A lovely guided reading lesson awaits you and your students. They read the book,Corn is Maize: The Gift of the Indians, by Aliki, summarize the important events of the story, and describe how corn has helped develop culture in America.

The rich language of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is only appreciable if you understand the words. A short lesson reviews 13 words from the story and prompts class members to apply each word and its definition to other situations.

O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is the classic example of irony in literature. Teach young writers about the ways irony can engage their readers with an activity in which they write scripts using dramatic irony, situational irony, and...

Explore the literary concept of theme through the The Gift of the Magi. Starting with a class discussion, the concept of theme is explored through examples from famous stories and movies. Next, the class analyzes the possible themes of...

While reading O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," your class will define and identify situational irony and allusion. Use a study guide (not included, but easy to produce) to record and discuss examples of allusion as you read. Map the...

Giving gifts has been a part of the human experience since modern man walked the earth. Upper graders explore the culture of gift giving in Mayan times through an artistic analysis. They analyze gift giving and palace life as seen on an...

Students design and create a gift voucher. In this Valentine's Day gift voucher lesson plan, students determine chores or ways they could assist their loved ones and add these to a booklet. Students decorate the cover and prepare the...

In this writing practice worksheet, students read the beginning of the story, "The Perfect Gift", and then finish the story in their own words on the lines provided.

Are your English learners wondering what Valentine's gifts they should buy for the men in their life? This ESL presentation provides several gift ideas, such as cologne, gift certificates, and wallets. Though it lacks any information...

Use O. Henry's ubiquitous tale of love and poverty to explore irony. After reading the story, middle schoolers identify examples of all three kinds of irony in the story. With partners, they brainstorm original examples of irony. Then...

With wrapping a gift as the focus, this activity has learners practice vocabulary and formulating descriptions. They wrap and unwrap a gift identifying the objects as they go. This activity could be enhanced to make it a richer experience.

Help your English learners honor their mothers on Mother's Day with this bright presentation. Each slide features a possibility for a Mother's Day gift, including flowers, a picture frame, and a gift card, as well as explanatory...

Test the true meaning of giving - and irony - with this instructional activity about "The Gift of the Magi." Using textual analysis, details, and text organization, middle schoolers make predictions about future events in the story and...

O. Henry's short story, "The Give of the Magi," launches a study of what motivates people to act as they do. Class members identify what they believe are the motivations of the characters in O. Henry's tale and then craft a one-page...

Learners explore the diversity offered in communities. In this Teaching Tolerance activity, students read The Gift and then interview people within their school community regarding the gifts they receive in their community.

In this holiday themed instructional activity, students find 31 words that describe Valentine's Day gifts in a word search puzzle. They find words that are shown in a bank at the bottom of the page which include emerald, cruise,...

In this printing practice and coloring worksheet, students color the gift box and trace and print the sentence "A gift for you!" Students complete 2 activities.

Foster your high schoolers' creativity - and generosity - with this writing lesson. After reading the article "Homemade Holiday Gifts" by Frances Janisch (from the GALE Student Resource Center - Gold), pupils meet in groups to brainstorm...

Students investigate the holiday Kwanzaa by drawing pictures. For this cultural tradition lesson, students discuss the history and actions that take place during the holiday of Kwanzaa. Students draw a picture of a gift they would give...

For this study guide worksheet, students define vocabulary and literary terms found in "The Gift of the Magi". Students also complete a plot diagram, find examples of literary term usage, and answer comprehension questions based on the...

In this writing worksheet, students read the prompt and write a story about having a new penguin for a pet, which was a surprise gift. Students complete 3 pages of writing.

In this comprehension activity, students watch a video titled Gifts of the North Wind and answer multiple choice questions about it. Students complete 15 questions.

For this holiday gift tags worksheet, students color and cut out 9 gift tags. There are tags for both Christmas and Hanukkah, and each tag has a space to write whom the gift is to and whom it is from.

Perhaps one of the most famous and illustrative stories featuring irony, "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry provides many opportunities for learners to make inferences about its characters. After reading a short introductory passage from...