What happens?
As Dorothy and her friends journey along the last part of the yellow brick road, they hear strange tales of the Wizard from the people they meet along the way. When they reach the Emerald City they must convince the Guardian of the City Gate to let them in to seek a personal audience with the Great Wizard Oz.
Have a think ..
Take a moment to think about these questions:
such small things as flowers came near to killing me, and such small animals as mice have saved my life
What other “small things” can endanger our lives and what “small things” can save our lives?
Do you think the Wizard of Oz really has a collection of hearts, a pot of courage and can turn into any shape he wants? Why would people think he did?
Why does the Guardian lock the green spectacles on everyone?
Focus on fake news
Fake news stories are created for the purpose of gaining money or influencing political opinion. In our story, does Oz use fake news to maintain his position of power in The Emerald City?
Find out more
Tips for spotting fake news online
The seven types of people who start and spread viral misinformation
This video swaps the faces of actors starring in the Wizard of Oz. While this isn’t fake news and is just a bit of fun, have a think about the difficulties that new technology can bring for identifying fake news in the future.
Challenge yourself!
Have a play on Google’s Interland – check out the Reality River for help with identifying fake news
You can also look at the Help with Challenges page to come up with your own Fake News challenge.
More to explore
If you loved this chapter, why not check out some more ideas
More to read
These books should be available through your secondary school librarian. If we’ve found a free version online, we’ve added the link after each book.
The sounds of colours is a graphic novel written and Illustrated by Jimmy Liao. It’s about a subway journey by a young girl who has lost her sight, so she imagines what is around her instead.
The little mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen is another character who is transformed more than once. This is the original story and has a very different ending to the one you might know. Read for free online.
A midsummer night’s dream by William Shakespeare. This play is about strange things taking place in a forest overnight, including a man having his head transformed into a donkey. Easy animated version here.
Eyewitness light by David Burnie is a non-fiction book all about light and colour.
