StudySync Lesson Plan
The Lottery
Objectives
1.
Engage students in Shirley Jackson’s famous short story “The Lottery,” so that they are
prepared to discuss and write critical responses about the characters and themes within.
2. Practice and reinforce the following Grades 9-10 ELA Common Core Standards for
reading literature, writing, and speaking and listening:

READING: LITERATURE – RL.9-10.1-5, 7, 9-10

WRITING – W.9-10.1-7, 9-10

SPEAKING AND LISTENING – SL.9-10.1-6
Time
135 minutes (with an additional 230 minutes of extension possibilities)
Materials
SyncTV Premium Lesson on Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
Overview
While Shirley Jackson completed six novels and dozens of other short stories in her brief life,
“The Lottery” stands well above the rest as her most widely read and remembered work. First
published in The New Yorker in 1948, “The Lottery” was met its fair share of controversy. Some
readers were offended, while others were just plain bewildered, demanding an explanation for
Jackson’s cryptic tale of a strange and unexplained village ritual. Over time, the controversy
subsided; what remained was a disturbing and unforgettable story that is now standard
curriculum in high school classrooms the world over. “By setting a particularly brutal ancient rite
in the present,” Jackson’s intent, in her own words, “[was] to shock the story's readers with a
graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives.” In this
StudySync Premium Lesson, students will read “The Lottery” and formulate interpretations of
their own through in-depth analysis of the text. Students will then participate in group-led
discussions and write critical responses consistent with the ELA Common Core Standards for
Grades 9 and 10.
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Lesson Plan: The Lottery
Background (10 minutes)
1.
Watch the Preview (SL. 9-10.1-2). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium
lesson. After viewing, use the following questions to spur a discussion:
a. Having watched the preview, why is “The Lottery” an ironic title for this story? How
might this have affected readers in 1948 first reading the piece, among other
things? Speculate why some readers might have been shocked and upset when
“The Lottery” was first published.
b. The preview tells us that “The Lottery” is about a “stone-wielding mob [who] find
themselves carrying out a dying tradition.” Are there any “dying traditions” you’ve
encountered or read about in your own lives? Why do you think some traditions
go away while others remain?
c. What is a “ritual sacrifice”? Can you think of any examples of this practice you’ve
read about in history? What is our attitude towards “ritual sacrifice” today? How
does the idea of sacrifice play a literal and/or figurative role in modern society?
Extension (additional 45 minutes)
d. Blast! (W.9-10.4, 7, 9). Students will find that “The Lottery” is a good example of
the literary device allegory, but before jumping in, what is allegory? Create a Blast!
topic for students to learn about this literary device by researching and posting
examples of their own finding. This will likely require some outside research about
the topic.
e. Discuss and Write (SL.9-10.1, 3 and W.9-10.4, 9). Knowing what “The Lottery” will
be about, speculate on the setting of the short story based on the preview. Where
does it appear this story takes place? Is it in our own world, sometime in the past,
or another world entirely? Finally, could something like this happen in our world?
Why or why not? Students should compose written responses explaining their
inferences and opinions.
Engaging the Text (125 minutes)
2. Read the Text (40 minutes)
a. Read and Annotate (RL.9-10.1-5). Ask students to read and annotate the
introduction and excerpt. If your classroom has a projector you may consider
modeling proper annotating skills using the first couple of paragraphs. If students
are completing this is a homework assignment, ask them to write any questions
they have into the annotation tool – these questions are visible to you after the
students submit their writing assignments or beforehand if you use the “Mimic”
function to access the students’ accounts.
b. Discuss (SL.9-10.1, 3). Have students get into small groups or pairs and briefly
discuss the questions and inferences they had while reading. As a class, discuss
the following: What is your reaction to the ritual in “The Lottery”? In light of your
reaction, why do you think the villagers might continue to participate in such a
brutal and seemingly meaningless act?
Extension (additional 25 minutes)
c. Listen and Discuss (SL.9-10.1-2). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text.
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Lesson Plan: The Lottery
Ask students to share how their understanding of the text changed after listening.
What additional images came to mind? What words did the author use to develop
the setting?
d. Comprehend (RL.9-10.1-5, 10). Have students complete the multiple-choice
questions. Collect papers or discuss answers as a class.
e. Draw (ELL). Ask students to a specific moment in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”.
Drawings should take into account all the details and descriptions from the text.
The rest is up to students’ imaginations.
3. Watch SyncTV (30 minutes)
a. Watch Either watch the SyncTV discussion as a class or ask students to watch it
on their individual computers.
b. Focus (SL.9-10.1-2 and RL.9-10.1, 4-5). From 1:17 – 2:05 the SyncTV students
discuss the opening line and the use of foreshadowing in the third paragraph.
Model the SyncTV students’ analysis of how author’s choices and literary devices
(such as foreshadowing) affect the tone of the story.
c. Focus (SL.9-10.1-2 and RL.9-10.1, 4-5). Now watch the portion from 2:20 - 3:30 as
the SyncTV students analyze the Old Man Warner quote. Consider their analysis
of this quote and how they use Warner’s statements to come to a deeper
understanding of the text.
d. Focus (SL.9-10.1-2 and RL.9-10.1-2). From 4:45 – 5:45 the discussion turns to the
historical context of Jackson’s story. Have students focus on the points the
SyncTV students discuss and remind them of the importance of historical context
in understanding a text’s meaning.
e. Discuss (SL.9-10.1-5). After watching the model discussion, have a conversation
with the class about the ideas discussed in the SyncTV episode. What new
thoughts do they have after hearing the students' discussion? Next, divide
students into small groups (3-4 students). Move around the room monitoring
groups as students follow the SyncTV episode as a model to discuss some of the
following questions:
i. Why doesn’t Jackson tell us outright about the villagers’ horrific ritual?
What effect does it have on the reader that this is only revealed at the
story’s end? Why do you think Jackson chose to structure the story this
way?
ii. Where is “The Lottery” set? Why do you think the village where the story
takes place remains nameless? What are some other characteristics of this
village? What would be different about this story if it were set in a more
specific place and time?
iii. Discuss the use of irony in “The Lottery”. How does Jackson use irony for
dramatic effect, and how does it contribute to the story’s deeper meaning?
iv. Analyze the character of Tess, who nearly misses the drawing, then
complains it’s unfair because her husband didn’t have enough time to pick.
What do her words and actions say about the village and the nature of
their ritual?
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Lesson Plan: The Lottery
v. What do you think Jackson wanted readers to take away from “The
Lottery” after finishing it? Is there a deeper purpose to this story? What do
you think Jackson wanted to say—about mankind, society, or anything
else?
vi. Considering the SyncTV students’ discussion of its historical context, how
might “The Lottery” be allegorical? How does understanding the time in
which this story was written—1948—offer insight into what Jackson is trying
to depict?
Extension (additional 60 minutes)
Debate (SL.9-10.1, 3-4, 6). Use the themes and issues from “The Lottery” as the
basis for an in-class debate: Why should the lottery be abolished vs. why should it
continue? Though the lottery itself may seem obviously abhorrent, assign some
students to argue on behalf of the continuance of the lottery and the importance
of tradition. Award a winner based on students’ use of logic and argumentation,
not on whether their points are necessarily agreeable.
g. Podcast (SL.9-10.1-2, 4-6). Put students in pairs or small groups and assign them
different characters from “The Lottery”. Students should then interview each other
and record their interviews using the Podcast app. Questions should be related to
the story and its themes, e.g., why is the lottery important? Why does it continue?
What if you were the one drawn? Why is it fair or unfair?
f.
4. Think (5 minutes)
a. Respond (W.9-10.1, 4). Ask students to read the “Think” questions, watch the
corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions, either in class or for
homework.
5. Write (50 minutes)
a. Discuss (SL.9-10.1). Read the prompt you have chosen for students, and then
solicit questions regarding the prompt or the assignment expectations. Whichever
prompt you have chosen, make sure you are clear about the assignment
expectations and the rubric by which you and the other students will be evaluating
them.
b. Organize (RL.9-10.1-5, 10 and W.9-10.1-2, 5). Ask students to go back and annotate
the text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their thoughts and the
points they’ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If you’ve worked
on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good place to apply
them.
c. Write (W.9-10.1-2, 4-6, 8-10). Have students go through the writing process of
planning, revising, editing, and publishing their writing responses.
d. Review (W.9-10.4-6). Use the StudySync “Review” feature to have students
complete one to two evaluations of their peers’ work based on your chosen
review rubric. Have the students look at and reflect upon the peer evaluations of
their own writing. What might you do differently in a revision? How might you
strengthen the writing and the ideas?
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Lesson Plan: The Lottery
Extension (additional 100 minutes)
e. Write (W.9-10.1-2, 4-6, 9-10). For homework, have students write an essay using
one of the prompts you did not choose to do in class. Students should publish
their responses online.
f.
Write (W.9-10.2, 4-6, 9-10). What is an example of a tradition your parents (or
grandparents) observe that you don’t? Why don’t you follow this tradition? Why do
you think some traditions disappear from generation to generation? Discuss these
points in a response of at least 300 words, comparing your real-world experiences
to those of the villagers in “The Lottery”.
g. Write (W.9-10.1, 3-6, 9-10). Ask students to predict what will become of this lottery
fifty years from now. Students should respond in 300 words, discussing whether
the townspeople still practice this tradition, and why (or why not). Responses must
be more than just “yes” or “no”—they must explain why the tradition would
continue or vanish using both evidence from the text and real-world examples.
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Lesson Plan: The Lottery
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Key Vocabulary
1.
daintily (adv.) – Prettily, delicately
2. affable (adj.) – Likeable, friendly, easygoing
3. banter (v.) – To joke with others in a friendly way
4. curmudgeonly (adj.) – Bad-tempered, angry and/or annoyed
5. deplore (v.) – To strongly disapprove or dislike
Reading Comprehension Questions
1.
The titular “lottery” of Jackson’s story takes place ________________.
a. annually
b. every month
c. whenever a villager dies
d. weekly
2. From the description in the story we can infer that the village where the story takes place
is ________________.
a. in New York
b. patriarchal
c. impoverished
d. all of the above
3.
All of the following things are true about the lottery EXCEPT ________________.
a. all of the villagers think it is a stupid ritual
b. the villagers are nervous before the drawing
c. it takes place at the beginning of summer
d. other villages have abandoned the ritual entirely
4. All of the following things are true about Mr. Summers EXCEPT _________________.
a. he is a merchant
b. he is in charge of the lottery
c. he runs many other village activities
d. he is not well-liked by the villagers
5. Old Man Warner believes that the lottery is ________________.
a. meaningless to him
b. wrongly dismissed by younger generations
c. too brutal of a tradition
d. too serious for Mr. Summers
6. The general attitude of the villagers in attendance can be best described as
________________.
a. jovial
b. solemn
c. impatient
d. horrified
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Lesson Plan: The Lottery
7.
Tessie Hutchinson protests the initial drawing because _________________.
a. she was not on time
b. she believes her husband was hurried
c. she knows Mr. Summers dislikes the Hutchinsons
d. she was not allowed to draw
8. The second drawing is done to determine __________________.
a. which family will be selected for sacrifice
b. next year’s lottery winner
c. the winner of the second place prize
d. which of the Hutchinsons will be chosen
9. After the story’s end we can infer that Tessie Hutchinson will _______________.
a. win the lottery
b. be stoned to death
c. kill the attacking villagers
d. ask her husband for a divorce
10. The villagers likely continue to participate in the lottery because _________________.
a. they believe the ritual sacrifice will bring them good luck
b. older generations have passed it down
c. mob mentality frequently overwhelms individual thought
d. all of the above
Answer Key
1. A
2. B
3. A
4. D
5. B
6. C
7. B
8. D
9. B
10. D
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Lesson Plan: The Lottery
Further Assignments
1.
Read some of Shirley Jackson’s other famous stories from her collection, The Lottery and
Other Stories. What are some of the common themes in her work? Do they share a similar
tone, narrative style, etc.? Ask students to write at least 300 words about the common
elements present in Jackson’s work. (RL.9-10.1-5, 10 and W.9-10.2, 4, 9)
2. Have students complete the StudySync Premium Lesson for Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger
Games. Once finished, ask them to discuss and write about the shared themes in “The
Lottery” and The Hunger Games. In a response of at least 300 words, students should
describe the similarities between the two worlds and the nature of the ritual at hand,
citing where the two texts align as well as where they differ. (RL.9-10.1-5, 9-10 and W.910.2, 4, 9)
3. Using a class Instagram or Twitter account, create a hashtag for a class discussion of “The
Lottery” and ask students to post images relating to the text and discussions of its
characters and themes. Require all students to submit content and participate in the
discussion for the class days you cover “The Lottery”. (SL.9-10.1-2, 4-5)
4. Compare Jackson’s original short story with a 1969 filmed adaptation, available to watch
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIm93Xuij7k (the video is in two parts). Discuss how
the two versions are different and the respective differences between the two mediums.
Did the filmmakers do a good job of translating Jackson’s vision? How does the film
version compare with what you’d imagined as you read? (RL.9-10.7)
5. For a fun creative writing assignment, ask students to write an account of another year’s
lottery. Their short stories can be sequels or prequels—they can write about the first-ever
lottery, for instance, or the last one—but they must engage with some of the themes and
use some of the characters from Jackson’s original text. (W.9-10.3-4, 9)
6. What separates “traditions” and “laws”? For English language learners, use “The Lottery”
as a vocabulary-building opportunity and discuss the differences between these two
important ideas. Ask students to brainstorm a list of each, from their native culture(s) and
from others. Why do cultures have laws and why do they have traditions? (ELL)
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Lesson Plan: The Lottery