Loto Warm-Up Activity – Numbers practice

Here’s how it works:

1. I choose a lottery drawing video ahead of time so I know what the winning numbers are. That way I can tell the students what range of numbers to choose from (pick a number between 1-40, 1-100, etc.)

2. As the students arrive they grab a warm-up sheet and choose their numbers, writing them in the top row. (For the lottery game I chose there is also a “numéro de chance” which is kind of like a Powerball so I have a spot for that on the sheet also, but if you choose to use another lottery, like Euromillions, which also posts their weekly drawings on YouTube, they may not have a numéro de chance)

3. When class starts I have students share what numbers they picked with their table groups, using “J’ai choisi…”

4. I play the drawing video with *audio only* so the students can’t see the number balls. They have to rely on auditory comprehension. Depending on level I may repeat the audio several times, slow down the playback speed, etc. As they listen they write the numbers they hear in the 2nd row of their sheet.

5. I play the video again, with video this time, so they can check their answers. They write the numbers they see/hear in the 3rd row of their sheet.

6. In order to win, they have to have winning numbers AND they have to have heard the numbers correctly (i.e. row #2 and #3 have to match). The numbers they picked can be in any order.

7. For prizes I just have homework coupons, stickers, pencils, candy, etc… your typical classroom reward/prize stuff. If a student also got the “numéro de chance” they get 2 prizes.

It’s up to you if you want to give prizes for 2 winning numbers, 3, 4, or all of them.

My students LOVED this and asked me to do it weekly (they suggested “Loto Lundi” instead of “Lecture Lundi.” I told them we could do both, because reading wasn’t going anywhere)