Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Home is a recurring motif throughout The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

• What characterizes a person’s home? (topic sentence)
• How do the homes to which Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Woodman, and the Lion return exemplify their hopes and dreams?
• In your concluding sentences, summarize the ways in which the characters’ quests for home shape and change them.

2. Baum suggests that self-belief and confidence allow individuals to become the people they dream of being.

• Why are the Scarecrow, the Woodman, and the Lion dissatisfied with themselves when Dorothy initially encounters them? (topic sentence)
• What evidence from throughout the story suggests that these characters already possess the qualities they seek?
• In your concluding sentences, explain why the gifts from the Wizard of Oz make such a difference to these characters’ perception of themselves.