Lesson Plan:

(Deborah Kent)
Content Objective: Compare elements of the short story, The
Lottery with the novel they are currently reading, The Hunger Games.

Grade Level: 9th grade

Lecture-Discussion Model: This instructional model is used
for helping students understand organized bodies of knowledge, which
in this instance will help them connect concepts, generalizations and
will help make these relationships explicit.

Time Allotment: 55 minutes.

Materials: short story and Venn diagram
Procedure:
Bellringer: What do you think of when you hear the word,
lottery?
(Recent jackpot lottery, lottery during Vietnam Warsome happy,
some not-so-happy)
Discuss their answers.
Tell the class we are going to read a short story that has many
similarities to The Hunger Games (which they are currently reading.)
After we discuss their ideas, we will read the first paragraph.
What kind of atmosphere is Jackson setting in this first paragraph?
Does it remind you of anything in The Hunger Games?
Read the second paragraph. What is the tone? Does anything raise a
question mark in your mind? What about the names? Remind them
that Croix in French means cross.
What names did you focus on in The Hunger Games?
Read the third paragraph. What are the village people doing?
(Ordinary, day-to-day things) What kind of tone is Jackson portraying
in this paragraph? Does this remind you of the attitude toward The
Games in The Hunger Games?

Read the 4th paragraph. Read the first linewhat social events is the
author focusing on? Why? What about the name Summers? What
associations do you form with that name?
Was there a name in The Hunger Games that sort of set a tone?
(Rue?)
Do you have any comments about the black wooden box?
Where did Mr. Summers set the black box? Why might the author give
us this information? Does this information serve a function in this
story?
Read the last line of Paragraph 4: while Mr. Summers stirred up
the papers inside it. What happens when we stir things up?
5th Paragraph: Read.
What stands out in this paragraph? Pick one word that summarizes
what the author is stressing in this paragraph (tradition)
This story was written in 1948, right after the end of WWII. Do you feel
this may be significant? How or why?
Read the last line of Paragraph 5.
Paragraph 7: pick out details that remind you of elements of The
Hunger Games.
Ask questions, let them make all of the associations they care to.
If time permits, we can discuss the fact that the specific date was
given in Jacksons story and the associations that has with pagan
rituals(planting time) and the quote about corn in Juneapparently
they had good crops because they sacrificed someone each June. Also
a pagan ritual (sacrificing someone or an animal for some sort of
benefit).
Discuss Mrs. Hutchinsons reactionit was OK to sacrifice someone as
long as it wasnt her.
Discuss the difference in attitudes of familial responsibility in the two
stories: In
The Hunger Games Katniss was protective of Prim. Katniss and Gale
(mainly Gale) felt protective of all of the children. How is it different in
The Lottery?
Assessment: Venn diagram for them to compare/contrast elements of
both stories.