Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 148

English Language Arts Standards Grades 4-6 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, draw- ing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. English Language Arts Standards – History/Social Studies Grades 6-8 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.6 Describe how a source presents information. For example, how does the author include historical information within a short story or novel? Be able to provide several examples. Pre-Reading Activities: The teacher should read the author’s notes on pages 88-89 to the class. Show the location of Korea on the map and its close proximity to China and Japan. The teacher should mention that the book is fictional, but that it is historically accurate as to the way of life for the Korean people during the Joseon dynasty. It is also correct in reference to the Dutch sailors who were the first Europeans to come to Korea. One of the Dutchmen was Hendrik Hamel who later wrote a book about Korea and subsequently introduced Korea to the world. If a student is reading the book independently of the class, she should read the author’s notes before reading the book. Access www.korea.net and click on About Korea, especially Culture and the Arts for images of Korea. Korea Life will provide images of traditional Korean homes. Background on Confucianism is essential for understanding the story. A source of information can be found through Google: Korea and Confucianism, Social Studies School Service. Some of the following information is from this source: Nothing has shaped Korean society as much as Confucianism. This philosophy was accepted so completely in Korea that Korea became the most Confucian of all nations in Asia. Confucius believed that education was essential to produce good leaders and to create a harmonious society. He also believed that social harmony is established when people play their social roles properly. People’s roles in society were codified in five great relationships that are explained below. Introducing the five Confucian relationships will help students to understand Korean cultural values and the interaction of family members in Seesaw Girl. It will also help students to not only understand Korean students, but also many students with an Asian heritage. In Confucianism, human beings are not individuals but members of a group; however, all relationships are not equal. The level of a relationship may be determined by personal factors, such as age or status. Confucianism recognizes this inequality and actually lists relationships according to a hierarchy, beginning with the most important. 86 148 143