Artemis Lotería
A culturally rooted, bilingual STEM game that brings NASA’s Artemis missions into classrooms and community spaces.
What is Lotería?
Lotería (pronounced loh-teh-REE-ah) is a traditional Mexican game, similar to Bingo, but it uses symbols instead of just numbers.
This game has been played for centuries in Mexico and it has become a cultural staple in many Latin American countries. It’s often played during family gatherings and celebrations.
What is Artemis Lotería?
How do I play Lotería?
Step 1: Assign one person to be the Caller.
The caller randomly draws cards from the deck one at a time, announces them to the players by their name, and shows their image.
Step 2: Give each player a playing board.
Players look for the corresponding image on their playing boards and mark it using small objects (plastic bingo chips, beans, coins, etc.)
Step 3: Draw cards and play until a player completes a pattern on their board.
The first player to complete a predetermined pattern on their board, such as a row, column, diagonal, or blackout shouts “¡Lotería!” to win the game.
What are the three levels of play?
Information about the online game:
There is also an online version created by first-generation, Latino, Sr. Software Engineer, Lucio Villa.
You can use the online version to play digitally or to project cards when playing with large groups.
Use Artemis Loteria to engage with a community or classroom:
- In the classroom – For young scholars, Artemis Lotería works well when paired with a storybook and hands on artifacts. The cards can be used as vocabulary tools to support early language development and science learning.
- In after school STEM clubs – Lotería is an engaging, low barrier activity for after school programs. It supports collaboration, discussion, and informal learning while reinforcing NASA science concepts.
- At a NASA Lotería Family STEM Night – Invite students and their families to learn together through play. Family STEM Nights create a welcoming space for multi-generational learning and help connect classroom science to the home and community.
The development of Artemis Lotería:
Artemis Lotería was developed by Richard Para at the University of Washington’s Community Engagement and Leadership Education Center and NESSP partner.
Richard is a first generation STEM graduate from the University of Washington. His work is informed by his cultural funds of knowledge, including playing Lotería with his family during holidays and gatherings. That experience inspired him to create a resource that would engage a young member of his own family, his nephew Angel, while connecting culture, learning, STEM, and NASA.
Additional versions of NASA-themed Lotería and coloring sheets:
The Northwest Earth and Space Sciences Pathways has developed an additional version of Lotería to incorporate into the ROADS from Earth to Venus Companion Course and Challenge.
This version of the game focuses on Venus and highlights key science questions, past and future missions to Venus, and the scientists and engineers who make those missions possible.
You can also download images from the Artemis Lotería to use as coloring sheets.
Create your own Lotería game:
Interested in developing your own culturally rooted Lotería game to teach students about a NASA mission, a STEM topic, or dual language vocabulary? Download the Canva templates for the cards and tablas. You or your students can then design the artwork and the information on the back of each card, either by hand or digitally.
We would love to learn about the Lotería you created. You can share your new game on social media and tag us @nwessp or use the hashtag #nessploteria. You can also email us to tell us about your creation at info@nwessp.org.