Gift of the Magi, O. Henry, Short Story Literary Analysis, PDF & Google Drive

Use the short story, “The Gift of the Magi” by American writer O. Henry, to teach your students the elements of literary analysis, get them thinking deeply about the text, and provide opportunities for creative writing. This two-day lesson plan includes a beautifully illustrated copy of the story, an 8-question deep-thinking exercise (with detailed answer key, of course), and two options for creative writing assignments with specific literary techniques for the students to include in their own O. Henry-inspired work of fiction.

All student handouts are included in both PDF and Google Drive formats.

This lesson is best for advanced middle school or high school students.

Interested in more short story materials?

Click HERE to view my catalog of lessons on a variety of classic short stories

Click HERE for a budget-priced FOUR WEEK short story unit

NOTE: This item is included in my English 9-10 full-year curriculum. If you already own the full-year download, please do not purchase this item here individually. If you’d like to receive this item plus everything else needed to teach 180 days of English 9 or English 10 at a deeply discounted price, click here to learn more about the full-year curriculum download.

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Cover image credit: Pixabay, Public domain