Lesson Plan - What’s Up, World? South Korea

Watch a Slideshow

Watch the slideshow “Let’s Explore South Korea” to learn more about this country

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• calculated
• martial art

Set a Purpose for Reading

As students read, have them think about how South Korea is similar to and different from the United States.

1. Why did South Korea pass a law changing its traditional way of calculating people’s age? 
South Korea passed a law changing its traditional way of calculating people’s age because some people thought the system was too confusing. In the traditional system, people were considered a year old the day they were born. Then they turned another year older on New Year’s Day. Now people will get a year older only on their actual birthdays.
^{(RI.3.3 Cause/Effect)}

2. What are three facts about South Korea that you can learn from the map? 
Sample response: The map shows that South Korea borders North Korea, that its capital city is Seoul, and that it borders the Sea Of Japan, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea. 
^{(RI.3.5 Text Features)}

3. Based on the article, photos, and captions, what might people do on a visit to South Korea? 
Visitors to South Korea might go to Seoul Tower, eat bingsu, celebrate Seollal, or practice or watch tae kwon do.
^{(RI.3.5 Text Features)}

Featured Skill: Comparison

Share the skill builder “Comparing Communities” to have students compare and contrast a South Korean sport or activity with one in their own community. For South Korea, tae kwon do is described in the article.

^{(RI.3.8 Comparison)}