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...

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...

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...

With a series of fun hands-on simulations, young children can learn about conservation and natural resources. Your learners become land detectives, discussing and investigating the gifts that the land and water provide them. They then...

Explore this story involving prejudice and racism to enhance learners' comprehension skills. The story The Jacket by Andrew Clements involves an African American boy who is falsely accused of stealing someone's jacket. This teacher's...

Students explore the concepts of friendship. In this character education lesson plan, students read the book Priceless Gifts and discuss friendship. Students illustrate a picture of them doing something nice for a friend and connect the...

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

Students investigate the holiday Kwanzaa by drawing pictures. In 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 to...

Students listen as the teacher tells about the life of Keith Haring. Using drawing paper and pencils, they sketch figures and shapes in the style of K. Haring. They discuss the mural with students, and they vote on colors to use....

Demonstrate gift giving as an act of caring about someone versus gifts for show (or gifts from the purse). Elementary learners practice giving gifts from the heart by creating a poem for someone special to them.

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...

A reading of “Gatsby’s Green Light Beckons a New Set of Strivers,” a New York Times article by Sara Rimer, triggers a discussion of the American Dream and what it means to strive for something. Following the discussion, class members...

Students discover the value of sharing and giving. For this philanthropic lesson, students create a storybook, then present it to preschoolers or the elderly, and leave them with the book and other gifts.

Fourth graders participate in reading comprehension activities associated from a teacher's guide. In this reading comprehension lesson plan, 4th graders read Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp and...

Teach your English learners about theme through this found poem project. Class members read two versions of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi": the original version and a synopsis. After learning about themes and connecting theme to their...

Students create a unique Mother's Day gift out of an old shoe.

Students read "The Gift of the Magi" and review the elements and theme in the story. In groups, students sketch another students' outline on butcher paper. They use the body parts to relate the characteristics of Della and Jim. ...

Students explore literary elements, plot structure, and story elements. They read "The Gift of the Magi," and identify its theme and elements of the story. Afterward, students discuss the story and take a test over the material studied.

Students examine the gifts a community of long ago can give the community of today in terms of artistic, economic and spiritual areas. Using the Internet, they conduct searches to find information about kachina masks and pottery. They...

Sixth graders use the example of a gift wrapping service found in the mall in order to create a problem situation that can be solved mathematically. They convert the word problem into algebraic expressions to be solved.

Twelfth graders are given the opportunity to serve as cadet teachers for fourth and fifth-grade gifted students. In this career choices lesson, 12th graders discover how meaningful being a teacher can be.

Young authors write books about themselves using one of the identified types of literature and the writing process. They identify the common characteristics among the books in each group, edit, and gift their books to a younger student.