Curriculum Guide

Page 1 of 15 Table of Contents

1.1.1. General Information about SOA’s production of The Wiz

2.2.2. Timeline of the Book, Play, Movie

3.3.3. Before the Show ActivitActivitiiiieseseses

4.4.4. Elementary Standards Based Activities

5.5.5. Middle/Middle/HighHigh ELA Standards Based Activities

6.6.6. Art, Music, TechTechnologynology Connections and Activities

7.7.7. After the Show

Page 2 of 15 General Information about our performance of The Wiz

Book by Music and Lyrics by William F. Brown Charlie Smalls Based on the story “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by Frank Baum

The performance dates for Charleston County School of the Arts’ production of The Wiz are January 21 and 22 at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

Each day there will be performances at 10 AM & 7 PM

Matinee prices: Students - $5 (For every 10 students there is 1 free adult chaperone ticket.) Adults - $10

Evening prices: Students - $10 Senior Adults - $10 Adults - $15

Special Group rate for evening performances: 10 tickets for $100

Contact Information for Ticket Reservations: [email protected] Or call School of the Arts at 843-529-4990

Page 3 of 15 Concise History of the Author, Book, Play, Movie

Lyman Frank Baum was born in 1856, just east of Syracuse in Chittenango, NY.

Baum's initial attempt at writing and publishing was in 1871 with his own small newspaper called The Rose Lawn Home Journal

Later, Baum set to work on writing original plays. His play The Maid of Arran immediately became a success.

The most worthy and notable of Baum's creations, along with illustrator William W. Denslow, was the story of Dorothy and the Scarecrow and the other inhabitants of Oz, which began as a story told to some of the young children in the neighborhood, as well as to his own children. Baum came up with title The Wonderful Wizard of Oz .

Baum went on to produce seventeen sequels to the Oz books.

In 1902, Baum and Denslow collaborated with Paul Tietjens and Julien Mitchell to produce an adult version of The Wizard of Oz as a musical stage play. It used the same characters, and was aimed more at adult audiences. It had a long, successful run on Broadway.

The earliest "Oz" film series were produced by Baum in 1908 and 1914.

The popular film The Wizard of Oz was mainly directed by Victor Fleming and was released in 1939. The songs from The Wizard of Oz became widely popular, with "Over the Rainbow” receiving the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the film was nominated for Best Picture. (Gone With the Wind won Best Picture in 1939.)

The Wiz is another adaptation of the story and features exclusively African American actors. The play features music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. The show opened on January 5, 1975 at the Majestic Theater and ended on January 28, 1979, running for 1,672 performances. It was nominated for and received a number of Tony Awards.

A motion picture adaptation of The Wiz was produced in 1978.

Page 4 of 15 Before the Show Activities

1. Read The Wizard of Oz and/or The WizWiz.

2. Watch the films The Wizard of Oz and/or The WWiziziziz.

3. Discuss with students the idea that a play is different than a movie in that movies are generally realistic, while a play works to tell a story in an interesting way and help us understand how the characters think and feel.

4. Explain to students that usually a work of art has some kind of theme, idea or message that is being communicated.

5. Discover the meaning of the following words and phrases which come directly from the script.

Crisco STP Lubricate “Cross your heart”

King of the Jungle bone up

crying the blues liberated woman

do you in a pox on your house

hit man take five

endangered species Hallelujah in harmony liquidated copout a fake/a fraud/a phony

‘fess up the Omnipotent Wizard pitchman in a carnival revival meeting

ladies social frontal lobotomy gave her heart to me

Page 5 of 15 Elementary Standards Based Activities (See the Power Point)

Language Arts

Read the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Grade level 4-6) and/or watch the movie The Wizard of Oz (1939) (all grade levels). Standards K-1.1, 1-1.1, 2-1.1, 3-1.1, 4-1.1, 5-1.1, 6-1.1

Characterization: Make character maps of each of the main characters: Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Wizard. Older students can add quotes and identify direct and indirect characterization. Younger students can draw pictures. Standards: K-1.4, 1-1.4, 2-1.4, 3-1.4, 4-1.4, 5-1.4, 6-1.4.

Setting: Write a descriptive paragraph describing Oz. If you were writing an adaptation of this novel (movie) what would Oz look like? Younger students: draw a picture that represents the setting of this story/movie. Standards: K-1.4, K-1.7, 1-1.4, 1—1.7, 2-1.4, 2-1.7, 3-1.4, 3-1.7, 4-1.7, 5-1.7, 6-1.7.

Point of View: This story is told from Dorothy’s point of view. How would it be different if it were told from another character’s point of view? The Scarecrow? The Wicked Witch of the West? The Wizard? Standards: K-1.2, 1-1.2, 2-1.2, 3-1.2, 4-1.2, 5-1.2, 6-1.2.

Theme: There are many themes for this story. Some of the universal theme could be: coming home, friendship, self-acceptance, self-discovery, self-esteem, and honesty. Standards: 2-1.6, 3-1.6, 4-1.6, 5-1.6, 6-1.6.

Writing Theme statements: Theme statements are written by using a universal theme from the book, finding out what characters do and say that relate to that theme and then writing a complete sentence expressing the theme. Rules are:
Theme statements must be in a complete sentence and should be original not a cliché.
Theme statements need to be specific, not vague.
Theme statements do not include character names from the book/movie. They should apply to all mankind. For example: It is easy for people to take their homes for granted. But when they are away from home, they learn to appreciate how special home really is. Make a collage using pictures from magazines that represent a theme from the story/movie. Write a theme statement on the back.

Protagonist/Antagonist: Who is the protagonist in the book/movie? Who is the antagonist? Make a Venn diagram comparing the two. Standards: K-1.4, 1-1.4, 2-1.4, 3-1.4, 4-1.4, 5-1.4, 6-1.4.

Page 6 of 15 Genre: The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz are fantasy stories. What makes these stories fantasies? Standards: K-1.9, 1-1.9, 2-1.9, 3-1.9, 4-1.4, 5-1.9, 6-1.10.

Read the pictupicturere book Stand Tall Molly Lou MeMelonlonlonlon (K-4). This is the story of Mary Lou Mellon who is tiny buck-toothed, and has a voice “like a bullfrog being chocked by a boa constrictor.” Mary Lou’s Grandma has confidence in her. When Mary Lou moves to a new town away from her friends and her grandmother, she has to find a way to find the talents she has inside herself.

Writing activity: Mary Lou Melon, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion all had talents that were hidden inside. What talents do you have? What talents do you have but don’t use? Can you find ways to use your talents? Standards: Reading: K-1.7, 1-1.7, 2-1.7, 3-1.7, 4-1.7, 5-1.7, 6-1.7, Writing: K-4, K-5, 1-4, 1-5, 2- 4, 2-5, 3-4, 3-5, 4-4, 4-5, 5-4, 5-5, 6-4, 6-5.

Adaptations: The musical The Wiz is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In the original Broadway show, Oz is a fantasy version of New York City. Write an adaptation of one of your favorite stories or fairy tales. Change the setting to modern day or a different time period in history. Change the characters to different people or animals, or tell the story from a different character’s point of view. Standards: K-4, K-5, 1-4, 1-5, 2-4, 2-5, 3-4, 3-5, 4-4, 4-5, 5-4, 5-5, 6-4, 6-5.

After seeing the play: Compare and contrast the play with the book or movie. Make a Venn diagram. Write a compare/contrast paragraph or essay. Standards: K-1.7, 1-1.7, 2-1.7, 3-1.7, 4-1.7, 5-1.7, 6-1.7, K-4, K-5, 1-4, 1-5, 2-4, 2-5, 3-4, 3-5, 4- 4, 4-5, 5-4, 5-5, 6-4, 6-5.

Science Make a tornadotornado::::
Take two 2-liter soda bottles; fill one with water and some food coloring, and connect the two bottles with duct tape. One bottle will be upside down, the other right side.
Move the water –filled bottle to the top, give the bottles, a twist, and a vortex will flow into the lower bottle.

Twister facts:
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground.
The United States has more tornadoes than any other country in the world – from 800 to 1200 a year.
Tornadoes can happen any time, but most tornadoes occur between April and June between 3 and 7.
Parts of central United States east of the Rocky Mountains are the most likely to experience tornadoes. This part of the country is called Tornado Alley.
The highest wind speed ever measured in a tornado is 301 mph.
The sound made by a tornado is often compared to the rumble of a nearby train or the sound of a waterfall or air rushing by an open window in a speeding car. Page 7 of 15
Tornadoes in North America spin counter-clockwise. In Australia, they spin in the opposite direction, Clockwise.

National Geographic: Eye in the Sky, Tornadoes http://www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/tornadoes/tornadoes.html Standards: K-4, 2-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-4

Social Studies Maps Students can create their own maps of Oz, based on the endpapers of Tik-Tok of Oz (also available online at Hungry Tiger Press ) or the set of maps printed and sold by the International Wizard of Oz Club . Or use the maps to develop map-reading skills. (Also ties in with art.)

Map of Oz

Culture
Using a list of all the languages into which The Wizard of Oz has been translated (about sixty at last count), students find countries where those languages are spoken. Kids also could report on what life was like in those countries in the year 1900 (when the novel was first published) and how it has changed. (Also ties in with history.)
Dorothy was an immigrant to Oz. Choose two famous immigrants and compare and contrast their immigration experience using a Venn diagram. SC Standards: maps and timelines

Page 8 of 15 Mathematics Math Equations
Dorothy lived in Kansas, where there are lots of sunflowers. How many seeds are in a sunflower? (Also ties in with science.)
Each brick in the metric brick road is 30cm long by 15cm wide by 10 cm deep. Each brick weighs 3.5kg. Each brick (since it’s gold!) is worth $585. Have students calculate: 1. How many bricks would be needed to create a path approximately 9m long by 3m wide? 2. The road to the Emerald City is about 40km long and 3 m wide. How many bricks would be needed? 3. What would the area be? 4. How much would it be worth? 5. If the bricks were piled one on top of each other, how high would the pile be? 6. How much would they weigh? ANSWERS: 1. 9m x 3m = 30 bricks x 20 bricks = 600 bricks 2. 40 km x 3 m = 133,333 bricks x 20 bricks = 2,666,660 3. 40,000 m x 3m = 120,000m 2 4. 2,666,660 bricks x $585 = $1,559,996,100 5. 2,666,660 x 10 cm = 266,666m (266.67 km) SC Standards: 4-5.1; 4-5.3, 5-5.3

Page 9 of 15 Middle/High ELA Standards Based Activities

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS FOR THE WIZ: GRADES 77----10101010

Overview : Almost everyone knows the story of Dorothy and her three friends following the yellow brick road to Oz in search of solutions. They want, respectively, a home, a brain, a heart, and courage. Who doesn’t? This is a story for everyone.

Teachers can pick and choose from the activities in this guide depending on the unique group of students. Most of these activities can be adapted for all grade levels 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Standard E1E1E1-E1 ---1.6:1.6: Create responses to literary texts through a vavarietyriety of methods (for example, written works, oral and auditory presentations, discussion,discussi on, media productions, and the visual and performing arts).

BEFORE THEATRE 1. Review the basic story: ask the class to fill in the pieces as you lead a discussion. Where does Dorothy live? What is her dog’s name? How does she end up in Oz, etc. Go to http://www.allmusicals.com/w/wiz.htm for a free synopsis and all lyrics – no signing in – instantly available!

2. Identify in pairs/groups, then class discussion: What would you be missing if you did not have at least average intelligence, feelings/emotions, courage, or you could not return home for some reason? If you had to give up one of the above, which would it be? Why? Name three other things people might lack that would make them feel insecure.

3. Choose a character to focus on during the play. Create your vision of the character’s costume. Read the song lyrics that character will perform. You will be the expert. What is his/her conflict to begin with? Is the problem resolved? How? Later, how did the character in the musical match up to your expectations/picture?

AFTER THEATRE 1. Review/ discuss before theater activities. Students can present brief oral presentations on their characters. 2. Examine the elements of Fiction and Drama: exposition, conflict (internal and external), characterization, setting, plot – rising action, climax, falling action; symbolism, theme, foreshadowing, etc.

Page 10 of 15 Standard E1E1E1-E1 ---1.41.4 Analyze the relationship among characharacter,cter, plot, conflict, and theme in a given literary text. Standards E1E1E1-E1 ---1.51.5 Analyze the effect of the author’s craft (including tone anandd the use of imagery, flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism, irony, and allusion) on the meaning of literary texts.

3. Draw a picture which connects the symbolism to the theme. 4. Write a review of SOA’s musical production for your school newspaper/newsletter, or pretend you are writing for The Post and Courier. 5. For those who have seen either the 1939 movie or the movie version of The Wiz , compare them. 6. Find parallels/connections to other stories you have read or movies you have seen. Where else might you find the subjects/themes of appearance vs. reality, the journey for self- awareness/actualization, rite of passage, realization of one’s own abilities, the importance of dreams, the need for friends in life’s journey, perseverance in the face of rejection? Possible thematic connections: The Alchemist , Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Rings, The Giver, Flowers for Algernon, The Color Purple, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Life of Pi.

Standard E1E1E1-E1 ---1.71.7 Compare/contrast literary texts from various gengenrere (for example, poetry, drama, novels, and short stories)

7. Middle students could create a cartoon demonstrating plot – rising action, climax, resolution. 8. Creative Writing: write a sequel or another version of the story using a different setting and characters. Middle school students could write frame poems using song lyrics as a model. 9. Symbolism and allegory and rich in this story; students could explore in writing how symbols reveal theme. (Dorothy’s shoes, the physical tokens given to the 3 “men,” the yellow brick road, the green glasses, the Wiz’s façade, the trip to OZ itself)

Page 11 of 15 Art, Music, Technology Connections and ActivitActivitiesiesiesies

ART CONNECTIONS:

Find the black and white illustration on page 13, and color in the characters of The Wiz .

MUSIC CONNECTIONS:

What different kind of instruments might be used to characterize each of the Oz characters (Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, etc.)? What kinds of rhythms might characterize each one? How might each character dance or move to their instrument or rhythm?

In the performance, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion sang songs about themselves and what they wanted, all to the same tune. What might other characters from the movie have sung to the tune “If I Only Had a Brain/Heart/ the Nerve”? What about characters from other stories? What about yourself?

Compare the songs and soundtracks of The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz (both available on CD). How are they the same? How are they different? What musical styles and traditions are in each?

TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS:

Complete the Webquest for The Wiz : (See Power Point.)

Use the websites listed in this packet or other websites to answer the following questions:

1. When and where was Frank Baum born? 2. What is Frank Baum’s full name? 3. In what year did Baum write the successful musical play entitled “The Maid of Arran”? 4. What was the name of Baum’s first book for children? 5. How long did the first Broadway musical version of The Wizard of Oz run in 1902? 6. Who was the successful illustrator of the “Oz” books? 7. What date did the original production of The Wiz open on Broadway? 8. How many times has The Wiz been performed on Boradway? 9. What are the Tony Awards? 10. How many Tony Awards did The Wiz win?

Page 12 of 15 The Wiz Webquest answers: 1. Chittenango, New York, 1856 2. Lyman Frank Baum 3. 1881 4. Mother Goose in Prose 5. 293 nights 6. W.W. Denslow or William W. Denslow 7. January 5, 1975 8. 1685 (1672: Premier Broadway production and 13: 1984 Revival) 9. An awards program to celebrate excellence in theater. 10. 7 Awards: Best Musical Best Original Score Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Ted Ross Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Dee Dee Bridgewater Best Costume Design Best Choreography Best Direction in a Musical

WIZARD OF OZ AND THE WIZ WEBSITESWEBSITES:::: http://www.literarytraveler.com/literary.articles/l_frank_baum.aspx Includes an in depth biography of L. Frank Baum more appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students. http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000776.shtml Wonderful website with great ideas and lesson for different levels of students. http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/L_Frank_Baum/Dorothy_and_the_Wizard_of_Oz Online texts of L. Frank Baum’s books. http://www.nancypolette.com/LitGuidesText/oz.htm Literature guide for the Wonderful Wizard of Oz – cross-curricular activities. http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit41/lesson1.html A lesson plan for grades 3-5 about giving to others using a video clip from the movie The Wizard of Oz. http://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/wiz/htm The Wiz , the Broadway show home page. http://www.halcyon.com/piglet/author01.htm Information on L. Frank Baum’s life.

Page 13 of 15 Page 14 of 15 After the Show

1. Compare and contrast the play and the book. What similarities were there? What differences?

2. Ask students to discuss the actors who played different roles. How did they manage to seem like different people? What tools or techniques did they use? (Different voices, different physical movements and body positions, costumes).

3. Ask students what they thought the theme or message of this play was and why they think so.

Page 15 of 15