Welcome to Chapter 18: “Away to the South!” This post offers classroom-ready resources for analyzing setting shifts, character motivation, and transitional plot elements.
New to the series? Visit the Introduction to the Book Study for guidance on using the unit across grade levels.
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.
🧭 Chapter Summary
Chapter 18: “Away to the South”
Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion mourn the loss of Oz. They gather in the Throne Room to discuss how to get Dorothy back to Kansas. First, they decide to use the Golden Cap to summon the Winged Monkeys. When the Monkeys arrive, they explain that they cannot leave the Land of Oz and therefore cannot help Dorothy.
Next, the group calls the soldier with the green whiskers to ask for advice. He suggests traveling to the Land of the South to seek help from Glinda the Good Witch. He warns them that the journey will be dangerous, with wild animals and a group of strange men who dislike travelers.
The group agrees to begin their journey the next morning.
Chapter 18: “Away to the South” 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 are a few examples you can use right from Chapter 18 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
📌 Dorothy wept bitterly at the passing of her hope to get home to Kansas again; but when she thought it all over she was glad she had not gone up in a balloon.
Focus: Adverbs + Emotional Tone
Practice Prompt: Write a sentence that uses an adverb to describe how someone cried, laughed, or spoke. Use this adverb: quietly.
📌 The Scarecrow decided to think, and he thought so hard that the pins and needles began to stick out of his brains. Finally he said:
“Why not call the Winged Monkeys, and ask them to carry you over the desert?”
Focus: Cause and Effect + Sentence Structure
Practice Prompt: Write a sentence that shows cause and effect using “so” to connect the ideas. Use these ideas: she studied hard, she passed the test.
📌 There has never been a Winged Monkey in Kansas yet, and I suppose there never will be, for they don’t belong there.
Focus: Verb Tense + Negative Statements
Practice Prompt: Write a sentence using present perfect tense to describe something that has never happened. Use this idea: visit the moon.
Would You Rather
- Would you rather travel by balloon or by silver shoes?
- Would you rather live in the Emerald City or in Glinda’s palace?
- Would you rather walk across a desert or climb a mountain to reach your goal?
Focus Skills
Constructed Response Skill – Comparing Dorothy to Another Book Character
Students compare Dorothy to another literary character—perhaps Lucy from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Meg from A Wrinkle in Time, or Fern from Charlotte’s Web. They analyze traits, choices, and growth, then explain how each character responds to challenges.
Standards: RL.5.5, RL.6.5, RL.7.3
Language Arts Skill – Analogies with Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homophones
Students build analogies using:
- Synonyms: brave : courageous :: kind : compassionate
- Antonyms: hopeful : hopeless :: generous : selfish
- Homophones: pair : pear :: knight : night
Use a foldable or chart to define, sort, and create analogies. Include examples from the chapter (e.g., leave/stay, help/hinder, plain/plane).
Standards: L.5.5.c, L.6.5.b, L.7.5.b
Click here to download the FREE Chapter 18 resource.
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2 comments
This is a wonderful resource, but I can’t get chapter 12.
Author
Here is the link: http://bookunitsteacher.com/reading_oz/oz12.pdf