If you are an educator teaching about Korea, these featured resources are designed for you. The websites linked below offer informative primary sources, organized curriculums, and other classroom materials aimed at bringing Korean history, art, and culture into the classroom. In addition to the resources featured here, our Resources for Teachers page includes more generalized resources on East Asia as well as resource pages designated to specific East Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan). You can also find many other online materials listed on the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia website. Be sure to also visit NCTA's Partner Sites who provide excellent content on East Asia for K-12 educators.
Educational Resources | The Korea Society
The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea. On their site they have a vast collection of resources for teachers that include: readings with background context for getting to know Korea, multiple engaging pdf documents that cover topics from the Silla Dynasty to the Korean War, and a large collection of lesson plans that contain all the information necessary for crafting dynamic and effective lessons. Educational resources from The Korea Society are free to use and make it easy to center Korea in your classroom.
Elementary Level Resources: Korea | Asia for Educators
Asia For Educators, at Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asia Institute, has compiled a collection of resources for K-5 teachers. This collection is centered around Korea and offers resources for a wide variety of subjects: geography, language, culture, history, science, math, literature, arts & crafts, and drama & music.
Lesson Plan: Kpop and Globalization
This lesson, from World History Digital Education, allows students to explore the concept of globalization and how it has impacted Korean culture by examining the kpop phenomenon and how it has been influenced by other cultures.
Lesson Plans on Korea | World History Digital Education
The World History Digital Education foundation features a lesson plan library with free resources to help students and teachers learn about Korea. The lesson plans cover a variety of subjects for grades K-12 including geography, religion, history, culture, economic development, and the Korean War.
Resources for Korean Language Teachers | STARTALK
STARTALK is a federal grant program funded by the National Security Agency and administered by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland which provides resources for foreign language teachers, supports student language learning, and cultivates instructional materials for less commonly taught languages in the United States. On their site, STARTALK provides model and sample curricula free for K-16 Korean language educators to use. These curricula provide downloadable, student-centered lesson plans on topics such as animals, personal identity, travel, etc. If you're a Korean language educator or student, check out STARTALK's engaging resources!
Korea Lessons for Elementary School | The Korea Society
The Korea Society has compiled a list of lesson plans for K-6 educators. The subjects covered within these resources include music, language arts, literature, social studies, cultural studies, science, math, art, geography, and multicultural education. The lesson plan PDF documents linked on the website include well articulated information such as grade level, subject, time requirement, objective, material, background information, procedure, and evaluation. The time required for these lessons range from one-two class periods to several weeks so they can be used even within the tightest of curriculums. Similarly, the required materials are simple and easy to acquire. The Korea Society offers many helpful resources for educators to inspire a love and appreciation for Korean culture and language.
Korean Art and Culture: A Teacher’s Sourcebook – Peabody Essex Museum
This pdf document is a fantastic resource for art, art history, and religious studies teachers who want to bring Korean culture into their classroom. Korean Art and Culture: A Teacher's Sourcebook features the Korean Art Collection of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts and contains vibrant images and informative essays about the collection. This enlightening sourcebook details many diverse forms of Korean art and whether it be paper crafts, embroidery, or pottery, you will be sure to learn something new! Also included in this resource is a glossary of symbols that are abundant in Korean art. The Peabody Essex Museum has much to offer and will inspire you to share the art and culture of Korea with your students.
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
A Single Shard, by author and educator Linda Sue Park, is set in a potter's village during the Goryeo Dynasty of 12th century Korea. The novel's protagonist, Tree-ear, is an orphan boy who lives under a bridge with "Crane-man" who took him in as a child. One day Tree-ear sneaks into the workshop of a master potter that he admires, accidentally breaks a pot and obligates himself to work for the master. The work is difficult, but he is happy to learn the skills of the trade. However, when Tree-ear is tasked with delivering his master's pottery to the emperor, life-altering challenges and dangers arise. A Single Shard has won multiple awards and received critical acclaim for its moving portrait of perseverance and courage. This novel centers life lessons, history, and the significance of Korean pottery and material culture and is perfect for ages 10-12.
Bee-Bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park 
Bee-Bim Bop!, written by author and educator Linda Sue Park and illustrated by Ho Baek Lee, centers a Korean American girl in a celebration of food, family, and culture. The title itself, Bee-Bim Bop is a reference to a traditional Korean dish (bibimbap 비빔밥) that translates to "mix-mix rice". This dish has an integral role in the story, as the main character rhythmically describes the process of helping her mother make bibimbap: shopping, preparing ingredients, setting the table, and sharing the meal with family. The whimsical illustrations within the book along with the enthusiasm of the narrator work together to create a heartwarming portrait of Korean food culture that is engaging for K-3 children.
The Name Jar, written by Yangsook Choi, is a beautifully illustrated picture book that follows the story of a young girl, Unhei, who has just moved from South Korea to a new school in America. Unhei develops anxiety about fitting in and therefore choses an American name from a glass jar in order to introduce herself on the first day of school. However, none of the names feel right. Eventually, despite it being different from those of her American peers, Unhei learns to love her Korean name. This inspiring story—perfect for children ages 3-7—is a lesson in having courage to be yourself and own your heritage.
The Name Jar won the Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Master List award in 2003, and was nominated for the Arizona Young Readers Award in 2005.