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Pre-listening vocabulary

• protagonist: the main character of a story
• cyclone: a type of tropical storm
• fantastical: strange and unrealistic; something out of a story
• request: something that is asked for
• quality: a trait or feature that someone has

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children’s novel written by American author L. Frank Baum. The story’s protagonist is a girl named Dorothy who lives in Kansas with her aunt, her uncle, and her dog. One day, a cyclone Dorothy’s house off to a magical land known as Oz – a place populated by witches, flying monkeys, and other fantastical creatures. Dorothy seeks the of a witch, who informs her that Oz is ruled by an all-powerful wizard who can send her back to Kansas. Eager to return home, Dorothy begins a journey to meet the wizard. On the way, she makes a few friends: a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion. Each one has a different request for the wizard – the scarecrow wishes for a brain, the tin man wishes for a heart, and the lion wishes for courage. The wizard, however, is not what they expected, and each character must gain the quality they wish for by finding it within themselves. Dorothy’s request is more , but with the help of a witch, she is eventually able to return home.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19438″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. What do you think the most important message is in this story? Why is that message important to have in a children’s book?

Transcript

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic children’s novel written by American author L. Frank Baum. The story’s protagonist is a girl named Dorothy who lives in Kansas with her aunt, her uncle, and her dog. One day, a cyclone carries Dorothy’s house off to a magical land known as Oz – a place populated by witches, flying monkeys, and other fantastical creatures. Dorothy seeks the advice of a witch, who informs her that Oz is ruled by an all-powerful wizard who can send her back to Kansas. Eager to return home, Dorothy begins a journey to meet the wizard. On the way, she makes a few unusual friends: a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion. Each one has a different request for the wizard – the scarecrow wishes for a brain, the tin man wishes for a heart, and the lion wishes for courage. The wizard, however, is not what they expected, and each character must gain the quality they wish for by finding it within themselves. Dorothy’s request is more complicated, but with the help of a witch, she is eventually able to return home.