SH O RT STO RY TIM ELIN E
Gr ade Level: 4 - 6
Su bject : ELA
Tim e: Two 50-minute sessions
Christie Madsen is a former elementary and
middle school classroom teacher. She has spent
the last five years supporting the meaningful
implementation of education technologies in
schools and districts nationally and internationally.
LESSON OVERVIEW
Su m m ar y: In this lesson, students read O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and are asked to consider
the sacrifices we make for true love. As students read, they're asked to make predictions in order to
build literary comprehension. Once finished, they'll revisit their predictions to reflect on their own
element of surprise. Finally, students are asked to prepare a digital timeline that maps the sequence of
events.
Essen t ial Qu est ion s:
How can authors structure text to create an element of surprise?
How can a timeline help us more effectively summarize a text?
What is irony?
OBJECTIVES
St u den t s w ill be able t o...
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Analyze how an author creates surprise
in the way he or she structures the text
and or der s even t s.
Identify the cen t r al idea and
su m m ar ize the text (using a visual aid).
Develop an introductory understanding
of sit u at ion al ir on y.
STAN DARDS
Com m on Cor e
Reading: RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.3
Writing: W.6.2, W.6.2.A
ISTE
3C, 7B
PREPARATION
M at er ials: Student devices (Chromebooks, iPads, or Lab Setting), printed of digital copies of O.
Henry's "The Gift of the Magi"
Lucidchart's Hourly Timeline Template
LEARN IN G PLAN
1st Session :
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Hook students' attention by posing the following question: "Have you ever made a sacrifice in order
to make someone happy?" Have students turn and talk to their peers, listing examples of sacrifices
that people make for those they love. If students cannot think of real life sacrifices they've made,
consider books they've read or movies they've watched.
Come back together as a group to discuss:
- Do all sacrifices involve material items?
- Which are the hardest ones to make?
- Which sacrifice shows the greatest love?
Explain that today we'll be reading a short story called "The Gift of the Magi," where a young
couple needs to decide what they're willing to sacrifice to show that they love each other. Pay
special attention to the plot structure and look for surprises. Students will have an opportunity to
leverage technology to create a visual aid to summarize the story.
Pass out copies of the story or share the link directly with students and read aloud as a class.
As you're reading, pause at the following places and ask students to write down predictions:
- After learning about the two prized possessions: What events might occur involving these
prized possessions?
- When Jim first sees Della's short hair: What will Jim say? Why is he staring at her with a
peculiar expression?
- Once Jim places his gift for Della on the table: What do you think the gift will be? Why?
After finishing the reading, have students reflect:
- Reexamine the predictions you wrote down as you read the story.
- Did you accurately predict the outcome of the story or were you surprised? Go back through the
story to find passages that hint at the surprise ending.
2n d Session :
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Begin the second session with a whole-group discussion of yesterday's reading:
- Why was Della unhappy when the story began?
- What two possessions do Della and Jim treasure?
- What sacrifices do the Youngs make to buy each other gifts?
- As you made your prediction, what did you expect to happen? Were you correct?
Explain sit u at ion al ir on y: a type of irony where characters, or the reader, expect one thing to
happen but something entirely different occurs. Invite students to discuss other examples.
Share that today in class, we'll be using Lucidchart to create an hourly timeline of the story.
Each timeline should include a clear beginning, middle, and end, highlighting the introduction,
climax, and conclusion of the plot. Students may enhance their timeline with multimedia and will
be expected to use it to orally summarize the story to a teacher.
Once students complete their timeline, have them raise their hands and circulate the room,
inviting them to orally summarize "The Gift of the Magi" using their visual aid. Look for
supporting textual evidence.
ASSESSM EN T
In this project-based lesson, students will be assessed on their ability to summarize the text using a
timeline of events. Using a rubric, determine if students have creatively mapped the sequence of
events using textual evidence, and can leverage their digital aid to recall the plot. Can students explain
why the conclusion was ironic?
Sample Timeline
SU GGESTED LU CIDCH ART TEM PLATES FOR U SE IN TH IS LESSON
Hourly Timeline
EXTEN SION S
Ask students to create a more in-depth timeline based on their favorite novel that you've read in class
this year. Using their timeline, invite them to summarize the novel to the class to gain experience
presenting to the whole group. Look for effective communication skills and discuss how leveraging a
digital aid make whole-group presentations more effective and engaging.