69 pages 2 hours read

Buzz Bissinger

Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1990

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During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

PREFACE-CHAPTER 1

Reading Check

1. What industry changed the fortune of Odessa in the 1920s? 

2. Who quits the team in despair after losing to the Rebels?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Bissinger choose to live in Odessa while writing Friday Night Lights?

2. How does the loss to the Rebels impact Coach Gaines?

3. Which colleges are interested in Mike Winchell, and what is his attitude about their interest?

Paired Resource

College Football Coaches Dominate as Highest-Paid State Employees In 31 States 

  • This article from The Sports Daily explains how year after year, the highest-paid public employees in the US are college football or basketball coaches, most of whom are male.
  • This source connects to the themes Devotion to Sports, Football: Opportunity or Exploitation?, and Paternal Relationships.
  • What does this information tell you about the priorities of the US government and society? How does this spending impact the rest of a state’s budget?

CHAPTERS 2-3

Reading Check

1. What did Ross Perot criticize about Odessa High School, angering the townspeople?

2.