Lesson 1

Lesson Goals

Texts

Core

• • Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger, Da Capo Press, 1990

Materials

Tools

• Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool

• Mentor Sentence Journal

• Vocabulary Journal

Reference Guides

• Questioning Reference Guide

Question Sets

• Friday Night Lights: Section 3 Question Set

Editable Google Docs

• Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool

• Mentor Sentence Journal

• Friday Night Lights: Section 3 Question Set

• Vocabulary Journal

Activity 1: Write – Discuss

We will introduce the section by reviewing the Central Question and framing questions.

Step 1

Review the unit’s Central Question:

How do high school athletics reflect American society?

Respond to the following question in your Learning Log:

1. If you were to provide an answer to the Central Question today, what would it be?

Step 2

Now Review the Framing Questions, paying special attention to Question 3, which is the focusing question for this third section of the unit and connected to the Culminating Task:

1. How do fans impact student athletes?

2. How do racial and socioeconomic factors shape the perspectives of student athletes?

3. How do ideas about gender and gender roles impact student sports culture?

4. How do the lessons student athletes learn about values impact their perspective of American society?

Discuss Question 3 with a partner or small group. Think about what you have read in Chapters 1-6 of Friday Night Lights. Share insights gleaned from the discussion with the whole class.

Activity 2: Write

We will write a short response to a prompt in our Learning Logs about gender in Friday Night Lights. We will then discuss the topic of gender in the text.

Review two passages from Chapter 6 of Friday Night Lights, paying attention to the gender norms portrayed in the chapter.

Passage 1:

The paragraph that begins “The Marshall fans give the Mavericks a standing ovation” through the paragraph that begins “Courtesy of the chamber of commerce.”

Passage 2:

The paragraph that begins “The Marshall players danced and hugged” through the final paragraph of the chapter.

Think about the following questions:

1. How are the male figures portrayed?

2. How are the female figures portrayed?

3. What message about the role of gender is Bissinger trying to convey in this chapter?

Write a response to Question 3 in your Learning Log. Cite at least two pieces of evidence to support your claim.

Once you have finished writing, discuss the question and your response with a group or the class.

Activity 3: Read – Discuss

We will read the first part of chapter 7 in Friday Night Lights. We will analyze the text and how Bissinger approaches the concept of gender roles in high school athletics. We will answer and discuss questions about gender in the text.

Read and annotateChapter 7 in Friday Night Lights through the break on page 152, paying attention to how Bissenger approaches the idea of gender.

As a class, discuss the following text-dependent questions from the Section 3 Question Set.Write down key takeaways from the discussion in your Learning Log.

1. How does Bissinger portray women on page 138? What words, phrases, or descriptions does he use? Why do you think he uses this word choice?

2. On page 142, why does Bissinger include a description of the "Correct Menu Form" lesson?

3. Reread the text that begins with the last sentence on page 142 and goes through the end of the first paragraph on page 143. Discuss when this book was written. Is this complaint about students still viable today? How has it changed?

4. Reread the first sentence in the last paragraph on page 143. How does this attitude from the teachers impact students?

5. On page 145, read the sentence that begins with, "The kids don’t take responsibility…" How does Bissinger use this statement as irony, considering how he described how teachers feel about students?

6. Read the first sentence in the last paragraph on page 146. Why does the author include this detail?

7. Read the sentence in the third paragraph on page 146 that begins "In the hierarchy…" How does this statement support Bissinger’s portrayal of females in the text?

8. After reading page 149, do you think Pepettes have a self-identity similar to the football players? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

9. On page 149, the school counselor uses the term programmed to describe the female students at Permian. Why do you think she chose this word? Who programs the female students? Why?

10. Julie Gardner is quoted as saying being a Pepette is "the closest thing to being a football player." Why would female students strive to be something close to a football player?

11. The head cheerleader is advised not to take the SATs because it might interfere with her duties as a cheerleader. What message is the school sending? How does this compare to messages football players receive? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Activity 4: Read – Write – Discuss

We will respond to a quote from Friday Night Lights and identify evidence from the text that helps the author shape a claim around this quote. We will use the Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool to express our own conclusions.

Step 1

Read the following quote:

"I look forward to getting out on my own and trying the world. They say it’s a real rat race and I hope to win it."

1. Think about this quote and the text you read in Chapter 7. What conclusion would you draw about Bissinger’s perspective on gender at Permian?

Use a copy of the Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool to form a claim in response to the question, drawing on multiple pieces of evidence to support your claim.

Step 2

Discuss your claim with your group. Extend the discussion by sharing your own perspective on how gender roles are portrayed in the text.

Activity 5: Read

For homework, we will read the remainder of chapter 7 of Friday Night Lights.

For homework, read and annotate the remainder of Chapter 7 of Friday Night Lights, paying attention to how Bissinger’s perspective on gender roles is further developed.

Be sure to write down new or interesting words in your Vocabulary Journal.

Write down sentences that stand out to you as interesting or that represent a strong example of a particular concept you have learned in your Mentor Sentence Journal.