Reading Sites: The Gift of the Magi

What are your favorite types of stories? Discuss with your partner then share with the class.

O. Henry was a short story writer who among other things, wrote a story a week for The New Yourk World Sunday Magazine for over a year in 1902. He wrote over 383 stories. He was known for witty, entertaining stories with unexpected endings. (more on O. Henry 

As a class we will read O.Henry's Gift of the Magi.  What does the word magi mean? Have any of you heard of it before? As pairs, look it up in your online dictionary Thefreedictionary.com or Yourdictionary.com

O. Henry had a wide vocabulary so let's first look at a list of the words in the story (see Document a list of 36 vocabulary words from the story). Divide up the class into pairs with each pair looking up the needed number of words depending on how many students in the class. Student pairs share their definitions orally or write them on the board in a shared document accessed by students. Document list of words shared with students, if using the pdf convert it to a Word document or use the Word document version. Students type on the document or write the answers on a printed version.

As we read the story, look for story elements: plot, setting, characters, theme, conflict (may also include more advanced elements: point-of-view, tone, and style) (if students need to review the story elements see Khan Academy's The elements of a story.)

Access the story at The Gift of the Magi The Well Told Tale

Share the story, while students read along at American English at State: The Gift of the Magi

or The Gift of the Magi by O Henry with vocabulary words in the footnotes.

There are several choices for rereading the story:

1. as pairs students can take turns reading the story out loud. Stop at the vocabulary words and check the definitions already looked up.

2. if there are headphones students can listen to the story again stopping to check vocabulary words.

As pairs students gather to discuss the story. considering the following questions:

1. Who are the main characters?
2. What is the setting? this includes when did this story take place and where did the story take place?
3. What is the story about? This is called the plot.
4. What is the conflict in the story?
5. What is the theme?
6. What was the surprise ending?

Gather as a class and share answers.

Students write a summary of the short story, The Gift of the Magi. Students share their summaries with their partner. Check each other's summary. Edit the summaries and share with the teacher.

The teacher can share sample summaries with the class. Does this summary include the basic elements of a story: character, setting, plot, conflict and theme? Discuss the story. 

What tools did we use that you can use at home, or at your work? How would use them? Discuss as pairs and then share with the class.

Tools used: yourdictionary, thefreedictionary, Khan Academy The elements of a story

YouTube videos: The Gift of the Magi by The Well Told Tale