Author:
Melody Casey
Subject:
English Language Arts, Social Studies
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Level:
Middle School
Grade:
7
Tags:
  • GEDB
  • Global Education
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
    Language:
    English

    Education Standards

    GEDB Human Rights: North Korea (Lesson 4 of 8)

    GEDB Human Rights: North Korea (Lesson 4 of 8)

    Overview

    In this lesson, students will learn about North Korea and what life is like in the country. Students will also begin to identify human rights issues within North Korea. Students will meet NCDPI global education goals such as investigating the world, recognizing perspectives and communicating ideas in their reflection. Note: This lesson was created in accordance with the 7th Grade Social Studies Essential Standards and the VIF/Participate Global Competence Indicators for Grade 7. For more information about VIF/Participate and these indicators, please visit https://www.participate.com/. This lesson was developed by Lindsey Gallagher as part of their completion of the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge program. This lesson plan has been vetted at the local and state level for standards alignment, Global Education focus, and content accuracy.            

    Lesson Plan

    Description

    In this lesson, students will learn about North Korea and what life is like in the country. Students will also begin to identify human rights issues within North Korea. Students will meet NCDPI global education goals such as investigating the world, recognizing perspectives and communicating ideas in their reflection. Note: This lesson was created in accordance with the 7th Grade Social Studies Essential Standards and the VIF/Participate Global Competence Indicators for Grade 7. For more information about VIF/Participate and these indicators, please visit https://www.participate.com/.


    Content

    Student Engagement/Motivation

    Students have learned about human rights issues and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  North Korea has been a topic of interest that students have brought up in the past or had questions about.  North Korea has also been in the news a lot recently so sharing the background of the country and information that students are probably not aware of that have direct connections to human rights issues. The lesson also allows students to consider another perspective for how the North Koreans tend to view themselves and their country versus our perspective as outsiders.


    Learning Targets and Criteria for Success

    Learning Targets:

    1. I can identify the type of government that North Korea has.
    2. I can identify the leaders of North Korea.
    3. I can compare the political systems of North Korea and the United States.
    4. I can state a variety of human rights issues within North Korea.

     

    Criteria for Success:

    1. I will understand and be able to discuss a variety of human rights issues in North Korea.
    2. I will be able to identify the government and leaders of North Korea and compare them with the United States.
    3. I will write a reflection on what I’ve learned about North Korea and the human rights issues in the country.

    Supplies/Resources

    1. North Korea PowerPoint: Kim Jong Un and North Korea (via History News Network - includes links within presentation to videos)
    2. Teacher could also search for information to create their own presentation on North Korea
    3. TED Talk: My Escape from North Korea (Hyeonseo Lee)
    4. TED Talk: This is What It’s Like to Go Undercover in North Korea (Suki Kim)
    5. Student notebooks or laptops for journal response (digital or hardcopy)
    6. Unit Vocabulary Sheet
    7. Student Learning/Reflection Log

     

    Reference for North Korea PowerPoint found on History News Network:

    Cherry, Renae. Working at Golden Ant Club Follow. “North korea ppt.” LinkedIn SlideShare, 9 Nov. 2015, www.slideshare.net/cherryarenae/north-korea-ppt.

    Reference for North Korea Slideshare:

    History News Network. “3to6NorthKoreaPowerPoint.” History News Network, https://s3.amazonaws.com/hnn-bucket/sites/default/files/3to6NorthKoreaPowerPoint.ppt.


    Learning Tasks and Practice

    Activity One

    1. The teacher will ask students what they know about North Korea - where it is, what they know about the people, current events there, etc.
    2. The teacher will take students through the North Korea powerpoint.  The History News Network provides a great overview presentation on North Korea that can be edited/revised to fit the teacher's class. There is also an option on slideshare. Teachers can also create their own or search for one they like. Based on the presentation chosen teachers could highlight:
    • Why it would be hard to escape (look at map on first slide of History News Network presentation - ocean on 2 sides, not easy to escape through China and crossing into South Korea is very difficult)
    • Juche system
    • Names, dates, years and images for leaders of North Korea (idealizing with “nicknames” and images)
    • Internet access in North Korea - only for leaders (What does that mean for the citizens?  What wouldn’t they be aware of?)
    • Meaning of “cult”, “cult of personality” with note of journalist in 1979 about art, music, statues/sculptures, propaganda and it’s purpose and relationship to dictatorships (consider the rise of Hitler as a comparison)
    • Punishment and emotional manipulation over Kim Jong-Il’s death and labor camps
    • DMZ including video (on History News Network presentation)

    * Other slides in presentation may be used but these may be of particular interest.

     

    Activity Two

    1. The teacher will show students one or both of the TED Talks related to North Korea.  Hyeonseo Lee’s talk focuses on what it was like living in North Korea and then as a refugee having to hide her identity when she escaped so that she wouldn’t be sent back.  Suki Kim’s video is about her going undercover in North Korea as a teacher in a school for sons of leaders in North Korea, what it was like having the government watch everything that was said and done and how she came to the conclusion that it might be better for her students to keep living as they are rather than fight back against the regime of Kim Jong-Un.

    2. The teacher will take time to discuss certain things that students saw or heard in the video should further questions arise.  Students will write any questions and thoughts they have about the videos in their learning/reflection log and the teacher could address the following day as follow-up.

     

    Activity Three

    1. Students will respond to the following either in their learning/reflection log or through an online classroom:

    We have looked at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the history of human rights and discussed North Korea.  You can choose one of the following questions to answer and write 5 complete sentences.  You MUST answer the required question first.

     

    Required Question: What rights do you think are being violated in North Korea?  Look at the UDHR and compare that with what is happening in North Korea.  What rights are people not being given in this country?
    1. Where do students think people suffer from human rights violations?  What rights might they not be given?

    2. What did students think of the story of the North Korean escapee?

    3. What do students think the US or other countries should/could do to help fight for human rights in North Korea or other locations?

    4. What human rights issues are most important to each student?  Why?

    5. What types of political systems would be most protective of human rights?


    Technological Engagement

    North Korea presentation, TED Talk videos, student computers/online classroom for journal response


    Collecting and Documenting Evidence of Learning

    Formative Assessment:

    1. Discussion of key facts and issues relating to human rights in North Korea
    2. Response to what students have learned about North Korea and/or the videos about North Korea with their thoughts and opinions

     

    Summative Assessments:

    1. Student discussion
    2. Learning/reflection log on computer or paper

    Student Self-Reflection and Action Steps

    Students will complete a reflection by responding to a prompt about what they’ve learned about human rights, North Korea and the TED Talk they viewed.


    Feedback/Instructional Adjustments

    This lesson could also be done as stations over the course of two days.  One station can be with the teacher viewing and discussing the presentation on North Korea, another the TED Talk with Hyeonseo Lee, a third with Suki Kim’s TED Talk and a fourth station with the learning/reflection log.  Students view the TED Talks on student laptops with headphones or as a small group on one computer.


    Extended Learning Opportunities

    Students will read Junior Scholastic or Newsela articles about North Korea, search for current events involving North Korea or find a book to read about experiences inside North Korea. Teachers will work with ELA teacher to discuss and find books about North Korea.


    Teacher Reflection of Learning

    This is one of my favorite lessons to teach as students know some things about North Korea via the news.  Through this lesson they get specifics about the country and it's past.  Their questions and reflection on this lesson show a deep interest they have in further investigation and understanding North Korea.