Welcome to Chapter 13: “The Rescue!” This post in our Wonderful Wizard of Oz book study focuses on plot twists, teamwork, and character growth. You’ll find flexible teaching materials that support comprehension and critical thinking.
If you’re just joining us, be sure to start with the Introduction to the Book Study for pacing tips and setup ideas.
Tips on pacing, setup, and how to use the materials across grade levels.
Includes word lists, bookmarks, word wall cards, and more – great for planning ahead.
Get vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, and organizers for this chapter.
🐺 Summary
Chapter 13: “The Rescue”
The Winkies feast and dance to celebrate their freedom from the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy and the Lion don’t join the celebration because their friends are missing. They ask the Winkies for help.
First, the Winkies, Dorothy, and the Lion locate the Tin Woodman. After three days and four nights of repairs, he returns to his original form, good as new. Then the group sets out to rescue the Scarecrow. He is reassembled and stuffed with fresh straw.
The Winkies invite the Tin Woodman to stay and become their ruler, but he chooses to return to the Emerald City with his friends to receive his heart. Before they leave, the Winkies present each traveler with a special gift made of gold and diamonds.
Chapter 13: “The Rescue” Projects
Mentor Sentences
One way to turn classic literature into a powerful teaching tool is to pull mentor sentences straight from the text. Instead of random worksheets, students get to see grammar, punctuation, and style in action—inside a story they’re already reading.
1. To be sure, there were several patches on him, but the tinsmiths did a good job, and as the Woodman was not a vain man he did not mind the patches at all.
📌 Focus: Contrast with but*
- Notice how but flips meaning.
- Practice: Students write: “He was not ___, but ___.”
2. Now that they were reunited, Dorothy and her friends spent a few happy days at the Yellow Castle, where they found everything they needed to make them comfortable
📌 Focus: Compound Subject
- Two characters share one action.
- Practice: Students pair two classmates into one action sentence.
3. The Cowardly Lion was much pleased to hear that the Wicked Witch had been melted by a bucket of water, and Dorothy at once unlocked the gate of his prison and set him free.
📌 Focus: Comma in Compound Sentence
- Point out how the comma separates actions.
- Practice: Students write a two-action sentence with a comma before and.
Focus Skills
Constructed Response Skill – Character Change: The Tin Woodman
This chapter highlights how the Tin Woodman grows in leadership and loyalty. Though honored by the Winkies’ offer, he prioritizes his original goal and chooses friendship and emotional fulfillment over power.
Standards: RL.5.3, RL.6.3, RL.7.2
Language Arts Skill – Suffixes
Focus on suffixes like -ion, -tion, –ation, –ition, and –cion. Students identify, define, and sort words with these endings, then create new examples using a foldable organizer.
Standards: L.5.4.b, L.6.4.b, L.7.4.b
Click here to download the FREE Chapter 13 resource.
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