As we began homeschooling, and especially as our children were in late elementary and upper grades, I have used the weeks before Christmas to study literature around the Christmas theme.
When I chose a book for our Christmas literature mini-unit I often stuck with a classic, but not always.
You can use this as a family read aloud of you have older children. However, the language and double meanings lend themselves well as a 'school selection' for older children and teens. Gift of the Magi is a very short story, only three printed pages and you can complete the entire lesson in one 50 minute period.
I am using this story in my book club co-op class and one student told me they saw the movie. I noticed said movie on the Hallmark channel this evening so I checked it out. It is NOT the story by O. Henry. It's a sweet story that borrows heavily from his plot - but you are better off to read the story. There seem to be many 'borrowed' versions of this story - including a Sesame Street skit. Believe me, you owe it to your children to introduce them to the original.
Even if you have a copy of this short story in your home library, I recommend making a copy for each student and yourself from Project Gutenburg.
The vocabulary in all O. Henry stories is this difficult. I gave my students a list of the words I knew would be new or troublesome and we covered the definitions ahead of time (just use the on-line dictionary and get the meaning and synonyms, this is not the time for etymology). I found a lesson plan on just the vocabulary here. I've also simply read the story and explained the words as we found them. Either way works depending on how much "school" you want to apply to this story.
Teens could read this selection alone, as could many competent middle schoolers; however, you might enjoy reading as a group by taking turns while everyone follows along. I found there were several elements of the story that needed explanation. Over years, I've learned that the most effective way to teach literature is by modeling my thinking processes as I read. When I come to a part of the story that needs elaboration I just stop and either share what I'm thinking, or ask questions of the students. Eventually, they begin to think about literature in the same way I'm modeling - more analytically. Yet is doesn't seem like a chore to them to do so; rather, thinking about the deeper meaning of the story enhances their appreciation.
In Gift of the Magi I did this in the first several paragraphs where the author tells how Della saved the money for her gift by bargaining with the butcher, grocery and other store owners. My students were totally unfamiliar with this type of trading and we had to role play "dickering" for them to get the idea. The also required a demonstration of hair combs -- not what you use to get out the tangles, but ornamented combs like my grandmother used to pull her hair up.
The first section of the story also involves a great many implied meanings that you may need to lead students to understand. The particular elements that stood out to me as worthy of discussion were mood in the setting (she looked out onto a grey landscape). The title is also metaphorical.
We outlined the story summary in the standard way we've practiced using a simple chart and talked about the double meaning of the use of the word magi in the title.
After reading the story we discussed the "moral" or meaning the author was trying to convey. I often find it helpful to acquaint myself with the story elements and meanings ahead of time by using an online study tool like enotes. Click here for an example of a resource you might purchase. Shmoop is a more contemporary, yet totally free study guide. Even if I don't use all the information, it helps me to be prepared and I usually learn something.
The theme of sacrificial love and generosity of The Gift of the Magi is a perfect way to begin the Christmas season whether you choose to make this a formal study, or simply read together beside the tree.
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