Donna Petherbridge eci 511, Comprehensive Unit Plan, Summer II, 2003

NCDPI objectives 

 

Language Arts, English I 

5.01 Read and analyze various literary works by recognizing and analyzing 

the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction (e.g., myths, legends, 

short stories, novels), non-fiction (e.g., essays, biographies, autobiographies, 

historical documents), poetry (e.g., epics, sonnets, lyric poetry, ballads) and 

drama (e.g., tragedy, comedy). 

Information Skills Curriculum, Grade 9 

4.07 Organize and use information. 

 

Learning 

Objectives in 

Technology 

NCDPI objectives 

 

Computer/Technology Skills Curriculum, Grades 9-12 

2.1 Practice and refine knowledge and skills in keyboarding/word 

processing/desktop publishing, spreadsheets, databases, multimedia, and 

telecommunications in preparing classroom assignments and projects. 

 

Instructions: 

In this lesson, students will be challenged to review the short stories they have 

read for a Short Story Unit, analyzing the short stories to find specific 

elements that are present in the short story genre, and then organizing these 

elements into a database for future use in helping review and study the Short 

Story Unit. The final short story from the Short Story Unit will be reviewed 

and analyzed in the class, then, students will divide in teams to help construct 

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ECI 511, Donna Petherbridge, Comprehensive Unit Plan 

 

40

a class database of the short stories read and their elements 

 

First part of class, approximately 30/40 minutes: 

 

Read and discuss the short story “

The Gift of the Magi

,” which students 

completed reading in class the day previously, and for homework if they did 

not finish in class.  Discuss with all students in a roundtable [chairs in circle 

to promote discussion]. Key questions to respond to include the following: 

1.  Which possessions do Jim and Della value the most? 

2.  What is Della doing at the beginning of the story? 

3.  How does Jim react when he sees Della when he arrives home? 

4.  What gifts do the couple give each other? 

5.  According to the narrator, who are the magi. 

6.  Why is the setting important to the story? 

7.  How are Jim and Della characterized? 

8.  What are key points in the plot? 

9.  What is ironic about their gifts for each other? [Introduce and discuss 

the term irony.] 

10. What could be one of the themes of this story? 

11. What’s the point of view in this story?