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Lesson Plan Library

Free Lesson Plans for Teachers

WHDE offers a set of free resources for teachers to help students better understand Korea. The lesson plans cover a variety of topics including geography, religion, economic development, culture, history, and the Korean War. Search our archive of lessons plans by topic, skill or grade level. You can find more teaching resources on the Korean War on the Korean War Legacy Foundation website. Visit teachingaboutnorthkorea.org to find lesson plans and activities for teaching about North Korea.

 
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Showing 51 - 57 of 57 lesson plans:

War in Korea: How Would You Respond?

black and white photo of soldiers with ladders

This lesson will help students understand the major events of the Korean War and how the War impacted the lives of regular people. By introducing students to the story of the ROK Student Soldiers, they will think about the War’s impact on people their same age and how they might have coped with such an extreme situation. This will help students to better understand what it is like to live through a war and may help them to better understand the Korean people.

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PDFWord

Author: Erica Curtis

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: One 90-minute class

Participation Year: Fellowship 2018

Skills: Analysis

Topics: Korean War, Legacy

What can objects tell us about Korean History?

tower

In this lesson, students engage in a close-looking exercise, collaborating in groups to analyze different objects from The National Museum of Korea. They utilize printed, laminated images to foster an immersive, distraction-free experience, guiding their observations through a series of structured questions from UC Berkeley’s ORIAS program. After discussing their insights, students research their assigned object using SmartHistory.org to deepen their understanding. They then compile their findings to complete a set of research questions, which serve as their exit ticket. Finally, students present their discoveries, highlighting key aspects of each artwork, and deepening their appreciation for the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of Korean art.

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PDFWord

Author: Kristen Waltz

Grades: Middle (6-8)

Time: Two 55-minute classes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: World History

What is required to fight a pandemic based on what we know as of April 30th 2020

two men with masks on city street

This lesson will give students the opportunity to explore what countries are doing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

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PDFWord

Author: Claire Delaroque

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 45 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2020

Skills: Analysis, Comparison

Topics: Current Events

What makes an invention successful? A case study on the Jikji

tablet with Korean writing

This lesson will have students assess the impact of jikji movable print on Korean society and beyond. Though the Gutenberg Press is credited as being the birth of movable type, the jikji predates the Gutenberg Bible by 70 years. In this focused inquiry lesson, students will focus in on what ideas were preserved within the jikji. This exploration can supplement analysis of the Gutenberg Press, providing students a case study in assessing the factors that hinder or promote different inventions’ influence. Likewise, assessing jikji and other inventions that influence mass communication allow students to grapple with how such mediums can preserve the past or be the mechanism that brings global change.

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PDFWord

Author: Carly Mutterties

Grades: Middle (6-8), Secondary (9-12)

Time: 1- 2 50-minute classes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2019

Skills: Analysis, Inquiry

Topics: Jikji

What was the Role of Other United Nation Member Nations during the Korean War?

black and white photo of UN committee

This lesson will focus on the role other United Nation member nations played during the Korean War to help South Korea maintain its’ independence. From there the lesson will examine the changing role of South Korean foreign policy and its close ties with the United States and whether or not South Korea should seek a unique diplomatic path in the future.

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PDFWord

Author: Henry Rehn

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: Four-Five 50-minute classes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2018

Skills: Analysis, Comparison

Topics: Korean War, United Nations

Who owns the world’s artifacts? Jikji in the Age of Imperialism

Who owns the world's artifacts? Jikji in the Age of Imperialism

The lesson begins with a brief reflection on recent newspaper headlines debating the ownership and location of historical artifacts that were taken from their home of origin to Western Europe during the Age of Imperialism. Students will then explore the significance of the Jikji book in world history. Next students will analyze the circumstances under which the Jikji book was relocated to France using scans of the Jikji cover, a timeline of events, and a secondary source on Franco–Korean relations in the mid to late 19th century. At the conclusion of the lesson students will use their analysis of the historical context to determine whether they think that the Jikji book should be repatriated back to Korea.

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PDFWord

Author: Kris Hart

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 50 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: AP World History, World History

Why is Joseon Korea known as the Hermit Kingdom?

Why is Joseon Korea known as the Hermit Kingdom?

This lesson explores how the Joseon Dynasty of Korea responded to external influences over its 500-year history. Students will examine key moments such as the tributary relationship with China, the Japanese invasions during the Imjin War, and the pressures of Western imperialism in the 19th century. Through primary and secondary source analysis and group discussions, students will understand how Korea balanced foreign relations with its Confucian values and isolationist policies, shaping its identity as the “Hermit Kingdom.” The lesson concludes by considering the lasting impact of these external interactions on Korean society.

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PDFWord

Author: Wesley Hedgepeth

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 75-90 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: Geography, World History

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