Students explore the ending and aftermath of the Korean War. They learn about the history of the Korean War and what war was like from the perspective of Koreans.

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Memorial to the “Forgotten War” of Korea with the insignias of the United States Uniformed Services ringed around it. (Source: Wikipedia)

Activity Questions

• What issues and events contributed to the start of the Korean War?
• What countries were involved in the Korean War? What were their goals for the conflict?
• Which of these goals were accomplished? How did the Korean War end?
• What were experiences of soldiers, civilians, and children during and after the Korean War?

​Instructional Strategies

• Use the Lesson 6: Aftermath of the Korean War (Activity 6.1) presentation to support this lesson.

History of the Korean War

• Teacher introduces the Korean War by using a map to locate the Korean peninsula.

Before the Viewing:  Think, Pair, Share

• Let students know they will view the documentary film, Memory of a Forgotten War (38 min. or the trailer which is 12 min.) NOTE: There are images of violence and disturbing stories about war in this documentary film.
• Before beginning the video, conduct a Think, Pair, Share for students to share ideas about what they think war is like for North and South Korean soldiers, civilians, and children.

During the Viewing

• Use the Viewing Worksheet for Memory of Forgotten War, and have students take notes on the experiences of soldiers, civilians, and children before, during, and after the war and also the specific stories told by the interviewees in the story.

After the Viewing

• Have students work in teams or small groups to answer the questions on the Viewing Worksheet.

Quick-Writes 

• Provide students with the following prompt and allow them five minutes to Quick-write their response. Call on student volunteers to share their reflections.
  • Heebok Kim lived in a hakkobang (cardboard house) for three years, Suntae Chun did menial labor on military bases, Kee Park escaped from the north when her mother gave border guards silver spoons and chili powder, and Min Yong Lee enjoyed the candies and chewing gum given to children by GIs.
  • Write for five minutes on the following questions:
    • How were the experiences of Heebok Kim, Suntae Chun, Kee Park, and Min Yong Lee similar?  How were they different?  What do these stories and the other archival photographs and film footage tell you about the lives of civilians during the war?
    • How do you imagine you would have survived as a young person during the Korean War or similar military conflict?
• As time permits, have students share their answers and perspectives.

​Closing the Activity

• End class with review and discussion of the activity questions.

Resources

• Lesson 6 Teacher’s Guide (PDF)
• Lesson 6 Presentation (PDF version downloadable)
• Handout: Viewing Worksheet for Memory of Forgotten War (Word)
• Handout: Viewing Worksheet for Memory of Forgotten War (PDF)

Viewing Worksheet for Memory of Forgotten War (PDF).

Lesson 6 Presentation (PDF)