The Wizard of Oz is America’s fairy tale. Many, many years ago, L. Frank Baum decided to write a modern fairy tale. He felt that traditional tales like Cinderella were old-fashioned and that it was time for someone to write some new ones. So he wrote the ever-popular Oz stories. Today we know them best because of the 1939 MGM movie. Judy Garland as Dorothy, the ruby slippers, and “Over the Rainbow” are what we think of when we think of Oz.
We will begin by reading L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. We will also investigate Baum and consider how and why he wrote the Oz books. In our roles as literary scholars, we will also compare The Wizard of Oz to other well-known fantasies like Alice in Wonderland. Next we will view the 1939 movie, examine its creation, and compare it to the original book. By the end of the unit, you should all be Oz-experts!
Adapted from my book, Using Beloved Classics to Deepen Reading Comprehension.