literature has the power to inspire and educate everyone

Literature has the power to inspire and educate everyone and allows people to see

different situations from other’s point of views. –Me It is a miracle that curiosity survives education. –Albert Einstein

My name is Katie Bourne. I have lived with my grandparents since I was eight weeks old, and continue to live at home with my grandmother while I am working on my master’s degree. I went to Incarnate Word Parish School from kindergarten through 8th grade. I went to high school at St. Joseph’s Academy in Frontenac, Missouri. For college, I went to Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. While at Truman, I spent a year and a half in Phi Delta, Truman’s only non-Greek social and service sorority and spent three years involved at the Catholic Newman Center. I am currently working towards my Master’s in Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The above picture is my friend Erin and I at semi-formal at the Catholic Newman Center. LONIP List of Nothing in Particular Television Memories Katie Bourne Final 9/28/11

“When I got my first television set, I stopped caring so much about having close relationships.” –Andy Warhol

So many people believe that television has ruined society’s social experiences. However,

in my experience, TV has added a deeper dimension to my friendships and personal

relationships. Everyone has their favorite shows. Normally they give standard answers as

to why it is their favorite: “It’s funny!”, “I’ve been watching it since Season One!”, or,

my favorite, “I always watch it with (insert loved one’s name here)”. And there, is the

root of the issue. I’ve always liked watching TV, but the past four years, due to college, I

haven’t really had time for a lot of television, except a select few shows, and these are the

programs that I can watch over and over again, something which people never seem to

understand. But, why these shows? Sure, some of them are funny, a lot are dramatic, but

why have I stuck with these television programs when the others I have let slip past me?

The answer is easy: each of the television programs I love, are attached to some sort of

memory that means a lot to me.

Let’s start with a most recent choice, “The Big Bang Theory”. I had always

thought that this show was a little cheap. The production value wasn’t very high, and it

was about a bunch of scientists. How boring! However, this summer, I went to Columbia,

Missouri to visit two friends of mine with whom I went to college, and who are now

engaged. It was so much fun, hearing all about veterinary school and medical school and

staying at their new apartment. I couldn’t believe how old and grown up they were. After

a full day, we collapsed on the couch, and the next thing I knew, Vincent was saying,

“Hey! Let’s put in an episode of “Big Bang Theory!”

I sighed inwardly, but put a smile on my face and said, “Sure! Ok!”

At first, I didn’t pay much attention. I was there to hang with my friends, not

watch some TV show, but Vincent wanted to watch it. I could put up with one episode

for a friend, it wasn’t that big of a deal. However, after one episode, we watched another

and after that, another. It wasn’t long before I was laughing along with my friends. Ok, it

was cheap production and it was kind of corny, but it was also hilarious. When I left that

weekend, I was ready to watch more, so of course I purchased the first two seasons on

Amazon.com. Every time I watch it, I remember the three of us huddled on the couch, the

windows flung open to let in the scant summer breeze, and all the good times we had that

weekend.

“Sheldon Cooper: Under normal circumstances, I’d say I told you so. But, as I have told so with such vehemence and frequency already the phrase has lost all meaning. Therefore, I will be replacing it with the phrase, I have informed you thusly.” “Dexter Morgan: Some experiences are so big, they change your DNA.” This is a

quote from my next most recent television show “Dexter”. I started watching this show

during my senior year at Truman. It’s ironic that I started watching it because my

grandfather had gotten so sick, considering the show is about a serial killer. I have a

friend named Drew, who is one of the best friends I’ve ever had. He always picks up on

when I’m sad or depressed, and his house has been a constant haven for me. One day, I

called him after I had gotten out of class, and it took all of about three seconds for him to

pick up on the fact that I was upset. The funny thing is, I can’t even remember exactly

what I was upset about. I know it was because my grandfather wasn’t doing well, and it

definitely was because I had just been told he had been admitted to the hospital, but I’m

not sure if I can recall exactly what was wrong. Anyway, I trudged over to Drew’s house

and he immediately whisked me inside and cooked me dinner. Afterwards, we lay on the

couch and he turned on the Netflix on his Xbox.

“What do you want to watch?” He asked me, sliding his arm under my head.

“I don’t care, whatever you want to watch.” My eyes drifted closed as the opening

strains of the theme song played.

Dexter became one of my favorites because it was comforting and reminds me of all the

fun I’ve had with Drew. It also reminds me of my home away from home, my friends up

at Truman. Every time I watch Dexter, I feel like I’m back in Drew’s darkened living

room, and I feel comfortable, at home.

Dexter Morgan: “Lumen said I gave her her life back…a reversal of my usual role. Well the fact is, she gave me mine back too. And I’m left not with what she took from me, but with what she brought. Eyes that saw me, finally, for who I really am. And a certainty that nothing…nothing is set in stone. Not even darkness. While she was here, she made me think for the briefest moment I might even have a chance to be human. But wishes, of course, are for children.” Another favorite is “The Office”. I first started watching this in January of my

sophomore year of college, during season five. At first, I thought the show was dumb. It

didn’t seem funny to me. In fact, every time someone said, “Hey! Let’s watch The

Office!” I made a point to walk out of the room. You couldn’t have paid me to watch that

show. But every year, the Newman Center, in which I was involved in up at Truman, has

a Super Bowl Party. During my freshman and sophomore year, I joined a sorority, and

was incredibly unhappy. I called my grandma at least once a week during my freshman

year, crying and begging her to just let me come home. During my sophomore year, I

started to get involved at the Newman Center. It all started with my friend Vincent, the

same Vincent who is mentioned above. I had gotten an e-mail from someone involved at

the Newman Center saying that they would be meeting to play kickball at Newman on

Friday at 4:30. Now, I’m not an avid athlete, but I figured it would be a cool way to meet

people, and I really do enjoy a good game of kickball. I wandered into Newman,

uncertain of what lay ahead, when I saw a group of people sitting in a circle in the big

room. Thank you, God. I walked up and said “Hi!”, unsure if these were the people I was

supposed to be meeting, but who else could they be?

“Hi!” The older looking boy with the curly hair said to me.

“Hi, so um, I’m supposed to meet people here…” I said, kind of nervous.

“Yeah! Sit down!” He smiled at me and I instantly felt welcome. I was quickly

introduced to everyone; Lauren, Nathan, Kaitlynn, Laura, Phill and Vincent, the curly

headed kid.

After about five minutes, I realized that they were planning something, a party of

some sort.

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry. This is some sort of official meeting, isn’t it? I just

wanted to play kickball…” I said as I hastily pushed back my chair and start to walk

away.

“WAIT!!” Vincent called to me and I turned around.

“Did you want to be on my committee? We plan all of the social events, parties

and video game nights and stuff. All you have to do is come to our committee meetings

on Fridays at 4:30 and to the whole council meetings on Sundays at 8:15. Everyone was

staring at me, and he looked so hopeful and excited, that I couldn’t help but say yes.

The first party that I helped plan with the Social Committee was the Super Bowl

Party. Now, as I said before, I’m not an avid athlete, and I’m certainly not a huge football

fan, but it was fun to get to meet people who were and see what team everyone was

cheering for. After the party, there was a special hour long episode of The Office, and I

was definitely not interested in that, but I was really interested in hanging out with my

new friends, so I sat with them while they watched the show, and soon, I found myself

laughing along with them.

After that night, I went back to my dorm room and bought the first season of “The

Office”, and since then I’ve been hooked. I even got one of my friends up at school, Jake,

hooked as well. Soon, he was coming over every day after classes to watch episode after

episode. Thursdays were our designated new episode watch party. We’d go out to dinner

then go back to the Newman Center, take over the loud lounge and watch The Office,

then discuss what we thought about the episode and what we thought would happen next.

To this day, whenever I want to make Jake smile or whenever I’m in a bad mood, I post

an “Office” quote to his Facebook wall.

Jim Halpert: “Do you remember what you said to me on my first day of work, just before you walked me over to my desk?” Pam Beesly: “Yeah, enjoy this moment, because you’re never going to go back to this time before you met your desk mate Dwight.” Jim Halpert: “And that’s when I knew. You?” Pam Beesly: “You came up to my desk and said, this might sound weird, and there’s no reason for me to know this, but that mixed berry yogurt you’re about to eat has expired.” Jim Halpert: “That was the moment that you knew you liked me?” Pam Beesly: “Yep.” Jim Halpert: “Wow, can we make it a different moment?” Pam Beesley: “Nope.” Finally, another show that I can watch over and over again is Smallville. I started

watching this show when it first premiered in 2001. I actually started watching this show

on my own, without anyone. It was the one show that I didn’t need anyone to watch it

with me. Maybe that’s because it was a drama and not a comedy, I’m not really sure, but

I loved this show for the first three seasons it was on. I watched it from seventh grade all

the way until the end of my freshman year in high school. Then, in my junior year of

college, I was killing time between classes by looking at my recommendations on

Amazon.com. One of the suggestions was for Smallville, season one. It was then that a

wave of overwhelming nostalgia washed over me. I missed watching Smallville every

Thursday. About two weeks later, I realized that I had ordered every copy of Smallville

that was available on DVD. I spent every weekend that semester watching Smallville and

catching up on what I missed. The people in the show were like long lost friends that I

had neglected for far too long. My senior year I took an Adaptations course and wrote my

senior thesis on “Smallville” as an adaptation of the original “Superman” comics. Even to

this day if I’m sad or need to be distracted, I can pop in any episode of Smallville.

Clark Kent: “We can’t change the past, we can only affect the future.”

Clark Kent: “You were right, Dad. I never stopped blaming myself for what happened to you. It was a way not to let go. It’s exactly what I have to do to move on. To

get rid of the darkness of my past I’ve been carrying around. To be there for the people who need me now. You said to hold on to Smallville, and I will, I will never forget. Because you’ll be with me no matter where I go. I have to say the one thing I never could. Goodbye, Dad. I promise to be the man you know I could be.” I know that I’ll always hold on to the good memories of my friends and these shows, but

I know that the programs I love will never replace the people that I love. However, these

programs are a way for me to feel connected with my friends, even when we’re apart. I

know that after a new episode of a show, I can call any one of these friends and reconnect

over a shared interest and something we love.

Lesson Idea #2

Overview Subject: English Grade: 11 Literary Work: Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare Historical Setting: The Early Modern Period/Renaissance Rationale: The history of the time in which a piece of literature was written profoundly affects the writers of literature, and therefore must not be ignored when discussing any great work of fiction. It heavily influences the ideas of the writer and often grounds the story in a time and place that can be unrecognizable to students. In this lesson, students will understand how the time and culture in which Shakespeare lived affects his play, Taming of the Shrew. Objective: Understanding the Culture of a Narrative. First, the students will look over a handout provided by the teacher on the time and culture during which Shakespeare lived. Students will journal every day on their response to the portion of the play that they were supposed to read. Students will continually be asked the question, “Why?” and be required to journal on why they believe the text reflects the Early Modern Period. Introductory activity will be a KWL, followed by a handout. Other strategies that will be used will be write arounds and exit slips. Materials and Resources:

• Every day materials-journals, text, pens or pencils • Handouts • Computer and projector

Assessment: Students will be held accountable for doing their journals every day and are due by the beginning of class. A completion grade will be given for doing journals. Lesson assessment will be a short test consisting of several multiple choice questions and two essay questions that focus in particular the way women are viewed and written about in The Taming of the Shrew and the Early Modern Period. Students are welcome to elaborate on their essay questions for their final paper.

Teacher Calendar Monday-Open with handout about the culture and politics of the Early Modern Period. Teacher will present PowerPoint on women in the Early Modern Period, allowing students a short break after 10 minutes in order to organize their thoughts and finish taking notes. Students will then break up into groups to begin reading Act I of Shrew and answer questions on Act I and Act II on back of culture and politics of Early Modern Period. Students will also have the opportunity to turn in an exit slip with any questions they might have. Homework: Finish reading Act I and Act II, journal entry. Tuesday- Check journals and go over handout from last time. Teacher will present on the role of women in the Early Modern Period, and introduce Simone de Beauvoir and her feminist theory. Students will do a write around in small groups discussing whether this theory applies to their reading. Homework: Read Act III and IV and journal. Wednesday-Check journals. Begin by discussing motifs and themes that students may have seen in the reading. Point out any others that they may have missed. Focus on the main themes of the play such as marriage as an economic institution and the effect of social roles on individual happiness and how that has changed between our time and Shakespeare’s time. Students will have time to work in groups to go over discussion questions. Homework: Read Act V and journal Thursday-Finish discussing entire play. Students will turn in an entrance slip with any questions they might have for the teacher. Latter half of test will be review for test. Students will receive three essay questions, two of which will be on the test. They will not be allowed to bring these in with them, but it is high suggested they organize their thoughts before the actual test. Homework: Study for test Friday-Test over Taming of the Shrew. Homework: none.

Lesson Plans Heading Class English III-‐Juniors Your Name Katie Bourne

Name of Lesson Taming of the Shrew Time Frame 50 min Objective Convey an understanding of what the Early Modern Period was

and how the time in which Shakespeare lived affected his writing Reading Material

William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew

Instructional Framework

Initiating Constructing Utilizing

Lesson Plan Format

Teacher Centered: Direct Instruction – providing information and building skills Presentation – demonstrating, lecturing Concept – introducing a new theory, symbol, idea Student Centered: Discussion Cooperative Learning Problem Solving

Grouping Whole Class Pairs Individuals Materials & Resources

School – Taming of the Shrew and Women in Early Modern England Teacher – handout Student – Journals and pens or pencils

Accommodation for Students with Special Needs

Literacy Strategy

Writing after PowerPoint and journaling

Phase One Go over handout on Early Modern Period.

Phase Two Go over PowerPoint Phase Three Allow students to break up into groups to begin reading Act I

aloud to each other. Formative Assessment

Exit slip.

Tuesday Lesson Plan

Heading Class English III-Juniors Your Name Katie Bourne Name of Lesson Taming of the Shrew Time Frame 50 min

Objective Students will understand the role of Women in the Early Modern Period and understand one aspect of feminist critical theory.

Reading Material

Taming of the Shrew and photocopies from the book Women in Early Modern England, particularly from the chapters on childhood and adolescence and on marriage.



Lesson Plan Format



School – Taming of the Shrew and Women in Early Modern England Teacher – Texts and Contexts Student – journal, pencil or pens


Literacy Strategy

Write around

Phase One Go over homework from last time and check journals

Phase Two Present Simone de Beauvoir’s feminist theory to class.

Phase Three

Formative Assessment

Write around in small groups discussing whether or not they believe Simone de Beauvoir’s theory applies to what they have read so far in Shrew.

Wednesday Lesson Plan

Heading Class English III-Juniors Your Name Katie Bourne

Name of Lesson Taming of the Shrew Time Frame 50 min Objective Students will fully understand the major motifs and themes in

Taming of the Shrew Reading Material

Taming of the Shrew



Lesson Plan Format



School -‐ Teacher – Student –


Literacy Strategy

Phase One Go over what a motif is and what a theme is.

Phase Two Students break into groups to see if they can pinpoint themes and motifs.

Phase Three Teacher will review what the motifs and themes are and there will be a large group discussion on motifs and themes in the play.

Formative Assessment

Discussion questions

Thursday Lesson Plan Heading Class English III-Juniors Your Name Katie Bourne

Name of Lesson Taming of the Shrew Time Frame 50 min Objective Students will fully understand Taming of the Shrew. Reading Material

Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew



Lesson Plan Format



School – Taming of the Shrew Teacher – discussion questions Student – journals, pencils and pens


Literacy Strategy

Entrance slip

Phase One Students write entrance slip.

Phase Two Review for test and answer any questions students might have.

Phase Three Go over essay questions and allow students time to form their essay question ideas.

Formative Journals

Assessment

Early Modern England

• For most of Shakespeare’s life, Queen Elizabeth I (pictured above)

was on the throne. She was only the second woman ever in England to be crowned as a monarch in her own right.

• Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII had 6 wives, two of whom he had put to death!

• Henry VIII became a Protestant due to Elizabeth’s mother, even going so far as to break away from the Catholic Church and having his children raised as Protestant. This would cause major upheaval in England throughout the next century.

• Marriage was considered an economic institution during this time. Very rarely did people marry for love.

• Men were allowed to beat their wives, as long as they did so with something that was no longer than their thumb.

• In 1584, Virginia is founded by Sir Walter Raleigh.

• In 1588, the Spanish Armada is defeated. • Queen Elizabeth dies on March 24, 1603 and she is succeeded by

James VI of Scotland, who is later named King James I of England. • 1605-Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.

Remember, remember the 5th of November/ Of Gunpowder, Treason and Plot./ I see no reason why Gunpowder treason/ Should ever be forgot.

• April 23, 1616-William Shakespeare dies. .

literature has the power to inspire and educate everyone

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