Z 為 Tee 閱讀並學習 Frank Baum 所著的《綠野仙蹤》一書

You have it within you. You are smart enough to bring about the courage to take your mind and lead it towards your heart effectively merging the two together. This brings about such great power! Hence the Scarecrow (mind) the Tin Man (heart), and the Lion (courage), coming together to help Dorothy, an outsider, to get home. 

Because the book is always better than the play or the movie...

Welcome to Oz. You may think you know this one cold, but even if you've seen the movie a thousand times, you're in for a few surprises. And I'm not talking about lions and tigers and bears.

This book has the flavor of a classic fairy tale. You know, the kind of story where wicked stepsisters slice off pieces of their feet to cram them into glass slippers? Or where horrible stepmoms convince their husbands to abandon their kids in the woods where they're enslaved and fattened up by a cannibalistic witch? Yeah, that kind of fairy tale.

That's not to say The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a grisly story. It's not. But there are a few scenes—such as when the Tin Woodman explains exactly how he became a tin man—that may catch you off guard. Still, this is the classic story of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the tin man, and the Lion and their quest to meet a wizard, vanquish a witch and acquire their desired parting gifts: a brain, a heart, some courage, and a way home. It's just that in its original novel format, the story contains a few more gruesome details, a few new characters, some odd tangents, and a lot more chopping. Turns out the tin man is like a ninja with his ax. Who knew?

Oz is a place that defies expectations. Big surprises are everywhere and little contradictions abound. The guy who cuts wood for a living is made out of metal. The king of beasts is scared of his own shadow. A little girl is more powerful than a wicked witch. But perhaps the book's biggest surprise is this: obstacles that seem impossible to overcome turn out to be nothing more than bumps in the (yellow brick) road.

Think about it. Dorothy and her friends encounter a lot of unexpected problems as they work toward their goals, and each time, they find a way to keep on moving. When a huge ditch blocks their path, they jump over it. When the next ditch is too large to jump across, they build a bridge. They construct rafts and ladders and, on one memorable occasion, a chariot designed to be pulled by talking mice. More than once, someone worries that all is lost—but it's always a momentary feeling.

Even when Dorothy and her pals face their most bitter disappointment—when the Wizard admits he can't actually help them with all that brain/heart/courage stuff—they stay positive and find their own solutions. In this story, as long as the characters keep on keeping on, things have a way of working themselves out. And that's a great message.

Whether we're talking about brains and hearts or money and power, life isn't about the rewards that someone else gives you. It's about digging deep to find good things in yourself. Difficult circumstances may arise, but you'll get through them with a little help from your friends.

Plenty of writers have tackled the topic of self-reliance, but L. Frank Baum does so with uncommon style. So go ahead. Read the book. And the next time you find yourself staring down a gang of winged monkeys, just tell yourself, "I've got this." That's a life lesson you can put in the bank.

When L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, he wasn't trying to create a cautionary tale, which is what a lot of the old Brothers Grimm stories were. Baum's goal wasn't to warn children about anything. He just wanted to write a story that would make kids feel happy. That's it. Plain and simple.

Clearly, he succeeded.

So put on your silver slippers (they weren't ruby until the 1939 Technicolor movie version of the story) and get ready to ease on down the yellow brick road. Who knows? You might even discover a few new options for Halloween costumes. 

In this class, we will read 4 chapters a week for a total of 24 chapters in 6 weeks.

This class is full of information and a lot of fun too because we do virtual chapter questions, watch videos, create Adobe Spark projects, do charts and graphs, and so much more throughout the weeks just for variety! 

In the very first live meeting, I will introduce myself, go over what the class will entail as far as weekly chapter questions, assignment projects, and the review quiz for homework, then introduce the class materials, and give guidance on the following weeks lessons along with a lecture and instruction for the few first chapters. 

In the following live meetings, we will have a meaningful group discussion about the previous week's readings, lessons, and homework for further review, comprehension, and understanding. I'll review the new material and introduce the new week's chapters and lessons and homework through a lecture. I also always ask and answer all questions in each live meeting.

Even though this is a six-week class you will notice that there is an extra live meeting scheduled. The extra meeting is at the end of the course to wrap up what we've learned in the class, answer questions, give feedback, and also serves as a "makeup" meeting in case the teacher had to cancel a live meeting during the course - which is a very rare occurrence.

You may email me through Outschool anytime with any questions or concerns. I will do my best to reply to you the same day if not by the end of the next weekday.

Please continue reading the other links listed below: Supply List, External Resources, Time Commitment, and Parental Guidance.