In South Korea, curriculum is revised, made public and implemented under a system known as a nation led curriculum. The South Korean national curriculum was completely revised 10 times between 1946 and 2015. At present, a complete revision is underway to replace the current 2015 national curriculum which is called the 2022 revised national…

Despite the increasing literature on textbook analysis in post-conflict societies, few studies have investigated textbooks in conflict-ridden areas where wars and armed conflicts are still ongoing. This study examines representations of North Korea and unification in South Korean middle school social studies textbooks. South Korea is an…

Teaching controversial issues can be challenging for any teacher, but especially so when the teacher is a cultural outsider. In this article, we provide a snapshot of one social studies educator's experiences teaching about two hotly contested elections--the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the 2017 Korean special election--to middle school…

Drawing on my work in the U.S., I briefly discuss four related hallmarks of teaching for social justice in diverse classrooms, supported by research on their impact on students. They include explicitly recognizing and working with students' culture as a basis for learning, teaching key concepts in the curriculum through content and examples drawn…

The topic of immigration is frequently taught in middle school classrooms as part of the history of America, for this country is indeed a "land of immigrants." Special emphasis is usually given to immigration that occurred a century or more ago, but contemporary immigration may prove to be a more compelling way to view this concept.…

How the Korean peninsula came to be divided in 1945 is discussed, and the stalemated situation that has existed since that time is described. This brief history is followed by lesson plans for grades 6-12. The lesson plans include goals and objectives, activities, and assessment techniques for teaching the following concepts: (1) territorial…

Provides background information on the events that led up to President Harry S. Truman firing General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War. Includes a copy of the document dismissing MacArthur from his position. Includes teaching activities corresponding to this event in history. (CMK)

Asserts that South Korea can be an excellent subject for an effective unit on history, economic development, critical thinking skills, and cross-cultural understanding. Provides background information and a list of teacher resources for planning a unit on South Korea. (CFR)