Session 5 readings, 9/30 morning

[Alejandra Jimenez]

The most useful resource from the reading would be Korea 21st Century article for my grade level is 4th grade. I will use this information to compare and contrast United States and South Korea. Another activity would be on geography compare contrast geography. Another activuty would by to use part of session 4 dairy entries as part of examples of primary sources, pictures. Kaptain Lee reading, I will use the theme of perserverance and change due to Dr. Lee's percerverance to be able to surveve throughout major political changes during his lifetime in Korea.

I think my students will be able to buid connections due to some of my students are from Korean background. My school is also located in Korea town so students are expose to Korean culture such as writing, food, pop-culture, music, and Korean community services.

[Cindy Nguyen]

Professor Kurashige lecture and readings could be used in multiple ways.  He provided exclusion acts targeting Chinese, Japanese, and Asians from becoming American citizens.  I would have students read excerpts from the exclusion acts from 1900s and the immigration laws today and have them complete a graphic organizer on the similarities and differences of the acts.  After the students have done this, I would then provide information/data on which political party has the majority vote in Congress.  Hopefully, students will be able to connect the relationship between  those in power and the laws are being passed.  In, Two Face of Inclusion  Professor Kurashige shows the relationship of the Chinese Exclusion 1882, 1892, 1902, and 1904 and those in office.

[Kimberly Jones]

The reading material 10 things about Korea is a great resource to present to my students to analyze Korea's culture and place in world society. The presentation today gave a plethora of information regarding Korea. A compare and contrast of North and South Korea would give my students a basic foundation of the internal conflict in Korea. The discussion of K-Pop and its influence on international culture would be highly motivating for my students. I am planning on visiting the Korean Museum with my students as a school field trip. 

 

The reading titled "Kapitan Lee" is a great short story that I can read aloud to my students over time to analyze life in Korea and relations with Japan. The award winning story is rich with vocabulary and literay details to draw students in to evaluate the important decisions that citizens must make to choose the direction they want their lives to go in. Students will start to see the similarities and differences that citizens in the USA and Korea face.

 

 

[Alejandra Jimenez]

The book Two Faces of Exclusion: The Untold History of Anti-Asian Racism in the United States by Lon Kurashige will be very useful in my four grade class bacuse fourth grade social studies is based on California History. A lot East Asian played an important role in the agriculture, economic development of california. I would probably supplement students' social studies with additional information from this chapter 3. Gentlemen’s agreement 1908. Ca Alien Land Law 1913. San Francisco segregation in public schools conflicts with world laws. No family reunification want to exclude don’t buy homes cannot own land in California. Students will be able to learn more in depth information about the history and changes that our state is experiencing at this time in politics.

Students will be able to have more meaningful discussion about immigration in California.I think it would be interesting for students to compare and contrast about the continuing changes in immigration in the United States and take a claim about how has California has changed due to immigration.

[Amir Osterweil]

This is an excerpt from Mc Arthur's book which deals with his disagreement with Truman over invading China.  Its a great primary source that I use with my students use with my students. The most telling portion is that the American Bombers could attack the bridges only along the Yalu river as long as they did not violate Chinese terrotory. Knowin this the Chinese would fire at the planes from the Chinese side the border.

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[Amir Osterweil]

I had know idea that prior to the war, the tables were reveresed and that the US feared the South might attack the North. Having visited the DMZ I was definitely presented with the perspective that the North Koreans started the war.

[Chris Hertzog]

Professor Jung-Kim gave another great look and overview of Korea (North & South) following the war, and I appreciated her very honest about take on the situation with the North... even an a Prof. of Korean history, she admits, we just do not know that much, and it can be dangerous to make assumptions or get wrapped up in conspiracies.  I think as educators in elementary, junior high or high school we need to be as cautious.  Even with the experts, there is still some guessing going on.

She did show and talk about many of the things we do know about the North, their trade deals with China, their on going food and resource issues and their desire to be recognized as a legitimate nation state, wth a leader who was educated in Europe.  I appreciated Dr. Jung-Kim's approach in saying that they are people, they are Koreans, with families still on both sides of the border and still connected.  I think the stories and the readings as well as her presentation helps us see them as humans, not just some "axis of evil" and that is what we need to communicate to our students. 

[Chris Hertzog]

http://www.astateofmind.co.uk

Here is a great resource for looking at the divide between North and South Korea, but also a great tool for students to see the North Koreans as humans, or in this case, young students just trying to make it through teen age years and do the right things in school, at home and for their country.

This documentary is from 2004, but it gives a close up view of life in North Korea following two school girls preparing for the 'Mass Games'.  Prof. Jung-Kim talked a bit about these games in her presentation and about the holidays celebrated in the North.  This program was done by a British film crew that follows these girls throughout the year leading up to the Mass Games.

If you have not seen anything on the Mass Games, it is incredible.  But for my students, this blows them away.  It is really visually incredible.  But the film also gets into the issue of indoctrination as well as stereotypes and what is propaganda and what is reality.  But the cool thing the filmakers do is through it back on us, in the U.S. or Europe or where ever.  What in your culture and society is propaganda, or do we notice it ourselves?  It is really easy to see North Korea as a bad, brain washed society, but are we as well?  At the end of this film, you see two girls that are just like us, or at least my students have always seen two teenagers that are not much different than they are.  They have the same dreams, fears, struggles etc. 

They even have a hard time waking up and getting to school on time.  This film could be definitely shown in Jr High or High School, but even sections could be shown in Elementary.  There is nothing graphic, but it is subtitled for the Korean girls conversations.

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[Jacqueline Mercado]

 Whenever I ask students about current events related to North and South Korea, I am often dismayed to find that most of my students are not informed about the current political situation in this part of the world, much less about Korean history and culture.  I find that there is a knowledge gap to be filled.   As I did the readings for this session, I found Flowers of Fire of particular interest, perhaps because I am a teacher of English.  I would use these short stories  as an introduction reading, a means to introduce my students to life in Korea during Japanese occupation and to any discussion about the study of Japan as a colonial power in that region.  The short story of "Kapitan Lee" is an example of historical fiction that lends itself to this task because it is a narrative, a story that reads easily and is engaging. Within our study of this short story, we would discuss characters, plot, conflicts and the vivid description of the violence Korean prisoners endured at one level and use it as a means to study larger political and cultural issues, such as Japanese occupation of South Korea and South Korea's relationship to Japan, the Soviet Union, and the cruel treatment of Korean prisoners by these occupation regimes.  This would be a worthy endeavor, especially because my students lack this knowlege and because these short narratives are an engaging teaching tool.

[Erin Tanguay]

The entire time that I was reading this story it reminded me of the American Revolution (I teach 8th grade history) and how families and friends were torn apart and had to pick a side to fight on. Some were Patriots, some Loyalists, and some just caught in the middle of a fight that as a farmer, merchant, or even child they held no side that they desired to be on. This was very similar to Tokchae who was a simple farmer forced to take a side. My students read a book called, My brother Sam is Dead. In this book friendships and families are divided due to war and the acts of kindness that can happen (of course there were those who turned on their friends too) are the ones that the students relate to the most. I think this would be a great short story to share in my class right around the time that they have to read the other book and discuss how these same struggles have played out in the time of a divided Korea. I particulary like the ending. It leaves the student to interpret the final moments. Is Songsam letting his friend Tokchae free to escape or allowing him to be shot while he turns away. This same type of conflict of spirit plays out in many time periods and countries throughout history.

[Erin Tanguay]

I also enjoyed the lecturer by Professor Jung-Kim about the history of the division of North and South Korea and the fear of South Korea attacking the North. I'm not sure if any of the teachers in our program use CNN Ten in the classroom, but I love it and have been showing it since it was called CNN Student News. I show it now during BIC (breakfast in the classroom) but I used to show it during homeroom. There is a great episode (April 18, 2017) that shows the VP Mike Pence's visit to the DMZ. They have a CNN reporter go into the neutral communication room with the two phones facing each other.  The clip also shows what Professor Jung-Kim was describing as the slab that marks the division line. I know you said that you have been there, but for us who haven't had the priviledge I found it very insightful in regards to how truly intense and fragile the relationship between North and South Korea is.

[Gerlinde Goschi]

Thank you for the recommendation.  I will watch the film before I show it to my students.  It looks very interesting and thought provoking.  Students can definitely relate to films featuring someone their own age.  These games are huge events in communist countries.

[Eric Hoh]

Shultz's feature on ten things to know about Korea is written in a style that is highly accessible to students of this generation. I appreciate how this list-like format is something familiar to many high school students, yet this article contains academic language that can be challenging and deepening for more motivated and interested students. This is an excellent point of discussion containing popular misconceptions about Korea ("Koreans want to be reunified," "Korea is not a copy of China," etc.). 

 

This reading would provide a perspective-shift for students who are highly unfamiliar with the unique differences and distinctions in East Asian identity and history. I imagine that this could be an important tool in debunking and shedding common stereotypes that can sometimes serve as microaggressions in society. 

[Gerlinde Goschi]

I learned many facts about the Korean War in this article.  I did not realize that millions lost their lives during this "police action" and the magnitute of this war.  It surprised me to find out how strong the North Korean People's Army was and that it occupied "virtually all" of South Korea for about 50 days.  Although General MacArthur forced the North Koreans to push back, North Korean troops with the help of the Chinese troops occupied Seoul for a second time during the war.  It was shocking to read that during this time U.S. policymakers considered many options, among them a nuclear response, and that World War III was avoided.  I enjoyed Professor Jung-Kim's presentation about post war South Korea and the choas it was thrown into.  The professor's description of the political climate in South Korea was similar to a dictatorship. Syngman Rhee and later leaders hid their authoritarian power and dictatorship behind the facade of constitutional governance.  

In class, I would describe the two Koreas briefly to my class in a geography lesson.  I would show North and South Korea on the globe and draw a map on the board.  Then I would tell a story about a seven year old boy who lives in South Korea, but is not able to visit North Korea and vice versa.  I would give 5 facts about each country and talk briefly about the DMZ.

[Cristina Hernandez]

Please do not be embarrased of this lifestyle.  I have many friends around the world who also have been caught in the Korean Wave.  Friends in Latin America and Europe who are not Asian, just fell in love with the Korean dramas, the noodles and the soju.  It is interesting to note that something as sacred as soccer in Mexico is bumped to second place in the watching list in favor of a Korean drama.  I was pleasantly surprise to see that the Korean wave has also been a way to increase knowledge of diversity around the world.

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