the official Harry Potter store where many of these items can be purchased (see below for url).Slytherin. The hat's mouth actually can be made to move. This is a wonderful item to use around Hallowe'en time or any time in the classroom. Reward a student for good behavior or marks by letting them wear the hat. Choose students to read passages from thier story book readers out loud to the class while wearing the Sorting Hat. Or perhaps the day class monitor can wear the hat while they perform their daily duty. There are so many ways to incorporate this hat into your lesson plans and teaching strategies.

There are 3 Magic Wands that were used by the children in the Harry Potter books. One way to use wands in the classroom can be when the children choose teams for various activities they can select each person with the use of a wand. Children may wish to make their own wands in art class from various "magical" materials.

Learning to tell time lesson plans and to keep the correct dates can be done while employing one of the several wall or desk calendars or watches. As well, children can make their own Harry Potter wall posters.

There are journals available to encourage students to write their thoughts in on a daily basis. Perhaps they can write magical stories too.

And last but not least, all teaching strategies incorporate reading into their lesson plans. There are several Harry Potter bookmarks that students will love to use to keep their place in their readers or books. What a great idea for end of school (encourage reading during the summer holidays), back to school or Christmas gifts from the teacher.

Following are short descriptions of several Harry Potter merchandise items as found online in the Harry Potter Shop.

Collectible Time Turner: This Time-Turner is an authentic recreation of Hermione's Time-Turner. It is centered with a working miniature hourglass and its inner rings rotate.

Collectible Wands: This Harry Potter's Wand is an authentic recreation of the famous wizard's wand. It measures 14 inches in length. Made of wood and resin. Other wands for Ron and

Hermione are also available.

Double Buckle Leather Briefcase: You don't need to work at the Ministry of Magic to carry this stunning, European-crafted Harry Potter briefcase! Made of high quality leather, the briefcase features a metal 'Hogwarts' logo on the outside front pocket and the 'Harry Potter' logo embossed on the flap-cover. A wonderful teacher's case for all your magical lesson plans.

Prisoner of Azkaban Wall Calendar: This 12-month calendar features a fun collection of artwork and images from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and is perfect for your home, office, or schoolroom.

Prisoner of Azkaban Day-to-Day Calendar: Add a dose of magic into each and every day. The holographic image on the calendar's stand is sure to liven up the day.

Harry Potter Sheet Music Set: Learn to play the tunes of magic from Harry Potter on the piano. Contains 9 songs.

Sorting Hat: Take the magic into your classroom with this brown Hogwarts Sorting Hat just like the one used in the Harry Potter films! With assorted brown patches and a tattered rim, this hat is an amazing replica of the hat worn by first years in the movie to sort the young wizards into the appropriate house -- Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin. This spectacular hat has a hat puppet feature so you can put your hand into the hat and make it's mouth move!

Albus Dumbledore's Wizard Hat: Bring magic into your classroom with this Albus Dumbledore's Wizard Hat, just like the one used in the Harry Potter films! Handcrafted out of the finest materials, this hat is an amazing recreation of the one worn by everyone's favorite Headmaster. This hat is adjustable to fit a full range of head sizes from children to adults.

Albus Dumbledore's Tassel Hat: Become the Headmaster in your class/school with this Albus Dumbledore's Tassel Hat, just like the one used in the Harry Potter film with detailed stitching and orange tassel. This hat is adjustable to fit a full range of head sizes from children to adults.

Professor McGonagall's Witch Hat: Take the magic into your classroom with Professor McGonagall's Witch Hat. This hat is adjustable to fit a full range of head sizes from children to adults.

Harry Potter Hat Set (Sorting Hat, Student Hat, McGonagall's Hat): Buy this set of three Harry Potter Hats and save! Pretend you are a young wizard scholar with this black velvet Hogwarts Students hat. Professor McGonagall's hat has a satin ribbon with checkered detail and feather. The Hogwarts Sorting Hat has a spectacular puppet feature. Put your hand into the hat and make it's mouth move -- pretending you are sorting the young wizards into the appropriate house.

Harry Potter Bookmark Set: You'll never lose your place when reading about your favorite wizard with this Harry Potter bookmark set. There are six enchanting bookmarks in all and each design has a coordinating bead on its silky tassel. The designs include: Quidditch Game with cup bead, Flying Car with owl bead, Birthday Present with gift bead, Dragon with golden egg bead, Buckbeak Rescue with Buckbeak bead, and Underwater with golden egg bead. These bookmarks measure approximately 6" long.

Harry Potter Journal Box Set: Take notes, keep a diary, and draw in you own Harry Potter journal! Each 144-page hardcover book has plenty of room for students' thoughts and drawings. The purple journal has the emblem of each house of Hogwarts on the cover and a wizard's hat on each lined page. The red journal has a recreation of Platform 9 3/4 on the cover and is filled with lighting bolts on each lined page. The green journal has Hedwig on the cover and a magic wand graces each blank page.

Harry Potter Two-Sided Journal: Take notes, keep a diary, and draw in your very own Harry Potter Two-Sided Journal. This hardcover flip-style journal, wire-bound to lie flat, is two journals in one!

Open the purple-sided cover featuring Harry fighting a dragon to write on purple pages. Flip it over to view a green journal featuring artwork of Harry rescuing his friends underwater. This journal has 160 fine stationery pages (80 purple pages, 80 green pages) to fill with students' thoughts and dreams.

Hope these items and others inspire your lesson plans and teaching strategies. Your classroom will be envied by all the other students in the school.

Valerie Giles owns and operates Cyber-Prof: Teacher Resource Site an educational web site that specializes in resources for school and teacher supplies http://www.cyber-prof.com. Free stuff for teachers, teaching strategies, K-8, educational toys and games, back to school, classroom technology and home school curriculum. http://www.cyber-prof.com