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Copywork
About This Passage
This passage shows how Baum builds an entire mood out of one color and a wide, empty space. The balanced phrases, nothing but prairie on every side, not a tree nor a house, the sun baking the land into a gray mass, model how a skilled writer paints a setting that feels as heavy as the people who live in it. Copying it trains the eye for descriptive rhythm and strong, plain nouns.
When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached the edge ...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story of this chapter from Dorothy's gray home to the moment the house lifts into the sky. Which moments matter most, and how can you tell they are the ones that matter?
Discussion Questions
- Baum opens the book with a long, gray picture of Dorothy's Kansas home before the cyclone ever arrives. Why might the author choose to begin this way instead of starting with the exciting storm? Use the chapter's details to explain.
- Aunt Em and Uncle Henry have been worn gray and joyless by their years on the prairie, while Dorothy is still full of laughter. Why does Dorothy stay so different from the grown-ups, even though they all share the same hard home? Use the chapter's details to explain.
+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary
Item 1
Serious, plain, and without brightness or cheer.
Item 2
A lively, shining brightness.
Item 3
A tall, spinning column of wind.
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Critical Thinking
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