Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 143

Objectives:
Students will realize that with hard work and determination one may learn a new a new skill and
attain great personal satisfaction.
Students will learn about Korean history and culture and develop an awareness of an Asian
art form.
Pre-Lesson Preparation and Activities:
Read Carrie Jeruzal’s lesson, “Using Korean Bojagi in the Classroom,” published in the 2013 Fall
Issue of Education About Asia.
Point to East Asia on a map and show the location of Korea.
Go to Korea.net for information and photographs of Korea, especially the section, Culture and the
Arts and Housing.
Show the Power Point lecture, Bojagi, The Art of the Korean Wrapping Cloth
Write some of the key words mentioned in the glossary, such as Eomma (mother) on the board.
Possible Questions During and After the Reading:
1. Why would Ji-su’s mother be willing to leave home and leave her daughter without a parent to
care for her?
2. Wrapping a package with a bojagi sends what message to the person who receives the gift?
3. What does Ji-su ask her aunt to do?
4. Why does Ji-su want to create beautiful bojagi?
5. What seasons are illustrated in the story?
6. What do bats symbolize?
7. Jisu gives up playing with her friends throughout the changing seasons as she is determined to
perfect her bojagi skills. When the Sanguiwon master examines her work, what does he say?
How does Jisu react to his words? What gives her hope?
8. What really matters to Jisu after the Sanguiwon master leaves her home?
9. What is the Dano festival?
10. When the Sanguiwon master returns at the time of the festival, what does the master say about
Jisu’s bojagi ? What is Ji-su expected to do quickly?
11. What did Ji-su mean at the end of the story when she says, “Good fortune is in the
wrapping cloth”?
What lesson can be learned from Ji-su’s determination to perfect her bojagi ?
12. What do you learn about Korea in terms of architecture, art, dress, geography, government,
language, religion, and the children’s game, yut?
Assessment:
1. Design a rubric to assess student understanding of this text.
2. Prepare a simple question and answer sheet from story.
3. List and illustrate definitions mentioned in the glossary including Eomma (mother)
4. List skills needed and learned by Ji-su in the story.
5. What lessons did you learn in the story?
a wrapping Cloth
Follow Up Activities
Provide an opportunity for students to create bojagi and learn about the importance of accuracy and
skill in creating this art form.
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