Substitute Lesson Plan: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" — Chapters I & II

Objective

Students will listen to and understand the opening of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, identify the main character and setting, and describe the key event (the cyclone) that moves the story from Kansas to the land of the Munchkins.

Materials

• The text of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chapter I ("The Cyclone") and Chapter II ("The Council with the Munchkins") — provided
• Paper and pencil for each student (for the exit ticket)
• Chalkboard/whiteboard or chart paper (optional, for listing ideas)

Warm-up (~5 min)

• Welcome students and tell them today they will hear the beginning of a famous story called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
• Ask students to share (raise hands, a few responses): "Have you ever seen a very strong storm, like a big wind? What did it look like or sound like?"
• Explain that the story begins with a girl named Dorothy who lives on a farm and experiences a giant windstorm called a cyclone.

Main Activity (~25 min)

1. Read Aloud – Chapter I "The Cyclone" (~12 min)
2. Read the chapter aloud slowly and clearly, showing any illustration if available.
3. Pause after the description of Dorothy's gray home and family (Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, Toto) to ask: "How does the author describe Dorothy's home? What color is mentioned again and again?" (Answer: gray)
4. Pause again after the cyclone lifts the house to ask: "What is happening to Dorothy right now? How do you think she feels?"

1. Read Aloud – Chapter II "The Council with the Munchkins" (through the excerpt provided) (~10 min)
2. Continue reading where the house lands and Dorothy opens the door to a beautiful new land.
3. Pause when the Munchkins appear to ask: "How are the Munchkins described? How are they dressed?"
4. Pause at the end of the excerpt (where the Witch's feet are seen under the house) to ask: "What surprising news does the little old woman tell Dorothy?"

1. Class Discussion (~3 min)
2. Ask: "How is Dorothy's home in Kansas different from the land she lands in?" (Guide students to compare "gray" Kansas with the colorful, beautiful Munchkin country.)
3. Ask: "Who do you think will be important in the rest of the story?" (Dorothy, Toto, the Munchkins)

Wrap-up / Exit Ticket (~10 min)

• Hand out paper and pencils.
• Ask each student to draw or write a short response to the following prompt:
• "Draw or write about Dorothy's house in Kansas AND the new land after the cyclone. What is different between the two places?"
• Give students 7 minutes to complete this, then invite 2–3 volunteers to share their answers with the class.
• Collect exit tickets before students leave.

If Time Remains

• Ask students to act out (with simple gestures, no props needed) the moment the cyclone lifts the house — swaying, spinning slowly, as if riding in a floating house. Then have them "freeze" as if opening the door to a brand-new, colorful world, and describe one thing they might see there.