Pre-Reading Activity for "The Lottery"

Pre-reading activity · Grades 8–10, Higher Ed · PDF, slides, game · $5 or included with All-Access

This is the class I run the day before students read Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." It gets them thinking about why people follow traditions without asking where they came from, without spoiling the ending.

Students start with a 10-minute quick write about a tradition in their own family or culture, then share. Next is "The Mystery Tradition" game (about 20 minutes): each student gets a slip with a made-up tradition, finds classmates whose traditions connect, and builds a backstory for it. We close by talking about blind tradition and writing a prediction about the story.

What's included

• Slide deck (.pptx) with timed steps
• PDF version of the activity
• Lottery ticket printables (Google Doc) for the game
• Quick write prompt, discussion questions, and exit ticket

How teachers use it

• Day before reading "The Lottery"
• Launch for a unit on conformity or tradition
• Works in high school and early college classes