• Korea, 1600-1800 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"The Manchu invasions of the Korean peninsula and the subsequent establishment of the Qing dynasty in China during the first half of the seventeenth century shape the Chosôn elite's view of its own culture. Scholars and officials increasingly take an interest in Korea's history, geography, agriculture, literature, and art." With a period overview, list of key events, and eight related artworks.

• Korea, 1800-1900 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"The nineteenth century is a period of significant political, social, and cultural change as Korea lurches into the modern era and world order. Much political jostling occurs among the royal in-law families, creating drama but little stability or visionary leadership." With a period overview, list of key events, and ten related artworks.

• Korea, 1900 A.D.-present [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"The first half of the twentieth century in Korean history is marked by two grave and painful experiences: the Japanese occupation between 1910 and 1945 and the Korean War of 1950–53. These events dominate the collective national psyche for generations." With a period overview and list of key events.

Lesson Plan • Unequal Treaties: The Treaty of Chemulpo (1883) [PDF] [Korea Society]
For grades 9-12. Learning objectives: 1) Understand the political situation in both Korea and the U.S. that prompted the need for a treaty; 2) Identify the conflicting national interests of Korea, China, Japan and Russia; 3) Analyze the events leading up to and following the first treaty between Korea and the U.S.; 4) Define the term "unequal treaty."

Lesson Plan • A Choice for the Chosôn Kingdom [PDF] [Korea Society]
For grade 10. "The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand the difficult position that Korea was in during the nineteenth century and at the beginning of the twentieth century. China, Korea's traditional protector, had been beaten by European powers, the United States and even the Japanese. During the Sino-Japanese war, Japan proved it was no longer a
passive recipient of Chinese culture, but a potential heir to China's traditional domination of the East Asia."

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Primary Sources w/DBQs • "The Old People and the New Government," by Komatsu Midori [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
In order to understand Japanese colonial rule in Korea, and the reactions of Koreans, it is useful to see the ways in which Japanese officials sought to justify the takeover to Koreans, to themselves, and to the rest of the world. The article excerpted here is a transcript of a talk given by an official of the Japanese foreign ministry, Komatsu Midori, to resident foreign members (mostly British and American) of Seoul’s Royal Asiatic Society shortly after annexation. Both history and civilization are called into service.

Primary Sources w/DBQs • Declaration of Independence (March 1, 1919) [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Lesson Plan •The March First Movement [PDF] [Korea Society]
For grades 7-12. Learning objectives: 1) Understand how Japan's annexation and colonization of Korea influenced the growth of
Korean nationalism; 2) Identify the importance of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points declaration and its effect on Korea; 3) Analyze the connection between the Korean Declaration of Independence of March 1, 1919 and Wilson's "doctrine of self-determination" policy; 4) Analyze photographs of the March First Movement; 5) Demonstrate an understanding of the March First Movement by writing a letter to President Wilson.

Lesson Plan • March First Independence Movement [PDF] [Korea Society]
For grades 10-12. "The purpose of this lesson is to examine the March 1, 1919 independence movement in Korea. Students will look at this event from a variety of perspectives and create a political poster that captures the emotions of the Koreans, who took a stand against their oppressors in hopes of gaining their independence. Students will also examine the aftermath of the March 1 Movement, within Korea and abroad."

Lesson Plan • Famous Koreans: Six Portraits: Yu Kwan-Sun (1904-1920) [Education About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]
Lesson plan designed "to provide an opportunity for students to learn about famous Koreans through readings and/or dramatizations." Brief overviews of the lives of six notable figures in Korea's history, including Yu Kwan-Sun (1904-1920), a student organizer in the March First Independence Movement. Each overview is imagined as a first-person narrative written by the historical figure.

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Chông Yagyong, 1762-1836
Primary Source w/DBQs • Excerpts from the Yôyudan chônsô: Chông Yagyong on the Roots of Royal Authority [Asia for Educators]

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Yi Hangno, 1792-1868
Primary Source w/DBQs • Excerpts from the Hwasô sônsaeng mujip: Yi Hangno on "Sinifying the Western Barbarians" [Asia for Educators]

Ch'oe Cheu, 1824-1864, and the Tonghak Uprising (1894-1895)
Primary Source w/DBQs • The Tonghak Religion and Uprising: Ch'oe Cheu on Learning Truth and Twelve Reforms Proclaimed by the Tonghak Overseer's Office [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

The Independent (Tongnip sinmun), 1896-1899
Primary Source w/DBQs • Editorial on "Nation and Civilization": A Periodical for the Korean People [Asia for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Editorial on "Nation and Civilization": Seoul's Water Supply [Asia for Educators]

• Korea 1800-1860: Intellectual and Social Reactions to Western Contacts [PDF] [Korea Society]
"Western Europeans first came to the shores of the Korean peninsula and made significant contact with its people in [the Chosôn] period. The first such encounter happened in 1787, with the arrival of the French ships Boussole and Astrolabe, followed by "visits" by other English and French ships in 1799, 1811, 1832, 1845, 1846 and 1854. These initial Western contacts coincided with radical transformations within Korean society in political, socio-economic and intellectual areas."

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Ch'oe Cheu, 1824-1864, and the Tonghak Uprising (1894-1895)
Primary Source w/DBQs • The Tonghak Religion and Uprising: Ch'oe Cheu on Learning Truth and Twelve Reforms Proclaimed by the Tonghak Overseer's Office [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

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• Korea 1800-1860: Intellectual and Social Reactions to Western Contacts [PDF] [Korea Society]
"Western Europeans first came to the shores of the Korean peninsula and made significant contact with its people in [the Chosôn] period. The first such encounter happened in 1787, with the arrival of the French ships Boussole and Astrolabe, followed by "visits" by other English and French ships in 1799, 1811, 1832, 1845, 1846 and 1854. These initial Western contacts coincided with radical transformations within Korean society in political, socio-economic and intellectual areas."

Primary Sources w/DBQs • Primary Sources Related to Early Contact between Korea and the United States (1845-1882) [PDF] [Korea Society]
For grades 8-12. With a brief chronology of early U.S.-Korea relations, ten documents related to early diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Chosôn and ten photographs from the U.S. expedition to Korea in 1871.

Lesson Plan • Unequal Treaties: The Treaty of Chemulpo (1883) [PDF] [Korea Society]
For grades 9-12. Learning objectives: 1) Understand the political situation in both Korea and the U.S. that prompted the need for a treaty; 2) Identify the conflicting national interests of Korea, China, Japan and Russia; 3) Analyze the events leading up to and following the first treaty between Korea and the U.S.; 4) Define the term "unequal treaty."

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Empress Myeongseong (Queen Min), 1851-1895
Lesson Plan • Queen Min [PDF] [Korea Society]
For grades 10-12. Learning objectives: 1) Gain insight into the life and times of one of Korea's most interesting historical figures; 2) Grasp the importance of using first-hand accounts when trying to understand what an
historical figure was actually like as a human being.

Lesson Plan • Famous Koreans: Six Portraits: Yu Kwan-Sun (1904-1920) [Education About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]
Lesson plan designed "to provide an opportunity for students to learn about famous Koreans through readings and/or dramatizations." Brief overviews of the lives of six notable figures in Korea's history, including Yu Kwan-Sun (1904-1920), a student organizer in the March First Independence Movement. Each overview is imagined as a first-person narrative written by the historical figure.

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