This "paired passages" lesson encourages students to practice annotation, story analysis, synthesis, and essay writing. Students complete close readings of Richard Connell’s story “The Most Dangerous Game” and Shirley Jackson’s story “The Lottery.” Then, they synthesize their understanding of the readings, consider and compare themes, and write a short literary analysis essay. The lesson includes handouts with before-, during-, and post-reading strategies, which provide scaffolding for diverse