Korie Johnson
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| Department | Social Sciences and History |
|---|---|
| House | Career & College |
| Contact | kjohnson@tsas.org |
| Joined | 2019-01-01 |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in History from Mesa State College; Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Wyoming |
| Why I teach |
Learning about things I’ve never even imagined is one of my top top favorite things about life. Learning more about things I already know gives me hope. Sharing stories and hearing stories — making those human connections – reassures my faith. Working with students, especially in a school with talented, inspiring, and hilarious faculty and staff, restores my spirit daily. My students surprise me, teach me, and make me better. Teaching demands that I take risks constantly and that I stay vulnerable. Those are hard but necessary things. When I think about those special teachers that loved me when I was unlovable, pushed me to think past my emotions or uninformed opinions, guided me to discover new ideas, saw something in me that I couldn’t see, showed me a kind of patience that I had not earned from them, and helped me on my way, I wonder if there is really any way to properly thank them. How could I ever show my true appreciation for the sacrifices they made for me? The only thing I’ve come up with is to do for someone else what they did for me. |
| About me | I’m a 5th Generation Oklahoman who moved to Colorado the summer before 8th grade, I consider both to be home. I moved to Tulsa three years ago and love working at TSAS. In middle school, I lived to beat a girl named Danielle (who obvs had it all) for first chair clarinet. I rarely won. Even though I held down 2nd chair, I wasn’t allowed to march with my clarinet crew because I couldn’t keep in step with the rest, but I could be found holding the flag in the front. In 9th grade I rode in the back of a golden El Camino through the desert to find a secret punk rock show. That was all a long time ago, and now I mostly chill with my family–husband and two children, plus our dog. I like to read books/stories, watch TV/movies, read the news, and make things. I can get weirdly competitive when I play board games. I like grape flavor, Central Asian/Middle Eastern food, Tajin, Chamoy, & popcorn. Music is great too. |
Law & Society
Tris: 1 | Open to: Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
This is a deep dive into our legal system. Students will dissect landmark cases, learn how our judicial system works, try their hand at lawyering, and maybe even go observe court. Guest speakers may include area attorneys and professors of law. At the end of the trimester, students will engage in a mock trial.
- Junior and Senior course — sophomores only with teacher permission
The 1960s
Tris: 1 | Open to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
As the Beatles sang in 1968, “You say you want a revolution we–ell you knoww we all want to change the world,” the 1960s became a time of pushing back against authority and conformity. Vietnam, the early Cold War, the continuation and evolution of the Civil Rights movement, the counterculture revolution, and more. Study this decade of revolution and change through film, short stories, music, and primary documents and texts. Students will have reflective writing assignments, small group and class-wide discussions, and an independent writing project.
The 1990s
Tris: 1 | Open to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
The 1990s: grunge, pop-star icons, Oklahoma City Bombing, Boy Bands, the rise of hip-hop to the mainstream, Y2K, the OJ Simpson trial, the impeachment of President Clinton, and so much more. This interdisciplinary course blends elements of Literature, American History, Political Science, and American Studies to explore the decade of the 1990s. We will use film, television, music, theory, literature, advertisements, and more to understand the culture-changing decade. Students will complete reflective in-class writing, whole-class and independent reading, discussions, and an independent research project.
US History
Tris: 2 | Open to: Sophomores | Prerequisites:
Starting in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, the class will study how the country rebuilds and continue through the ensuing decades, studying key figures, events, and eras of thought. The class will track the experiment of the United States and how through each era there has been a continual redefining of what “freedom” means and to whom it applies, what our Constitution guarantees, and how the country balances between different ideologies, beliefs, and geographies.
American Culture & Identity
Tris: 1 | Open to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
American Culture & Identity will use a range of texts to explore what it means to be “American.” The texts will include literature, television, film, pop-culture, art, poetry, architecture, advertisement, music, food, and fashion. The class will use the texts to examine American culture and answer several essential questions: What stories do we tell about ourselves? How do we determine our own identities? And how are our stories challenged and changed over time? How do we glean meaning from culture? This course is interdisciplinary and includes elements from history, political science, and literature. Students will participate in class discussions, conduct an independent research project on a topic related to the course, compare and analyze texts, and complete several writing assignments.
Creative Writing
Tris: 1 | Open to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
In this writing workshop, students have the chance to grow as readers and writers. Students explore the elements of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction in works that span a range of sub-genres. As writers, students create and share their own creative writing in a supportive environment. As readers, students respond to the work of their peers intelligently and constructively. Students learn strategies for publishing their work and organize and offer a reading of their work.
Film as Literature
Tris: 1 | Open to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
Students use the methods of literary interpretation to study and analyze the art of film. Students will read works of fiction and non-fiction, write both analytically and creatively, and participate in discussion.
Mythology
Tris: 1 | Open to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
A survey (and historiography of sorts) of Mythologies throughout time and around the world.
Self-Identity & Culture
Tris: 1 | Open to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
Humans are constantly working to understand themselves and figure out how they fit. This course explores the human search for meaning and belonging. In order to further understand, students study the history and cultural cachet of many tools western culture offers to aid in self-discovery. Students use a critical lens to investigate these tools (technology, culture, and belief systems) offered as sources of answers and meaning. The course is American Studies-esque as it works within multi-disciplines. It is built on in-depth reading, writing, original student research and presentations, and student and teacher-led discussions.
Women’s Studies
Tris: 1 | Open to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | Prerequisites:
A multi-disciplinary class that uses elements of literature, history, political science, media studies and others to build knowledge about cultural assumptions and gender. Students will examine common and historical ideas to further their understanding of gender and society. Students should expect to read primary documents, watch film, analyze media, complete reflective writing assignments, an independent research assignment, and to help lead in-class discussions. Most of the material focuses on women’s studies in the US and the west, but there will be times we will also draw on examples from other cultures and comparatively study the issues. Class is reserved for 11th and 12th grade students (9th and 10th by permission)