How does the setting of the small town and its residents affect the plot? How does Jackson reveal the beliefs and mindsets of the town?

Teaching Suggestion: The plot and setting of “The Lottery” provide a good opportunity to explore psychological setting. You may prompt students to examine the theme of Small Towns and Small Minds and how the author communicates the small minds of the townspeople through their dialogue, actions, and beliefs.

Differentiation Suggestion: English Language Learners and other students may benefit from pre-teaching the term psychological setting. Consider providing students with sentence starters or sentence frames to help them formulate their thoughts on paper before sharing them in the discussion.