© Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies The Wizard of Oz Based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Unit Study by Karen K. Newell We have activities for each of the 24 chapters of the book Wizard of Oz. Read the chapter and then do the activities. We think you will have fun both reading the book and doing the projects. CHAPTER 1 ADJECTIVE BOX In the box below write some adjectives to describe the scenery in Kansas. How does the author portray the land? You may use the words in the book or your own words to describe the setting. Bonus: Try to make the words look like the adjective. For example this is how you would write the word small. 1 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies COMPARISON Compare the description of the Kansas prairie in the book with that in the verses from the Kansas state song: Home on the Range. Home on the Range Oh, give me a home Where the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the antelope play; Where seldom is heard A discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day Where the air is so pure, The zephyrs so free, The breezes so balmy and light, That I would not exchange My home on the range For all of the cities so bright. How do the two descriptions of the Kansas prairie compare? Who liked the prairie better, Mr. Baum or the author of the song? CHAPTER 2 In this chapter you met the Witch of the North. She explained how the Land of Oz was laid out. Map Making Following along on a map can help you understand details of a story. On the map you list the people who live in the Land of the East, the Land of the South, and the Land of the West. (You will get to meet them later on.) 2 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies 1. Add the names of these people to your map in the location they live where it says “Land of” Munchkins Winkies Quadlings 2. Put a smiley face on the North and South where they are ruled by a good witch. Put a frowning face on the East and West where they are ruled by a bad witch. 3. Add N, S, E, W to the compass rose at the bottom right of the map. 4. Color the road that leads from the East to the Emerald City. What color is the road? 5. What color do the Munchkins like? Circle their town way in the east and color it that color. The Witch’s Shoes What color were the witch’s shoes? Some details are changed when movies are made. If you have seen one of the movies, watch for other changes. Color this shoe. My Idea Box The witch did not tell us the name of the people who live in the North. You get to name these people yourself. What would you call them? You can add their name to your map. CHAPTER 3 What Would I Do? Before going on her journey, Dorothy went into her house and gathered some things to take. Think a minute. What would you take if you were going into your home for the last time? 3 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies Dress Your Own Scarecrow The Munchkins dressed their scarecrow in their clothes (of course.) What would a scarecrow look like if you put your clothes on it? ??? Why is the scarecrow afraid of a lighted match? 4 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies CHAPTER 4 Quote When Scarecrow told Dorothy his story, he said this: “Brains are the only things worth having in this world, whether one is a crow or a man.” Do you agree or disagree with his statement? Map Dorothy and Scarecrow enter a wood on their journey on the yellow brick road. Draw some trees to represent woods on your map Scarecrow’s List For not being very smart, Scarecrow is pretty helpful. You might even wonder if he gives himself credit for his talents. Make a list of some of the things he does that are helpful. 5 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies CHAPTER 5 My Idea Box The Tin Woodman was made out of tin. What would you make a man out of? If Scarecrow wanted brains, and the Tin Woodman wanted a heart, what would your man want? Vote What do you think is more important: brains or heart? Brains Heart Ask ten people and see which gets the most votes. CHAPTER 6 Quotes “Have you brains?” asked the Scarecrow. “I suppose so. I’ve never looked to see,” replied the lion. What is humorous about this quote? 6 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies “You will be very welcome,” answered Dorothy, “for you will help to keep away the other wild beasts. It seems to me they must be more cowardly then you are if they allow you to scare them so easily.” “They really are,” said the lion, “but that doesn’t make me feel any braver, and as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy.” From this quote do you think bullies are brave? YES NO Here’s My List Dorothy and her companions are getting quite a list of things they are going to ask the wizard for. Make a list of their requests. Dorothy Scarecrow Tin Woodman Lion Vocabulary Mar – to spoil or ruin used in first sentence in the paragraph which is 4th from the end of chapter 6 Write your own sentence with the word “mar” in it: 7 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies The Tin Man and the Beetle Circle the correct answers. What did Tin Man do when he stepped on the beetle? a. He laughed. b. He cried. c. He blamed the others. What does that tell you about the Tin Man? a. He hated bugs. b. He worried a lot. c. He cared about living things. The Scarecrow oiled Tin Man because: a. He was the only one who knew how to help Tin Man. b. He wanted to punish Tin Man for stepping on the beetle. c. He was wasting the oil. CHAPTER 7 Map The company has to pass two creeks and a long river to continue on their journey on the yellow brick road. The river is drawn for you on your map. Color it blue. You may want to add two thin creeks before the river. 8 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies Team Work It’s a good thing Dorothy has these traveling companions because each one helps the group in some way. Mark in the blank of the task: SC for Scarecrow TM for the Tin Woodman L for the Lion Gathered nuts Offered to hunt for meat Jumped across the ditch Came up with the idea to make a bridge Faced the Kalidahs and kept them from the others Cut down trees for the bridge Dumps the end of the tree in the ditch so the Kalidahs can’t cross Came up with the idea of building a raft Gathered fruit for Dorothy and Toto My Idea Box If you were one of the travelers, how could you help your companions? Think of a dilemma (or problem) and a way you would solve it. Chapter 8 9 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies CHAPTER 8 Map Draw some poppies on your map between the woods and the city. Or you could color it with yellow, white, blue and purple flowers. (Those were the colors mentioned in the book.) The Mighty Sleeping Lion Do you have any ideas on how you might rescue a sleeping lion? Chapter 9 Alike and Different In this chapter field mice rescue the lion. Have you ever heard other stories of mice saving a lion? Think of how the stories are the same and how they are different. Vocabulary Indignant - annoyed or angry Timid - quiet shy Harnessed - place ropes or straps over shoulders in order to pull something Can you write a super sentence with all three words? (Okay, if you want you can stop with only two words.) 10 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies Chapter 10 Map Give the Emerald City a dark green wall. You can outline the castle in dark green as well. Seeing Green Why do you think everything is green? Do you have any clues? (Hint: Do you have any red or green cellophane?) Chapter 11 The travelers saw the wizard in different forms. Draw what they saw. 11 www.classical-childrens-books.com © Classical Children’s Books Unit Studies Do what? What did the wizard want them to do? If you were with Dorothy and her friends, what would you say? Let’s go for it! No way! Chapter 12 Map They encounter rough, hilly country as the party heads west. Draw some hills on your map west of the Emerald City. Draw the witch’s castle. What is the favorite color of this land? Color the area that color. Matching Draw a line from the enemies on the left, to their way of attacking Dorothy and her friends in the middle, then to the character who defeated them on the right.