Description
This resource provides a complete literary analysis of the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, guiding students through close reading, critical thinking, and meaningful discussion of one of the most frequently taught—and unsettling—short stories in secondary ELA.
The lesson begins with a pre-reading journal entry designed to activate thinking and introduce key ideas before students encounter the text. Students then build background knowledge through an author biography, historical context, and academic vocabulary, supported by a vocabulary list and graphic organizer to strengthen comprehension.
As students read the story, they respond to guided reading questions that focus on essential literary elements, including mood, suspense, foreshadowing, irony, text structure, character motivations, gender roles, dialogue, textual evidence, and writing an objective summary. These questions help students move from surface-level understanding to deeper analysis of Jackson’s craft and message.
The lesson also includes a focused allegory and theme study, complete with a graphic organizer, as well as background information connecting the story to the historical context of World War II and the Holocaust. Students further extend their thinking by analyzing the poem “First They Came” by Martin Niemöller as a paired text, reinforcing themes of conformity, silence, and moral responsibility.
To close the lesson, students participate in after-reading discussion questions that can be completed independently or in groups, encouraging reflection, discussion, and synthesis. Answer keys are included for all components, making the resource easy to implement and assess.
Perfect for middle school and high school ELA, this Lottery literary analysis lesson supports close reading, theme analysis, historical connections, and thoughtful discussion of power, tradition, and social responsibility.