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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 1 - 10 of 25 lesson plans:

Connect Students to Korean War Veterans Through Letter Writing

display with books and monitors

In “Encouraging a Sense of Gratitude in Students”, Marissa King suggested students write letters. She says, “Letter writing is an academic skill—requiring students to focus on a specific purpose and an authentic audience—but it’s also a perfect opportunity to get students thinking about who and what they should be thankful for.” King’s recommendation aligns with this lesson: writing a letter to a Korean War veteran. If possible, I recommend you connect with the National Honor Flight Network, to make sure veterans receive the students’ letters. In Wisconsin, I’ve worked with the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight. You might also contact the Korean War Veterans Association.

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PDFWord

Author: Elizabeth Jorgensen

Grades: Middle (6-8)

Time: 1-2 Class Periods

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: English/Language Arts, US History, World History

DMZ: Symbol of Peace or Division?

Excerpt from armistice

In this lesson, students will explore the impact of the DMZ on North and South Korea and analyze its complex perceptions within South Korea. By engaging with a variety of primary and secondary sources, students will gain insights into the historical and contemporary significance of the DMZ. They will develop their own opinions on the inquiry question, “Does the existence of the DMZ serve as a symbol of division or a potential for future reunification?” Students will be tasked with using evidence from the sources to support and defend their responses, fostering critical thinking and deeper understanding of this pivotal topic.

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PDFWord

Author: Sarah Troxell

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 90 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis, Comparison

Topics: World History

Get to Know a Korean War Veteran

Medal of Honor

This lesson will help students and multilingual students know the significance of U.S. forces and other soldiers from the 22 nations that participated in the Korean War and the impact of their service, along with some of them receiving the Medal of Honor from their actions. The students will be tasked with helping a local author with researching for their book on veterans and the awards they received from participating in the war. The students will learn about the spotlighted soldiers. These soldiers will tell their story through videos and articles written about them. Students will be using citations and videos from The Korean War Legacy Foundation, the Medal of Honor Foundation, and The 22: Korean War International Legacy websites. Students will flow through the WebQuest and will be asked to click on a hyperdoc. This hyperdoc will ask the students to go deeper into the stories of Tibor Rubin and Hiroshi Mayamura. After reading the citations and watching the videos, students will be asked to fill in graphic organizers on good character traits that the soldiers displayed. This will lead into the student’s learning about the assignment that will be a formative assessment project. Students will be tasked in researching and creating a presentation that will be shown to the local author writing a book on soldier life in the Korean War.

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PDFWord

Author: Heather Brindle

Grades: Middle (6-8)

Time: 3 class periods, 75 minutes each

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: ESOL World History, World History

How do Viewpoints of North and South Korean Reunification Differ Today?

Korea and the Cold War

This lesson is accessible to students with little to no English. It includes many images and modified readings. In this lesson, the students will learn about why the Korean War is still very topical and how it affects millions of people today. This lesson assesses differing viewpoints on the idea of reunifying the two Koreas. It also assesses current discussions on reunification.

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PDFWord

Author: Ann Krois

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 90 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: US History, World History

Japanese Occupation of Korean Peninsula

Graphic of national/state standards

In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to evaluate primary and secondary sources related to the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula. Students will read a document giving background and context to the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula. This will allow students to draw connections between this sphere of influence and others throughout the world that Europeans had created. Students can compare and contrast Japanese occupation to that of European in Africa, for example. The activity breaks the occupation into 6 categories of Korean society and how each was influenced or impacted by the Japanese during occupation. Students will have the opportunity to evaluate patterns that might have emerged within these 6 categories, and can determine if certain areas of Korean society were impacted more than others. Students will get first hand accounts of the occupation and what life was like for Koreans during the time period.

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PDFWord

Author: Nolan Stearns

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 1-2 Class Periods

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Comparison

Topics: AP World History, World History

Korea’s Changing Demographics

Graphic of Korea's population growth and decline

Students will look at the historical trend in population in South Korea since the Korean War and will explain the reasons the population has been declining recently as well as the steps the government is taking to increase the fertility rate. Furthermore, students will predict what the population trend will be in future decades in South Korea, with or without government assistance.

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PDFWord

Author: Lisa Smith

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 90 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis, Comparison

Topics: AP Human Geography

Korea’s Role in American Imperialism

map

In this lesson, students will compare and contrast the Joseon–United States Treaty of 1882 and the Treaty of Portsmouth (1905) by creating a poster that summarizes their findings. This lesson will engage students with both the historical context and the modern implications of these treaties, helping them understand their significance in the shaping of U.S.-Korea relations.

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PDFWord

Author: Meaghan Rymer

Grades: Middle (6-8)

Time: 60 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Comparison

Topics: US History

Korean Migrations: Push & Pull Factors

boy with flag at parade

Through analyzing aspects of the Hallyu in American society today, a conversation will be prompted regarding the Korean diaspora in the USA. There will be correlation to broader AP World History themes of migration, push and pull factors, and related contexts of the 19th and 20th centuries (Japanese imperialism, World War 1 and World War 2, Korean War, etc).

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PDFWord

Author: Miten Shah

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 1 Block Period (80 minutes each)

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: AP World History, World History

No Gun Ri

The Bridge at No Gun Ri

Students will delve deeper into the analysis of America’s role and culpability in the No Gun Ri Massacre, examining the long-term impact and responses from both American and Korean perspectives.

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PDFWord

Author: Frank Bua

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 2 Class Periods (45 minutes each)

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: AP Government, AP US History, US History

No Gun Ri: The Importance of Remembering Even Horrific Massacres During War

Table of years, events

Students will critically analyze Suhi Choi’s article to understand how historical narratives are shaped and the consequences of silencing survivors’ stories. They will discuss the significance of historical memory and how it influences public perception.

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PDFWord

Author: Melissa O'Malia

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: one 45 minute period

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: AP US History, AP World History, US History, World History

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