Welcome to Chapter 15: “The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible!” In this post, you’ll find teaching strategies that highlight point of view, character revelation, and theme.
If you’re just joining us, begin with the Introduction to the Book Study for setup tips and pacing suggestions.
Learn how the Oz novel study is organized, with details on the full unit, free sampler, mentor sentences, and chapter handouts.
Mentor sentence lessons, student practice pages, and grammar-focused writing tasks are included.
Download the free handout for this chapter, complete with instructions and materials for the activities described here.
🎭 Summary
Chapter 15: “The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible”
Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion return to the Emerald City and request an audience with the Great Oz to receive the gifts he promises. Days pass with no response. Finally, the Scarecrow sends a message threatening to summon the Winged Monkeys if Oz refuses to meet with them.
When the group enters the Throne Room, they find it empty. A mysterious voice speaks from the throne, and the travelers ask for what they were promised. When the voice hesitates, the Lion roars, startling Toto. Toto knocks over a screen, revealing that the Great Oz is actually an old man with no magical powers.
The man admits he is a ventriloquist and explains how he arrived in Oz as a young man when the ropes of his balloon twist, preventing him from landing safely. He claims he has been kind to the people of Oz, and they admire him. The group agrees to keep his secret while he tries to find a way to fulfill his promises.
Chapter 15: “The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible” 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.
📌 Here he mewed so like a kitten that Toto pricked up his ears and looked everywhere to see where she was.
Focus: Infinitive Phrase (to see)
- “to see” explains why.
- Practice: Students write: “I looked ___ to ___.”
📌 The four travelers walked up to the great gate of Emerald City and rang the bell.
Focus: Verbs in Series
- “walked… and rang…”
- Practice: Students list two actions someone does in sequence.
📌 “I am Oz, the Great and Terrible.
Focus: Comma with Direct Address/Appositive
- “Oz, the Great and Terrible” adds description.
- Practice: Students create a name with a dramatic appositive: “I am Sarah, the Fearless Reader.”
Wizard Questions
Teachers can choose between a structured T‑chart that contrasts the Wizard’s illusions with his reality, or a set of open‑ended reflection questions that invite students to explore their own emotions and insights. Both formats deepen comprehension of Chapter 15 and highlight the theme of appearances versus truth.
Focus Skills
Each chapter in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Novel Study includes a constructed response question and a skill-based graphic organizer. These two pieces are part of the full-paid unit, which includes comprehension questions, skill lessons, assessments, answer keys, and Google Slides versions.
The free handout linked below includes the activities from the blog post for this chapter. If you’d like the complete set of constructed responses and skill organizers for all 24 chapters, you’ll find them inside the full unit once it is released.
Constructed Response Skill – Course of Action
Prompt: What course of action would you take if you were Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion upon discovering that the Great Oz is a fraud? Why might this be more effective than the path they chose?
Teaching Focus: Students evaluate the characters’ decision to keep Oz’s secret and consider alternatives. For example, they might suggest confronting Oz publicly, seeking help from other leaders in Emerald City, or using the Winged Monkeys to find a real wizard.
Standards: RL.5.1, RL.6.1, RL.7.1
Language Arts Skill – Suffixes
[-ious / -ous]
Focus on suffixes that form adjectives describing qualities or characteristics (e.g., mysterious, courageous, curious). Students identify, define, and sort words with these endings, then create new examples using a foldable or anchor chart.
Standards: L.5.4.b, L.6.4.b, L.7.4.b
This hands-on Prefix and Suffix Puzzle activity reinforces the prefixes and suffixes introduced in Lessons 10–15 through interactive word-building and sentence work. Students combine puzzle pieces to form real words, then choose the best word to complete each sentence. The resource includes a Student Response Sheet for written practice and is easy to prep for repeated use. Just print on cardstock, laminate, and store in a Ziploc bag. For single-use, students can cut out their own pieces and work directly on the page. It’s perfect for centers, morning review, or differentiated instruction.
Click here to download the FREE Chapter 15: “The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible!” resource.
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