Jennifer’s lecture about Korea from 1800-1945 was insightful on many levels, taking us through the societal, cultural, religious structures that shaped the country.  Most interesting, I think, for the purpose of my classroom instruction was the class system structure in Korea in the 19^th century.  We are learning about equal rights and self-advocacy- what it looks like, how it sounds, and who it involves in my students daily life.  We treat each other as equals – with equally poignant voices within the school instructional day.    It would be very powerful to highlight social class structure – the Koran model 1800-1945 for my students to be able to compare and contrast to our current 2018 contemporary society. 

Jennifer's lecture on Korean history in the 19th century told a fascinating story of changing boarders on a Korean peninsula flanked by imperialist forces, China and Japan. As Korea's kingdom changed its image to one of an empire, it also changed cultural norms. For example, women were memorialized in literature as protagonists that represent the ideals of the empire's confuscious morals and calls out corruption in the aristocracy.  Attire began to westernize as Catholics founded educational institutions, and kings fashioned 3-piece suits in official photographs. By the late 20th century, Korea would be divided between political empires, China and the U.S. In these different camps of ideologies, Seoul would soon sprout concrete skyscrappers seen from space while Pyongyang lights like a lighthouse in a void. As different as these cultures would become, they share a history of a common empire: Japan. While the peninsula may be split, their shared celebration of an assassinated Japanese prime minister represents a shared hostility to empirialism.

In my math an science classes, I may use some demographic information to set up comparison ratios and rates of videogame addiction, age of marriages, or population growth. The maps of the light grid from NASA of the peninsula allows for students to discover how energy consumption correlates with population denisty and economic output. These can also be used to spur mathematical investigations. 

Jennifer's Korea in 19th century is pretty impressive. She actually pulled out lots of maps to illustrate her lectures which made sense for us to see " The Sea of Japan Vs The East Sea" teritorial dipute among the Asians, which is very sensitive to all goverments in east Asia. She also told many fictional stores which we can introduce to our narrative unit to teach student authentic Korean culture and traditions. Interestingly to know from her lecture that women acturaly have equal rights with men and mariied men live in their wives's houses, which is opposite of Chinese tratidions. In China, if a married man lives in his wife's house is considered a shame becasue this man must be weak and useless without a " face", never do it. As an interpretor, my fisrt group of foreigners are Korean engineers. It seemed they are pretty patriotic and think everything in Korea is the best with their hand signs " Thumb Up". They came to my city to install commercial equipments, everyone of them had at least 5 huge sized suitcases with instense noodles, cigarettes, and other small items made in Korea becasue they didn't want to use Chinese produducts.They were very friendly and bowed all the time especailly to females.  

When Dr. Jung-Kim asked how we would use what we learned in her seminar in our own class, my wheels were spinning with all of the new information I learned, but I couldn't come up with anything concrete at the time. I loved her discussion of women in Korea--could I introduce my students to some strong women in 19th or 20th century Korea?  Maybe I could discuss identity with the children, asking them what their names, their hair, their clothes mean to them, and how they would feel if this was taken away.  But upon further reflection, I realized that my biggest takeaway from the lecture was the relationship between Korea and Japan in the late 19th and early 20th century.  This relationship was not something that was highlighted in the history books and lectures when I was in school, so learning about all the events that led up to the annexation of Korea and Korea under Japanese rule was fascinating.  

My first unit in kindergarten is about relationships: we focus on positive and negative relationships--what makes a relationship positive, what makes a relationship negative--that we see in the garden, on the school yard, and in books we read.  Countries have relationships too--and Japan and Korea in the 20th century have a relationship that my students would definitely characterize as negative (secret treaties, the March First movement, censoring the press, forced name changes--these are all things I think my students would like to learn about, and I would like to teach about!).  I think broadening their understanding of relationships to include bigger, more abstract ideas like countries or peoples would be a great way to expand my relationships unit.  I still need more help figuring this out--how would you guys frame the events that transpired between Japan and Korea from the 1890s to the 1950s in a way that remains faithful to the facts, is developmentally appropriate, and doesn't over-simplify (as history is most of the time for the young ones)?  

My goal for my class is for my students to leave with an understanding and appreciation that people fight for what they believe in--that not everything in the world is rainbows and unicorns and cupcakes, but that people before them have made a difference, and they can too.  

I think that is so cool that you are able to find ways to integrate this into math and science! In 5th grade graphing information is part of our math standards and I think I would like to do the same. My students are obsessed with video games and this might even be age appropriate and relevant to them.

Reflecting on Choson from 1392 - 1910 was an interesting time in Korean history because present day Seoul and the monopoly of power within elite yangban families was ushered in during this a pproximately five hundred year period.  More interesting to me was during this second kingdom of Korean history was the changes women experienced because of Manchu Qing.  However, perhaps the most interesting of the time period was the stratification of classes.  Royals were at the top of the hierarchal platform, with scholar officials next.  After the scholar officials, Chugin, as Dr. Kim lectured were the "middle people", the real workers in the government along with concubines whom negotiated position .  Concubines have had their place in history and continue to do so, even though it is not necessarily highlighted in contemporary history.  The commoners were intriguing because peasants and artisans were highly regarded due to the fact that Confuscian honored the hardest working Koreans of the day.  Along with the peasants, artisans were highly focused because the hard labor they exhibited.  Finally, merchants were less revered as they merely sold what the peasants grew and the artisans manufactured or made.  Contrast that to today and in the US, this way of thinking, generally speaking does not hold true.  Merchants tend to be regarded as more sophisticated than many farmers, and true artisans either work for custom made projects or may have challenges finding enough customers to sell their wares.  The lowborns had to remain in their position and were stuck there for life while the slaves were the common criminals.  As nineteenth century commenced, the complex government lent itself to problems.  When problems occur, people can be more open-minded about changes especially in light of local corruption.

Dr. Kim's presentation was overwhelming but equally interesting. The three kingdoms common feature are so common in most Asian countires like the Philippines such as the Patriarchy, the vast role of aristocracy, social stratification, sophisticated bureacracy and gender issues. I was also amazed by the same spread of western ideas throught the spread of religion. But what struck me the most is the the issue of "Comfort Women" which we shared a lot woth the Koreans during the World War II perpetuated by the Japanese Imperial army. I had the chance of joining the movilization in the Japanese embassy in the Philippines  on this issue alongside with the surviving victims. The  lack of sincere acknowledgement from the the Japanese government and political will from the Philippine governement to pursue the restitution of the victims was really pathetic.