Lesson Plan

A smiling family stands together outdoors in China, with the child holding a certificate; modern city buildings and a flying airplane are visible in the background.

China’s One Child Policy | Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

This lesson plan explores China’s controversial One Child Policy, introduced in 1979 to limit population growth and improve living standards. It examines the policy’s impacts, including economic growth and social imbalances, and considers differing perspectives on its success and consequences. The plan includes five different activities designed to engage students with the subject matter, encouraging critical analysis and discussion.

Lesson Plan
Chinese propaganda poster showing three figures in military uniforms, one holding a red book, with a large portrait of Mao Zedong in the background and Chinese slogans above and below, capturing the fervor of China's Cultural Revolution.

China’s Cultural Revolution | Stanford Education Project

This lesson plan from the Stanford Education Project explores the motivations of Chinese youth in participating in the Cultural Revolution through a series of primary documents, allowing students to consider the experiences of this tumultuous period in Chinese history.

Lesson Plan
Five performers in black and white traditional-inspired outfits dance in sync on stage, holding large white fans, with a red and black background displaying the K-Pop group name ONEUS, highlighting globalization through their dynamic performance.

K-Pop and Globalization Lesson Plan | World History Digital Education Foundation

This high school lesson from the World History Digital Education Foundation uses K-pop as a case study to help students understand globalization and cultural exchange. Students analyze how Korean popular music has been shaped by global influences and how it, in turn, influences cultures worldwide through media, economics, and politics.

Lesson Plan
A white fabric featuring multiple South Korean flags, including the large Taegeuk symbol and black trigram markings—a striking tribute to Korean history and the spirit of Korea democracy.

When Did Korea Become a Democracy | Korea Society

This lesson plan created by Brian Burback details how to get high schools to research on and evaluate South Korea’s democratization process. The activities included will allow students to learn about the various South Korean presidents that were part of the country’s democratization process and think critically about during which presidency Korea truly transitioned to a democracy. Teachers can stick to this lesson plan or expand on this by incorporating some of the materials introduced in the lecture (e.g. definition of democracy, benefits of democracy, introducing the Polity V score). 

Lesson Plan
Logo for The Asian American Education Project, featuring the organization’s name inside an open book outline with green, blue, orange, and red edges, symbolizing Asian American education and accessible educational resources for all.

The Asian American Education Project

Founded in 2021 by Stewart and Patricia Kwoh, using learning resources developed in partnership with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, Stanford University SPICE and PBS Learning media, this site contains over 48 individual lesson plans for grades K-12 focused on various aspects of Asian American history, organized by time period, with fantastic search features! Here are a few with specific connections to the South:

Lesson Plan
A young girl in a kimono holds a caterpillar in her hand, looking at it closely. Set in Japan, the book title above reads The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars—a charming tale from children's literature.

Texts and Contexts: Teaching Japan through Children’s Literature

This curriculum made by TEA is a collection of teacher-developed, standards-based, cross-curricular K-6 lessons. The collection is designed to promote the teaching of cultural studies of Japan while developing students’ knowledge and skills in literacy and communication. Each of the six lessons features an authentic children’s literature book on an aspect of Japanese culture.

Lesson Plan
A row of traditional metal lanterns hangs from the ceiling of a corridor in a Japanese Shinto shrine with red-orange pillars and railings, capturing the spiritual ambiance described in the World History Encyclopedia’s Shinto introduction.

Shinto: An Introduction (Lesson Pack) – World History Encyclopedia

Shinto: An Introduction is a lesson plan for History classes that enables educators to teach about Shinto—the oldest religion in Japan—through its beliefs, values, and rituals. This resource, provided by the World History Encyclopedia, offers a complete lesson plan, activities, homework, assignments, and answer keys, altogether providing everything needed to make understanding Shinto accessible to students. The lesson itself covers Shinto’s gods and core beliefs, its application to everyday life, and classroom ethics teachings on values and accountability. This informative and engaging resource is available for free download as a PDF or Microsoft Word document.

Lesson Plan
A teacher stands with six students in front of a chalkboard, each holding a sign with their name in English and Chinese—an image reflecting the spirit of Lau v. Nichols (1974) explored in iCivics resources.

Lau v. Nichols (1974) | iCivics

This lesson plan from iCivics offers an engaging mini-lesson on the Supreme Court decision that mandated public schools provide language supports to English and multilingual learners. Initiated because students of Chinese ancestry who did not speak English were receiving inadequate instruction, this case underscores the importance of educational equity. Designed for students in grades 6-12, the lesson also connects Lau’s arguments to Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case and explores how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects students from discrimination. 

Lesson Plan
Low-angle view of the Statue of Liberty against a blue sky with scattered clouds, symbolizing America’s rich immigration history, including waves of Asian immigration.

Asian Immigration | Immigration History

The “Asian Immigration” lesson plan from Immigration History, designed for students in grades 6-12, provides an in-depth look at how severe immigration restrictions from 1790 to 1952 have shaped U.S. society’s attitudes toward Asian immigrants. This lesson explores both the harmful stereotypes that dehumanized Asian Americans and the modern ideal of the highly educated and wealthy “model minority.

Lesson Plan
Traditional Vietnamese Đông Hồ painting from Vietnam depicts anthropomorphic cats and mice in ceremonial attire, with a tiger and symbolic objects; includes calligraphic text. Art like this is often studied at Northern Illinois University.

Vietnam Was More Than Just a War | Northern Illinois University 

This lesson plan uses Vietnamese poetry to help students understand the attitudes of Vietnamese citizens toward the Vietnam War and American involvement. Designed for high school juniors but suitable for grades 9-12, this activity builds on students’ prior knowledge of Vietnam’s history and geography, offering a unique perspective on the emotional and cultural impact of the war.

Lesson Plan
Two women in traditional Japanese clothing examine a patterned cloth, reflecting early 20th-century Japan, with colorful geometric patterns and text evoking the artistic trends of modern Japan in the background.

Becoming Modern: Early 20th-Century Japan through Primary Sources

This curriculum is one of several Teaching about East Asia (TEA) Online Curriculum Projects from the University of Colorado Boulder that offers secondary teachers interesting resources. This curriculum offers seven lessons that examine a critical period in Japanese and world history: the period of Japan’s modernization and international expansion from the 1880s through the 1920s, a time span overlapping the late Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa periods. The lessons draw upon a range of historical source materials—including art, literature, memoir, interviews, board games, and government documents—to teach Japanese history using pedagogical approaches that address national content standards and Common Core skills.

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