1. Rationale: This lesson is designed with my school’s demographics in mind. Though we do not have a high population of East Asian students, we have a consistent flow of enrollment due to the fact we are near a University that invites professors from East Asia (mainly Chinese and Korean) to teach for a semester. This usually falls under their summer, so they tend to bring their children to expose them to American culture, especially the language. I find it highly respectful to help them feel safe and included and have a sense of pride in sharing with others about their culture, as we share ours.
2. Objectives: 4th grade students will learn about Korean culture through the arts. As students learn about Korean culture, they will compare familiar aspects to their own. SEL Guidelines 2- Commit to Equity and ELA standards will be addressed.
3. Plan: (TNT schedule includes one of the following activites per day)
a. Music- Music- Historical and Cultural Context Standards 3.4-3.5
i. Blackpink- Korean Pop
1. Students will watch portions of Blackpink documentary
2. Students will discuss inspirational words from the film
b. Language-Students will translate greetings into Korean, as well as, lyrics for Blackpink’s: Ddu-Du Ddu-Du
c. Art- Visual Arts- Aesthetic Valuing Standards 4.2-4.5
i. Minhwa- students will be introduced to Minhwa’s history and purpose. They will research and choose an animal that commonly illustrates their reveals their innermost thoughts and dreams. They will then trace or draw this animal onto watercolor paper. Students will use craft paint for the animal and watercolor and ink for any background designs
ii. Upcycling- Waste management was a major problem for Korea 20 years ago, now they have the second highest rate of recycling in the OECD. Upcycling is the process of transforming recycled goods, unwanted products or waste into new materials with increased value in a way to add creative designs or to boost efficiency. Students will be introduced to several East Asian upcycling artists and the Korean, Seoul Upcycling Plaza. They will create an upcycled piece using used material that recreates value and purpose with a material they have at home. Final products can include art pieces, but should aim for a new use.
d. Food- Gamjajeon is a type of Korean pancake prepared with grated or puréed potatoes. Many cultures have their own variation. To hone in on commonalities, students will compare/discuss this to a similar side dish they have in their family’s culture. Sampling the dish or others will be a helpful addition to this part of the lesson.
4. Assessment: Students will provide a written or oral reflection on the similarities/connections they have with Korean culture, and what new information they appreciated about the culture.
5. Optional- Dance- Music- Creative Expression Standard 2.1, Historical and Cultural Context 3.1
a. learn or create an 8-count dance inspired by K-pop dancers using a virtual tutorial on kccla.org.