Lesson Plan: The Gift of the Magi

Essential Questions

• Why do we give gifts? What makes a gift meaningful?

• How can we show people that we care about them?

Literature Connection

• Poem: “I Am Offering This Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca

Activate Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Give students two minutes to write an answer to this question: “What’s the best gift you ever received—and what made it the best?” Ask a few volunteers to share their answers. Briefly discuss what makes a gift satisfying to give and to receive.

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the play. Preview the text features by asking the following questions:

• Read the play’s title and subtitle. Who wrote the classic story “The Gift of the Magi”? O. Henry. (Note that O. Henry was an American short story writer who lived between 1862 and 1910 and is best known for writing stories with surprise endings.)
• Look at the first big illustration. What can you tell about the setting of this story (when and where it takes place)? How are the man and woman in the image dressed differently than the people in the background? What does this tell you about them? The story seems to take place in a city, probably a long time ago, based on the people’s clothing and the horse-drawn carriages. There’s snow on the ground so we know it’s winter. The man and woman are dressed more simply than the people in the background who are wearing fancy dresses, suits, and top hats. The man has a patch on his pants. The couple’s clothing seems to suggest that they are poor. 
• Look at the image of the couple looking into the store window. What kind of expressions do they have on their faces? What do you think they’re thinking in this scene? The man and woman are looking at the jewelry with wistful expressions on their faces. They seem to be thinking “How wonderful it would be to take these beautiful items home. If only . . .”


Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (shabby, worldly, bargain, cringe, platinum) aloud and discuss the definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Set a Purpose for Reading (5 minutes)

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

• Set a purpose for reading by telling students that they will make inferences while reading “The Gift of the Magi.” Explain that making an inference means using clues from the text to figure out something that isn’t stated.
• Point out the activity at the end of the play, and tell students they will complete it after reading.
• Tell students that as they finish each section, they should think about how the text features on the page (e.g. photos, captions, and section headings) relate to what they’ve just read.

• Assign roles to students and read the play aloud as a class. At the end of each scene, pause and ask students to summarize what happened. 
• After reading, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

• In Scene 1, what does Jim mean when he says “I may be poor, but I’m the luckiest man in all of New York!”? What does his comment tell you about what he values? (interpreting text) He makes this comment right after telling Della that her hair is beautiful, so we can tell that he admires her and feels lucky to be with her. His comment tells us that what matters most to him isn’t money but rather the love he feels for Della.
• Which details from the play best show how valuable Jim’s watch is to him? Which details show how valuable Della’s hair is to her? (key details) We can tell that the pocket watch is valuable to Jim by how often he checks it throughout Scene 2. One of the narrators states that it is “one item he is proud of.” When the janitor compliments him on it, Jim says that it was his grandfather’s and that it still works perfectly. Similarly, Della treasures her hair. At the start of the play, we learn that it’s long and beautiful. In Scene 3, when she first thinks of selling her hair, a tear drops onto the carpet. You can tell that it’s hard for her to give up her hair.
• What gifts does Della consider buying for Jim? Why does she end up buying him the watch chain? (inference) Della considers buying Jim a coat and gloves but decides to buy the watch chain instead. She says that the chain is the “perfect” gift for him because it will allow him to check the time without being embarrassed. We can tell that Della wants Jim to feel proud and happy above all else. While a coat and gloves would keep him warm, they would not bring him the same amount of joy as a platinum chain. 

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• Do you think the play has a happy ending? Why or why not? (critical thinking) Answers may vary. Some students might say that the play does not have a happy ending because Della and Jim give up things they care about and receive gifts they can’t use. But most students will probably say that the play does end happily: Della and Jim have shown that they value each other above all else.
• Reread the play’s prologue, as well as the play’s last two lines. Why do you think the story is called “The Gift of the Magi”? (interpreting text) Answers may vary. Some students might say that, by starting the tradition of giving Christmas gifts, the magi gave many people the “gift” of a powerful way to express affection. Others might say that all people who give selflessly are magi, and that makes Jim’s and Della’s presents “gifts of the magi.” 

• Guide students to complete the inference activity at the end of the play.
• Have students further examine the play’s theme by working in small groups to complete our “Think About Theme” Skill Builder. (Click here to see all your Skill Builders.)
• Writing prompt: Imagine you’re making a play or movie version of “The Gift of the Magi” set in modern times. Write a summary of your idea. You may change as many details from the original as you like.