O. Henry «The Gift of the Magi» (О. Генри «Дары волхвов»). Вечные ценности и истинная любовь. Урок внеклассного чтения (развитие умений смыслового чтения и устной речи).

Worksheet: O. Henry «The Gift of the Magi» (Grade 9)

Name: _____________________ Date: _______________

Task 1: Vocabulary Match

Match the words from the story with their definitions. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1. Sacrifice (n / v)

1. Possession (n)

1. Magi (n, plural)

1. Shabby (adj)

1. Comb (n)

• A. Something that you own or have with you.

• B. A strip of plastic or metal with teeth, used for tidying the hair.

• C. Wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

• D. In poor condition because they have been used a lot; looking old and cheap.

• E. The act of giving up something valuable to help someone else.

Task 2: True or False?

Read the sentences and write T (True) or F (False). Correct the false statements.

1. Della had saved plenty of money to buy Jim a Christmas present.

1. Jim’s most valuable possession was a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather.

1. Della sold her beautiful long hair to buy a platinum watch chain for Jim.

1. Jim was angry and stopped loving Della when he saw her short hair.

1. Jim sold his gold watch to buy a set of beautiful combs for Della.

Task 3: Put the Events in Chronological Order

Number the events from 1 to 6 as they happen in the story.

• Della buys a platinum watch chain for $21.

• Jim comes home and looks at Della with a strange expression.

• Della counts her money ($1.87) and cries on the shabby couch.

• They decide to put their Christmas gifts away for a while.

• Della goes to Madame Sofronie and cuts her hair.

• Jim reveals that he sold his watch to buy Della’s combs.

Task 4: Critical Thinking & Discussion (Group Work)

Answer the questions below with your group mates. Be ready to share your ideas with the class.

1. The Irony of the Story: Why is the ending of the story ironic? Did Della and Jim’s gifts turn out to be useless? Why or why not?

1. The Theme of Sacrifice: What did Della and Jim sacrifice for each other? What does this tell us about their relationship?

1. Who are the Magi? At the end of the story, O. Henry says that Jim and Della are the wisest of all who give gifts. Why does he call them «the Magi»?

Task 5: Creative Writing (Homework)

Choose one of the following options and write a short paragraph (80–100 words):

• Option A: Write a short diary entry from Jim’s point of view on Christmas Eve night.

• Option B: Write an alternative happy ending where they both keep their treasures but still manage to get the gifts.

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Ключи к рабочему листу (Answer Key)

Task 1: Vocabulary Match (Лексика)

Правильные пары «слово — определение»:

• 1 — E (Sacrifice — The act of giving up something valuable to help someone else. / Пожертвовать — отдать что-то ценное, чтобы помочь другому.)

• 2 — A (Possession — Something that you own or have with you. / Имущество/собственность — то, чем ты владеешь.)

• 3 — C (Magi — Wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. / Волхвы — мудрецы, принесшие дары младенцу Иисусу.)

• 4 — D (Shabby — In poor condition because they have been used a lot; looking old and cheap. / Потрепанный/убогий — старый, изношенный.)

• 5 — B (Comb — A strip of plastic or metal with teeth, used for tidying the hair. / Гребень/расческа — предмет с зубьями для ухода за волосами.)

Task 2: True or False? (Правда или ложь)

1. F (False). Correction: Della had saved only one dollar and eighty-seven cents ($1.87), which was not enough for a good present.

1. T (True).

1. T (True).

1. F (False). Correction: Jim was not angry and he didn’t stop loving her. He was just shocked because her gift (the combs) could no longer be used for her short hair.

1. T (True).

Task 3: Put the Events in Chronological Order (Хронология)

Правильный порядок предложений (от 1 до 6):

1. [ 3 ] Della buys a platinum watch chain for $21.

1. [ 4 ] Jim comes home and looks at Della with a strange expression.

1. [ 1 ] Della counts her money ($1.87) and cries on the shabby couch.

1. [ 6 ] They decide to put their Christmas gifts away for a while.

1. [ 2 ] Della goes to Madame Sofronie and cuts her hair.

1. [ 5 ] Jim reveals that he sold his watch to buy Della’s combs.

(Полная цепочка цифр сверху вниз в бланке: 3, 4, 1, 6, 2, 5)

Task 4: Critical Thinking & Discussion (Примерные ответы для дискуссии)

Ученики могут формулировать мысли своими словами, ниже даны опорные тезисы для учителя:

1. The Irony: The ending is ironic because the practical value of the gifts is completely ruined: Jim has a chain but no watch, and Della has combs but no long hair. However, the gifts are not useless, because they proved their absolute love and devotion, which is far more valuable than the items themselves.

1. The Theme of Sacrifice: Della sacrificed her hair (her main beauty and pride), and Jim sacrificed his gold watch (his family treasure). This proves that their love is selfless, generous, and they value each other’s happiness much more than material things.

1. Who are the Magi? The Magi were the wise men who invented the tradition of giving gifts. O. Henry calls Jim and Della «the Magi» because, despite being poor and seemingly «foolish» to exchange their only treasures, they discovered the highest wisdom of gift-giving — love and self-sacrifice.

Task 5: Creative Writing (Критерии оценивания домашнего задания)

При проверке мини-сочинений (80–100 слов) рекомендуется оценивать:

• Объем: 80–100 слов (допускается отклонение 10% в обе стороны).

• Логику и содержание: Соответствие выбранной опции (дневник Джима или альтернативный финал).

• Грамматику: Правильное использование прошедших времен (Past Simple, Past Continuous для описания событий в прошлом).

Технологическая карта урока английского языка в 9 классе

Тема урока: O. Henry «The Gift of the Magi» (О. Генри «Дары волхвов»). Вечные ценности и истинная любовь.
Тип урока: Урок внеклассного чтения (развитие умений смыслового чтения и устной речи).
Цель урока: Развитие коммуникативных навыков учащихся на основе анализа художественного текста.

Планируемые результаты:

• Предметные: активизация лексики по теме «Отношения», «Подарки»; развитие навыков поискового и изучающего чтения; умение аргументированно выражать свое мнение на английском языке.

• Метапредметные: развитие аналитического мышления, умения выделять причинно-следственные связи, работать в парах и группах.

• Личностные: формирование ценностных ориентиров (любовь, жертвенность, забота), понимания истинной ценности подарков и поступков.

Этапы урока:

Этап урока	Время	Деятельность учителя	Деятельность учащихся	Формируемые умения (УУД)
1. Организационный момент & Lead-in	5 мин	Приветствует класс. Демонтирует изображение волхвов или рождественских подарков. Задает вопрос: What is the best gift you have ever received or given? Why?	Приветствуют учителя. Отвечают на вопросы. Настраиваются на тему урока.	Регулятивные (саморегуляция), Коммуникативные (монологическое высказывание).
2. Предтекстовый этап (Pre-reading)	7 мин	Вводит ключевую лексику рассказа (распределяет слова на доске). Просит соотнести слова с их значениями (Упражнение 1 из рабочего листа).	Знакомятся с лексикой. Выполняют лексическое задание индивидуально с последующей проверкой.	Познавательные (языковая догадка), Регулятивные (самоконтроль).
3. Текстовый этап (While-reading)	13 мин	Организует чтение адаптированных ключевых отрывков рассказа (или проверку домашнего чтения, если текст читался дома). Просит выполнить Упражнения 2 и 3 (Правда/Ложь, хронология событий).	Читают/просматривают текст. Выполняют задания на понимание фактологической информации.	Познавательные (смысловое чтение, поиск информации), Регулятивные (оценка).
4. Посттекстовый этап (Post-reading / анализ)	12 мин	Организует групповую дискуссию по проблемным вопросам (Упражнение 4). Помогает учащимся глубже понять иронию финала и метафору «волхвов».	Работают в группах. Анализируют поступки героев, формулируют главную мысль произведения, представляют ответы классу.	Коммуникативные (учебное сотрудничество), Познавательные (анализ, синтез, выводы).
5. Рефлексия и домашнее задание	3 мин	Объясняет домашнее задание. Просит учеников продолжить фразу: Today I realized that a true gift is…	Записывают домашнее задание. Оценивают свою работу на уроке.	Регулятивные (самооценка), Личностные (смыслообразование).

O. Henry — The Gift of the Magi (Adapted for Grade 9)

Part 1: Three Dollars and Eighty-Seven Cents

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Della counted it three times. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day was Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but sit on the shabby¹ couch and cry. So Della did it.

Della and her husband, Jim, lived in a small, cheap apartment. Jim worked hard, but his salary was very low. Times were regular financial struggles. Della finished crying and washed her face. She stood by the window and looked out dully² at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 to buy Jim a present. She had spent months saving every penny she could, and this was the result.

Part 2: The Two Treasures

Suddenly, Della turned away from the window and stood before the mirror. Her eyes were shining brightly.

Now, the James Dillingham Youngs had two possessions³ in which they both took great pride. One was Jim’s gold watch that had belonged to his father and his grandfather. The other was Della’s hair. It was beautiful, brown, and fell down below her knees. It looked like a shining cascade of brown water.

Della put on her old brown jacket and her old brown hat. With a brilliant sparkle in her eyes, she ran out of the door and down the stairs to the street.

Part 3: The Sacrifice

She stopped at a shop with a sign: «Madame Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds.» Della ran up the stairs.
«Will you buy my hair?» asked Della.
«I buy hair,» said Madame. «Take your hat off and let’s have a look at it.»

The beautiful brown cascade fell down.
«Twenty dollars,» said Madame, lifting the hair with an experienced hand.
«Give it to me quick,» said Della.

The next two hours flew by on rosy wings. Della was running through the stores, looking for Jim’s present. She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. It was a platinum watch chain. It was simple and valuable. As soon as she saw it, she knew that it must be Jim’s. It was like him: quiet and valuable. They took twenty-one dollars from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents.

Part 4: Jim’s Return

When Della arrived home, she looked at her reflection in the mirror with fear. She took her curling iron⁴ and began to style her short hair in tiny, close curls. She looked wonderfully like a schoolboy.

At seven o’clock, the coffee was made, and the dinner was ready. Della sat on the corner of the table near the door that Jim always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair. The door opened and Jim stepped in. He stopped as motionless as a statue. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise. He simply stared at her fixedly.

«Jim, darling,» cried Della, «don’t look at me that way! I had my hair cut and sold because I couldn’t live through Christmas without giving you a present. It’ll grow out again — you won’t mind, will you? Say ‘Merry Christmas,’ Jim, and let’s be happy.»

«You’ve cut off your hair?» asked Jim, speaking with difficulty.
«Cut it off and sold it,» said Della. «Don’t you like me just as well? I’m me without my hair, aren’t I?»

Part 5: The Wise Gifts

Jim drew a package from his coat pocket and threw it upon the table. «Don’t make any mistake about me, Dell,» he said. «I don’t think there’s any haircut that could make me love my girl less. But if you unwrap that package, you will see why I was shocked at first.»

White fingers quickly tore the string and paper. There was a scream of joy, and then a quick change to tears and cries. For there lay The Combs — the set of combs that Della had seen in a Broadway shop window and desired for months. They were beautiful, expensive combs, made of pure tortoise shell, with jeweled rims⁵ — just the right color for her beautiful vanished⁶ hair. She hugged them to her bosom and said, «My hair grows so fast, Jim!»

And then Della jumped up and cried, «Oh, oh!» Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him on her open palm. The platinum chain shined brightly.

«Isn’t it perfect, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You’ll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it.»

Instead of obeying, Jim sat down on the couch, put his hands behind his head, and smiled.
«Dell,» said he, «let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep them a while. They are too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now, suppose you put the meat on.»

The Magi, as you know, were wise men — wonderfully wise men — who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Jim and Della were two foolish children who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest. They are the Magi.

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Useful Vocabulary (Словарь к тексту):

1. Shabby [‘ʃæbɪ] — старый, потрепанный, убогий.

1. Dully [‘dʌlɪ] — уныло, скучно.

1. Possession [pə’zeʃ(ə)n] — имущество, собственность, ценная вещь.

1. Curling iron [‘kɜːlɪŋ ‘aɪən] — плойка, щипцы для завивки волос.

1. Jeweled rims [‘ʤuːəld rɪmz] — украшенные драгоценными камнями края/ободки.

1. Vanished [‘vænɪʃt] — исчезнувший.

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