The Gift of the Magi Short Story Unit - Christmas Reading Comprehension Passages

This "The Gift of the Magi" Short Story Unit contains a 50 page close reading unit on “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. Perfect for a short story interactive notebook, this Gift of the Magi teacher guide contains Gift of the Magi comprehension questions, teacher friendly answer keys, Gift of the Magi activities, vocabulary words, foldables, close reading resources, graphic organizers, creative writing, and essay activities are all included. All activities are classroom tested and include creative handouts, templates, and detailed instructions. Very little teacher prep is needed – simply print and teach!

✅Please check out the thumbnails for detailed images of some of the activities included in this resource.

This engaging resource includes the following:

⭐Close Reading Information: Multiple pages of information on close reading strategies are included, with tips and tricks for close reading success with your learners.

⭐Student Annotation Guide: A multi-page annotation guide is included to use along with the story.

⭐Full Text Version of Story: A full text version of "The Gift of the Magi" by O.Henry is included. There is space on the side of the text for student notes and annotations. No need for hauling out your literature anthology - everything you need is included!

⭐Step by Step Close Reading Instructions: These guide your students through the process, so they know exactly what to do at each step. Easy to follow and implement!

⭐Close Reading Activities for First, Second, and Third Read: A separate page of activities for students to complete during their first, second, and third read of the story are included.

⭐Comprehension Questions: Three separate comprehension question pages are included, asking students to answer key questions about the text. ANSWER KEYS INCLUDED!

⭐Comprehension Pennant Project: A fun pennant activity is included as an alternate to the traditional comprehension questions. For this, students record the same information, but in a fun pennant format. Templates and full instructions to create these giant pennant projects are included. They make wonderful holiday (or any time of year) bulletin board displays!

⭐Group Discussion Cards: 21 different group discussion cards are included. These fun cards make great review or warmup activities. They are great for encouraging discussion and getting students to think deeply about the text. Two different activities to use along with the cards are included - choose the activity that works best for your learners.

⭐Vocabulary Activities: Several different vocabulary activities to use along with the story are included - choose the ones that work best for your learners.

⭐Five Paragraph Essay Activities: Planning pages to help students write an essay on the story's theme are included.

⭐Quote Analysis Activity: Students use the included graphic organizer to help them analyze a key quote from the story.

⭐Creative Writing Activities: Two different creative writing activities are included.

⭐Graphic Organizers: Several different graphic organizers to go along with the story are included. You can pick and choose the ones you want to use with the unit. These include activities that focus on key reading strategies (visualizing, inferring, determining importance, etc.) and important elements of literature like plot and characterization.

⭐3D Story Star Project: A 3D Story Star activity is included. This makes a great review activity after reading the story. Students use the included instructions and template to create 3D stars full of images and information about the story. Completed stars make great classroom decorations for the holidays (or any time of year!)

⭐TPT Digital EASEL Activity: A digital version of this resource has been included for you to use online with your learners. Teacher pages and answer keys have been removed, so it is ready to assign. Text boxes have been added for you, so students can easily type in their answers. Activities that are not suitable for a digital format, such as foldables and graphic organizers requiring artistic elements, have been removed from the digital version of this resource.

What others are saying about this resource:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"I love doing "Gift of the Magi" around the holidays, and this resource gave us a way to have a fun day away from our typical work to enjoy the story and engage in further discussion about the themes and lessons in it. Thank you!"
-Lit in 6th

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"This was an excellent unit! I used it with my sixth grade students. It was great for exploring conflict, the different kinds of irony and for discussing symbolism, as well."
-Colin O'Neill

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"This was such a great resource! It was a very engaging unit and carefully crafted. Thanks so much!"
-Marybeth McBain

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"Great resource to use right before Christmas, and it had so many resources!"
-Magdalena C

Check out some great similar products here!

• A Sound of Thunder Short Story Unit | Ray Bradbury | Comprehension Questions

• All Summer In A Day Short Story Unit | Ray Bradbury | Questions | Activities

• Click Clack the Rattlebag Short Story Unit | Questions | Halloween Activities

• Edgar Allan Poe Short Story Unit | The Raven | Tell Tale Heart | The Black Cat

Customer Tips:

How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases:

• Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. If you click on it, you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. Don’t you just love getting stuff for free?! I really value your feedback, as it helps me improve my products!

Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches:

• Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. You will now receive email updates about this store. I promise not to spam you!