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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 71 - 80 of 84 lesson plans:

To What Extent Was the Korean Economic Miracle a Miracle?

What is the future for the South Korean economy?

Students will analyze changes to the Korean economy that have occurred since the end of the Korean War. This lesson follows an Inquiry Design Model with three supporting questions that take students through exploring multiple types of stimulus to answer: To What Extent is the Korean Economic Miracle a Miracle? The summative argument includes a rubric and examples of how students can demonstrate their learning. Examples are also provided for students to extend their learning and to take action.

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PDFWord

Author: Jeremiah Rush

Grades: Middle (6-8)

Time: 3-4 (45 minute periods)

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: Geography

Types of Diffusion

Types of Diffusion

The purpose of the lesson is to help students understand how cultures spread throughout the world through relocation and expansion diffusion. Students will be working at their own pace via an interactive slideshow or peardeck to read and learn about the different types of diffusion. After learning there is practice students can work on to help them identify and explain different types of diffusion using examples from South Korea.

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PDFWord

Author: Padi Kong

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 50 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Comparison

Topics: AP Human Geography

Understanding the DMZ and the Korean War

photo of woman

In this two-day lesson, 11th-grade students explore the essential question: How does the legacy of the Korean War shape the relationship between North and South Korea today?
Students will engage with multimedia resources and work in small groups to research key aspects of the war and the DMZ and share their findings in presentations. On the second day, they create visual or multimedia projects that illustrate contemporary North-South relations, followed by a gallery walk to showcase their work.
The lesson promotes critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration while aligning with standards for historical analysis and inquiry skills.

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PDFWord

Author: Ashley Yang

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 3 class periods, 75 minutes each

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

Topics: World History

Unveiling History: The No Gun Ri Massacre

Unveiling History: The No Gun Ri Massacre

In this lesson, we will explore the tragic event known as the No Gun Ri Bridge Massacre, which took place during the Korean War. The No Gun Ri Bridge Massacre refers to the killing of South Korean refugees by the U.S. military in July 1950. At that time, stories about the U.S. military killing civilians during the war were uncommon due to various reasons. However, declassified documents from the U.S. Air Force revealed the truth about the No Gun Ri massacre, shedding light on the tragic incident. The survivors of the massacre faced challenges in being heard and acknowledged by the media. Additionally, we learned about the role played by North Korean soldiers in rescuing the South Korean refugees during this horrific event. Overall, this lesson highlights the importance of understanding historical events and their impact on the lives of individuals affected by war.

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PDFWord

Author: Michelle Henry

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 90 minutes

Participation Year: Fellowship 2024

Skills: Analysis

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

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

What Would We Do Without Printing?

stone tablet

In this lesson, students will analyze primary and secondary sources which depict three different printing technologies. Background knowledge for this lesson includes the purpose and significance of cuneiform and the Gutenberg Bible. Students will analyze images of primary sources and artifacts in order to compare the origins and purpose of printing technology.

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PDFWord

Author: Lisa Kissinger

Grades: Secondary (9-12)

Time: 1 50-minute lesson

Participation Year: Fellowship 2019

Skills: Comparison, Contextualization

Topics: Jikji

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