The Gift of the Magi - By O.Henry

William Sydney Porter (a.k.a. O. Henry) started his writing career at the age of 33. He is the godfather of the short story. His stories are still published today in many paperback novels. His works are always signified by a "twisty" ending -- a secret formula no scholar has ever been able to figure out.

In 1898, Porter was put in jail for embezzlement. From this low point in Porter's life, he began a remarkable comeback. Three years and about a dozen short stories later, he emerged from prison as "O. Henry" to help shield his true identity. He moved to New York City, where over the next ten years before his death in 1910, he published over 300 stories and gained worldwide acclaim as America's favorite short story writer.

PowerPoint Show on O.Henry's Life

Section B: The Gift of the Magi

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Here is the short story for your lesson plan. Please print out a copy and read closely the story about these two foolish children who find the meaning of Christmas. Top of Page

Note: It is in PDF format. If you do not have Adobe acrobat reader, please refer below to get a copy for your computer system.

The Gift of the Magi

Section C: Assignments & Links

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Here we define all the setups for your lesson. The worksheet, word meanings, and the final quiz are here for your review. Top of Page

ASSIGNMENTS AND LINKS
Magi Worksheet	Word Meanings
O.Henry Educational Links
Final Quiz

Section D: Instructor's Answer KEY & Related Links

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Here we define all the answers for your lesson. The worksheet, word meanings, and the final quiz are here for your review. Top of Page

INSTRUCTOR'S ANSWER KEY & RELATED LINKS
Magi Worksheet	Word Meanings
O.Henry Quotes
O.Henry Published Works

An Additional Story: What You Want

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