1. After Twenty Years
By: O. Henry
Theme and Point of View

2. Preparing to Read
Identify and define the Literary Focus elements of this text.
List five text features seen throughout this story.
Identify and define the Reading Focus skills used in this text.
What is the Writing Focus assignment and what are you asked to look for as you read the beginning of the text?

3. Author Information Read the “Meet the Writer” section on page 390.
Make a list of at least three important facts you learn about the author.
Circle the detail you think is the most important.

4. What are some adjectives you could use to describe the pictures above
What are some adjectives you could use to describe the pictures above? How might this picture help you connect to the story?

5. Quick Write The Future of Your Friendships
Think of one of your closest friends.
What are some of the qualities that you admire in your friend? What about that person makes you want to be friends with them?
What do you think your friend and your relationship with your friend will be like in twenty years?
What does it mean to be a loyal friend?

6. In 20 Years… IN TWENTY YEARS…
Please respond to each of the sentence starters below keeping the life you imagine in your future in mind.
IN TWENTY YEARS…
my career will be…
my family will be…
I will live (place)…
I will own…
I will love…
I will be interested in…
I will be good at…
I will remember…

7. Vocabulary Habitual Intricate Dismally Egotism Simultaneously
For each word below, write the definition, use each word in an original sentence, and then create a narrative story that properly uses each word. Be creative and make sure your story makes sense and has a beginning, middle, and end. Feel free to write a story that is funny, silly, serious, or informative.
Habitual
Intricate
Dismally
Egotism
Simultaneously

8. Build Background and Preview the Selection
Read the “Build Background” and “Preview the Selection” sections on page 390.
Make a list of at least three important facts you learn.
Circle a detail that you think is the most important.

9. Preview and Predictions
Before Reading Skills
Preview and Predictions
Make a list of the things you “know” or “think you know” based only on the text features.
Make a list of at least 3 things you want to know, but you need to read in order to find out.
What genre or type of text do you think we are reading? Why?

10. During Reading Skills Setting Purposes What’s the Purpose?
Why are you reading this?
What will you learn from this text?
Why did the writer share this story?
What’s the Purpose?
Based on what you have previewed so far and learned about the author and the background of the stories, what are three purposes for reading this story.

11. Comprehension/Discussion Questions
Note all of the comprehension/discussion questions that appear at the bottom of most of the columns of the text.
Be sure to stop, read, and answer (to yourself) each question.

12. Reading Chart – Discovering Theme
Main Events
Character Descriptions
Things That Stood Out 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10.
Theme: _________________________________

13. Stop and Think!!!
What conflicts do the characters in the story encounter?
How do the various characters deal with those conflicts? Do the conflicts get resolved?