Oz The Great and Powerful

After watching a movie with your children or students, we encourage parents and teachers to look for education opportunities to teach with movies. Here are a few discussion topics that can help with lesson plans or teaching in the home.

During his magic show, Oz’s assistant Frank (Zach Braff) uses a variety of sound effects. How do these add to the performance? What objects are used to make different noises? Check out this short film on old time radio sound effects.

Oz doesn’t want to be good, he wants to be great. How does he define the difference between goodness and greatness? How do you define greatness? How does Oz’s treatment of his assistant Frank and later Finely the monkey show what kind of man he really is?

Oz considers lies to be steppingstones to greatness. How does Finley feel about the untruths? How can a person discern when someone is lying? Besides trying to fool others, how is Oz dishonest with himself? How do others help him discover the goodness within?

The three rules for a showman are to, “Show up, Keep up, and Shut up.” What does Oz learn about “showing up”?

What gifts does Oz give to his friends? What is the significance of each one of these presents?

This movie is based on the characters in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.