Download Korean War - Lesson Corner

Title: Korean War
Lesson Author: Tommy George and Gina Rumbolo
Key Words: “Forgotten War,” 38th Parallel, Soviet Union, Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, Korean
Conflict, Korean Peninsula
Grade Level: 11th-12th
Time Allotted: 1-hour class period
Rationale/ Purpose (so what?)
To identify and analyze the major causes, events, and outcomes of the Korean War, focusing on the importance of
world perspectives and how they have continued, changed, or impacted the world today.
Key Concept(s) include definition:
Communism – A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party
holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.
Primary Documents – is any piece of information that is used for constructing history as an artifact of its times. These often
include works created by someone who witnessed first-hand or was part of the historical events that are being described, but can also
include physical objects like coins, journal, entries, letters, or newspaper articles.
Cold War - was the open yet restricted struggle that developed after World War II between the United States and its allies and the
Soviet Union and its allies. The struggle was named the Cold War because it did not actually lead to direct armed conflict between the
superpowers (a "hot" war) on a wide scale. The Cold War was waged by means of economic pressure, selective aid, intimidation,
diplomatic maneuvering, propaganda, assassination, low-intensity military operations and full-scale proxy war from 1947 until the
collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
NCSS Standard(s)
SOL Information (As written in the Virginia SOL “Curriculum Framework” for the grade level)
NCSS Theme (s) with indicators: Time, Continuity, and Change
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assist learners to understand that historical knowledge and the concept of time are socially influenced constructions that lead
historians to be selective in the questions they seek to answer and the evidence they use;
have learners apply key concepts from the study of history -- such as time, chronology, causality, change, conflict, and
complexity -- to explain, analyze, and show connections among patterns of historical change and continuity;
ask learners to identify and describe significant historical periods and patterns of change within and across cultures, such as the
development of ancient cultures and civilizations, the rise of nation-states, and social, economic, and political revolutions;
guide learners as they systematically employ processes of critical historical inquiry to reconstruct and reinterpret the past, such
as using a variety of sources and checking their credibility, validating and weighing evidence for claims, and searching for
causality;
provide learners with opportunities to investigate, interpret, and analyze multiple historical and contemporary viewpoints
within and across cultures related to important events, recurring dilemmas, and persistent issues, while employing empathy,
skepticism, and critical judgment;
enable learners to apply ideas, theories, and modes of historical inquiry to analyze historical and contemporary developments,
and to inform and evaluate actions concerning public policy issues.
SOL:
VUS12.b The student will demonstrate knowledge of United States foreign policy since World War II by explaining the
origins of the Cold War, and describing the Truman Doctrine and the policy of containment of communism, the American
role of wars in Korea and Vietnam, and the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Europe.
Essential Knowledge
(minimum for SOL Resource Guide)
The Korean War
• American involvement in the Korean War in the early
1950s reflected the American policy of containment of
communism.
• After communist North Korea invaded South Korea,
American military forces led a counterattack that drove
deep into North Korea itself. Communist Chinese forces
came into the war on the side of North Korea and the
war threatened to widen, but eventually ended in a
stalemate with South Korea free of communist
occupation.
Essential Skills
(minimum for SOL Resource Guide)
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The student will demonstrate skills for historical and
geographical analysis, including the ability to
identify, analyze, and interpret primary and
secondary source documents, records, and data,
including artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs,
journals, newspapers, historical accounts, and art to
increase understanding of events and life in the
United States;
The student will demonstrate skills for historical and
geographical analysis, including the ability to
communicate findings orally and in analytical essays
and/or comprehensive papers;
formulate historical questions and defend findings
based on inquiry and interpretation;
Guiding Question(s): What were the causes of the Korean War or why did the U.S. enter the Korean
War (based on differing perspectives by the U.S. and Soviet Union)? How has this conflict relative
today?
Assessment Tool(s):
- Participation in readings and debate along with analysis and understanding of interpreting
perspectives, relating them to current events from around the world. Journal entries and analytical
paragraphs.
Background: How does this lesson fit into a unit of study? Looking backwards, looking forwards
Looking Backwards: Indirect conflicts in the Cold War between U.S. and Soviet Union following WWII
Looking Forwards: Division of Korean peninsula and conflict between North Korea and U.S./South Korea
Lesson Objective(s):
Students will be able to:
1. Identify the location of the Korean Peninsula on a global scale, focusing on neighboring countries
and relationship to the U.S.
2. Gain an in-depth understanding of 20th century Korean history
3. Analyze and Interpret primary documents from differing perspectives of the Korean War.
4. Link their knowledge of these primary documents and information about the Korean Conflict to
current tensions between N. Korea and S. Korea/U.S.
Historical Source(s):
(include copies in materials
section)
-Statement by Pres. Harry S.
Truman - orders to send US troops
to S. Korea (Material C)
-Pravda’s summary of Truman’s
Statement (Material D)
-CNN Article of recent
events/conflicts with N. Korea
(Material E)
Additional
Materials/Resources: (include
copies in materials section)
-World Map (Material A)
-Handout on background information of
20th Korean History (Material B)
Procedure/Process:
JUST DO IT! The “Hook”: (A high-interest activity that introduces new content with connections to students’ prior
knowledge. Between 1-5 minutes
On the board, a history journal writing assignment will be waiting for students.
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Where in the World…
o Using your mental mind making skills, contemplate where exactly the Korean Peninsula is located? What are some
neighboring countries? How close is the Soviet Union?
Obj #
See above.
Just do it.
Obj. #1
Objective # 1, 2
Processing Activity and Procedure -include
directions, question frames, assignment detail
to be given to students (these should all be
made into explicit materials (e.g. see material
A), and time estimates
Where in the World…
- Using your mental mind making skills,
contemplate where exactly the Korean Peninsula is
located? What are some neighboring countries?
How close is the Soviet Union?
Time Frame: about 5 minutes
After comparing answers of the mental mind
mapping exercise, students will be provided with
background information on Korea’s 20th century
history. (Material B). Students will read the handout
to provide context of event before analyzing primary
sources/documents
See Material B
Time Frame: about 10 minutes
Check for Evidence of Understanding
-Either Formal or Informal(Checks Essential Knowledge and Skills)
Informal - Quick discussion of their answers
to see if they understood the question and
determine what rights they know and how
they apply to their daily lives.
Formal – Overall evaluation of all of their
journal entries in the future
Informal – Students are required to read the
provided handout
Transition:
Objective # 3
From the information in the handout, students will use this knowledge to analyze primary documents
Students will read Truman’s Statement (Material C) and answer the following questions in their
notebook:
1. What type of document is it?
2. When was it written?
3. What was its purpose?
Students will be divided into 2 groups: the first group will make a list of reasons why the US entered
the Korean Conflict based on Truman’s document. The other half of the class will make a list based
on information from their textbook. Class discussion will follow to compare the two lists.
Check for Evidence of Understanding: Informal – Class participation and debate of their
reasons/answers to why the US entered the Korean Conflict.
See Material C and Textbook
Time Frame: 15-20 minutes
Transition: From this debate, let’s look at a Soviet
perspective
Objective # 3
Transition:
Objective # 4
Students will be handed a Soviet response to
Truman’s statement. After reading the paragraph,
students will write a paragraph to compare the
language and argument of Pravda’s editorial with
Truman’s Statement.
Informal – assessment based on participation
and completion of their paragraph
See Material D
Time Frame: 10 minutes
Korea is still divided today near the 38th parallel into two countries.
Students will read a recent newspaper article about
continued conflicts on the Korean Peninsula and will
Informal – Assessment based on
analyze this document and compare and contrast
participation and quality or amount of depth
how this current event is similar or different to that of in their answers/perspectives
the Korean Conflict in a classroom debate.
See Material E
Time Frame: 15-20 minutes
Closure/Writing Prompt:
Based on their understanding of the Korean Conflict and their prior knowledge, how is this event similar
to other divisions (based on identities, culture, etc.) of other world events that they have previously
learned (i.e. civil wars around the world – American, Vietnamese, various African, etc.)? Answers should
be written in their history journal which will be collected and graded at a later date.
Materials (one resource per page- so it becomes a teacher or student handout, or overhead directions or ppt
presentation):
Material A: World Map
(http://www.essex.ac.uk/armedcon/Countries/country_maps/WorldM1.jpg)
Material B: Background information about 20th Century Korean History
Background
While the end of World War II brought peace and prosperity to most Americans, it also created a heightened state of tension between the
Soviet Union and the United States. Fearing that the Soviet Union intended to "export" communism to other nations, America centered its
foreign policy on the "containment" of communism, both at home and abroad. Although formulation of the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan,
and the Berlin Airlift suggested that the United States had a particular concern with the spread of communism in Europe, America's policy of
containment extended to Asia as well. Indeed, Asia proved to be the site of the first major battle waged in the name of containment: the
Korean War.
In 1950 the Korea Peninsula was divided between a Soviet-backed government in the north and an American-backed government in the
south. The division of Korea into two halves had come at the end of World War II. In August of 1945 the Soviet Union invaded Korea, which
had been under Japan's control since 1910. Fearing that the Soviets intended to seize the entire peninsula from their position in the north, the
United States quickly moved its own troops into southern Korea. Japanese troops surrendered to the Russians in the north and to the
Americans in the south. In an effort to avoid a long-term decision regarding Korea's future, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to
divide Korea temporarily along the 38th parallel, a latitudinal line that bisected the country. This line became more rigid after 1946, when Kim
Il Sung organized a communist government in the north---the Democratic People's Republic. Shortly after, nationalist exile Syngman Rhee
returned to Korea and set up a rival government in the south---the Republic of Korea (ROK). Each government hoped to reunify the country
under its own rule.
War broke out along the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950. On that day, North Korean troops coordinated an attack at several strategic points
along the parallel and headed south toward Seoul. The United Nations Security Council responded to the attack by adopting (by a 9-0 vote) a
resolution that condemned the invasion as a "breach of the peace." The Council did not have a Soviet delegate, since 6 months prior, the
Soviet Union had left to protest the United Nation's refusal to seat a delegate from China. President Harry S. Truman quickly committed
American forces to a combined United Nations military effort and named Gen. Douglas MacArthur Commander of the U.N. forces. Fifteen other
nations also sent troops under the U.N. command. Truman did not seek a formal declaration of war from Congress; officially, America's
presence in Korea amounted to no more than a "police action."
However, the entry of the United States into the conflict signaled a reversal of policy toward Korea. Although it backed the government of
Syngman Rhee, the United States had begun withdrawing its troops from South Korea in 1948. As late as January of 1950, Secretary of State
Dean Acheson had implied that the Korea Peninsula lay outside the all-important "defense perimeter" of the United States, a statement that
some took to mean that the United States would not defend the ROK from communist attack.
So why did the United States become involved in the Korean conflict?
The decision to intervene in Korea grew out of the tense atmosphere that characterized Cold War politics. On the eve of the North Korean
invasion, a number of events had made Truman anxious. The Soviet Union exploded an atomic bomb in 1949, ending the United States'
monopoly on the weapon. In Europe, Soviet intervention in Greece and Turkey had given rise to the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan,
which funneled aid to war-torn Europe in the hopes of warding off communist political victories. In early 1950, President Truman directed the
National Security Council (NSC) to conduct an analysis of Soviet and American military capabilities. In its report, known as "NSC 68," the
Council recommended heavy increases in military funding to help contain the Soviets.
Events in Asia also contributed to an increased sense of insecurity. In 1949 China underwent a revolution that brought Mao Zedong and his
Communist party into power. The nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-Shek, had retreated to the island of Formosa (Taiwan) while they continued
their war with mainland China. Mao quickly moved to ally himself with the Soviet Union, and signed a treaty with the Soviets in 1950. The
Truman administration faced criticism from Republicans who claimed he had "lost" China. They criticized him for not providing enough aid to
the Chinese nationalists. The suggestion by Secretary of State Dean Acheson that the administration recognize the communist government of
China only gave them more ammunition for their attacks.
The Truman administration also faced internal criticism regarding its commitment to anticommunism at home. Republican Senator Joseph
McCarthy of Wisconsin had recently begun his infamous hunt for communists within the U. S. Government. Although McCarthy was just
warming up, the recent trials of Alger Hiss and others for espionage left the Truman administration apprehensive about its anticommunist
credentials. Truman and his advisors found themselves under increased domestic pressure not to appear "soft" on communism abroad.
Thus, when North Korean troops invaded the South, the Truman administration seized upon the opportunity to defend a noncommunist
government from invasion by communist troops. Determined not to "lose" another country to communism, and interested in shoring up its
anticommunist credentials, the Truman administration found itself defending a nation a world away from U.S. soil. Yet Truman's response was
not merely a response to internal pressure. The invasion of South Korea made Truman genuinely fearful that the Soviet Union and China
intended to expand the sphere of communism throughout Asia.
Truman's statement of June 27 illustrates his concern with communist aggression and expansion. In it, Truman argues that "communism has
passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer independent nations and will now use armed invasion and war." Truman's statement
suggests that he believed the attack by North Korea had been part of a larger plan by communist China and, by extension, the Soviet Union.
The President believed that the Korean situation was similar to that of Greece in 1947. He informed his advisors that he believed the invasion
was "very obviously inspired by the Soviet Union." This gave America a moral imperative to act. "If we don't put up a fight now," Truman
observed to his staff, there was "no telling what they'll do." His concern over the future of anticommunist governments in Asia showed in his
public statement. Truman pledged to defend Formosa (Taiwan) from attack and to support French forces in Indochina, a conflict that would
eventually escalate into the Vietnam War. Yet Truman had no wish to provoke a full-scale war with the Soviets. By blaming "communism" in
the statement, as opposed to the Soviet Union, Dean Acheson later explained, the administration sought to give the Soviets a "graceful exit"
and not provoke open confrontation with Russia.
Truman's statement also reflected a new military order. Although the United States took the lead in the Korean action, it did so under the
rubric of the United Nations. Truman made it clear that his actions fell within the measures recommended by the United Nations, and
reminded "all members of the United Nations" to "consider carefully the consequences of this latest aggression in Korea" and that America
"will continue to uphold the rule of law."
This document is part of the George M. Elsey papers, located at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri. Elsey,
who had worked under President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, was a top administrative assistant to the President. Truman met
with Elsey and other advisors on the morning of the 27th to draft and revise the public statement--his second on the Korean conflict. At 11:30
a.m. the President met with members of the foreign affairs and foreign relations committees of Congress and, shortly after, the statement
was released to newspaper reporters. That afternoon, Truman attended another meeting of the United Nations to propose a resolution urging
all members of the United Nations to give assistance to South Korea. The meeting had been originally planned for the morning but was
postponed to accommodate one of its members. Secretary of State Dean Acheson later reflected that the Soviets liked to point out that since
the U.N. meeting occurred after the President's statement, Truman could not truthfully claim that his decision to commit forces was influenced
by the wishes of the United Nations. When it did meet later that day, the United Nations passed his resolution, although a handful of
dissenting countries abstained.
Material C: Statement by President Harry S. Truman
Material D: Pravda’s (Soviet Newspaper) summary
In response to Truman's statement of June 27th, the Soviet newspaper Pravda blamed the Korean
conflict on a "provocative attack by the troops of the puppet government of South Korea." Write the
following excerpt from the Pravda editorial on an overlay and show it to the students:
"Truman's statement and actions, unprecedented in the international relations of the post-war period,
are just one more indication that the American ruling circles no longer limit themselves to preparation
for aggression, but have gone over to direct acts of aggression… As is known, neither the United
Nations nor any other international organ empowered the government of the USA to take those
actions related to Korea and China that Truman announced yesterday. Undertaking their open
aggressive act, the American government apparently intended to present the United Nations with a
fait accompli."
Material C: Current Event Article of Tensions with N. Korea
Bush seeks Asian unity on N. Korea
South reluctant to take nuclear issue to Security Council
BUSAN, South Korea (AP) -- Counseling resolve and patience, U.S.
President George W. Bush is looking for a show of unity among Asian
leaders to press North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Among those gathering here for a 21-nation summit are the leaders of the five countries
-- the United States, China, South Korea, Russia and Japan -- negotiating with North
Korea for its nuclear disarmament.
Bush was meeting Thursday with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun after talks
Wednesday in Japan with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi that included a call for
dismantling North Korea's nuclear program.
South Korea has resisted the tough approach advocated by the Bush administration for
ending the impasse with North Korea, opposing the idea of military action if diplomacy
fails.
South Korea also is cool to the idea of taking the standoff to the U.N. Security Council
for possible sanctions.
"The tone is different sometimes because, of course, for the people of the Republic of
Korea, the demilitarized zone is right at their doorstep," said Mike Green, senior director
for Asian affairs on the National Security Council.
Green said Seoul, the South Korean capital, was as close to the demilitarized zone
separating the two countries and to North Korean artillery as the White House was to
Dulles International Airport, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside Washington.
"It's very much a clear and present threat for the people," he said.
Green, talking with reporters on Air Force One as it flew to South Korea, said Bush and
Roh would discuss ways to strengthen coordination on foreign policy.
The objective was to have the pursuit of North-South reconciliation reinforce the
disarmament talks, Green said.
One proposal calls for a peace treaty to replace the armistice that halted the 1950-53
Korean War.
Bush and Roh were to confer in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Korea.
Bush's eight-day journey to Asia offers him a reprieve from troubles at home, where his
approval rating has fallen to the lowest point of his presidency.
Unhappiness over the war in Iraq has hurt Bush's popularity and credibility, and
Republicans are nervous about how the war and the president's other woes will affect
next year's midterm elections.
Roh has been a major supporter of Bush's Iraq policy. South Korea is the third-largest
contributor of troops behind the United States and Britain, deploying more than 3,000
soldiers.
Like Bush, Roh's domestic approval ratings are down, and his foes call him a lame
duck.
Bush flew here for the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum,
representing 21 countries that account for about half the world's trade.
APEC is expected to call for progress at the next round of World Trade Organization
talks in Hong Kong next month towards a global trade agreement. (Ministers adopt plan)
APEC represented "a significant bloc in the WTO membership," said Faryar Shirzad,
deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs.
"And so when they speak and lay out an agenda of ambition, it's an agenda that the
membership at the WTO takes note of and helps drive the negotiating dynamics in a
constructive way."
In addition to the APEC meetings, Bush will hold separate talks with the leaders of
Malaysia, Russia and Indonesia before traveling to China on Saturday.
Looking ahead to talks about North Korea, Bush said his objective was to remind his
partners that they needed to stick together and send a consistent message.
The most recent round of negotiations adjourned Friday with no sign of progress, but it's
likely they will resume in Beijing next month or in January.
In September, North Korea promised to end its nuclear program in exchange for aid,
diplomatic recognition and security guarantees.
North Korea has insisted that it will not make any move until the United States first
offers concessions for giving up its nuclear weapons. Washington has refused the
demand.
The Pentagon has begun pulling thousands of U.S. troops out of South Korea, where it
has maintained a contingent of about 37,000 since the cease-fire amid concerns that
the communist North might try to reunite the two Koreas by launching an all-out attack.
Teacher Notes (Reflections/clarifications/explanations):
Students must be able to analyze primary documents, comparing and
contrasting views from different sides, looking for bias views, main ideas,
etc. To scaffold learning, guiding questions could be asked in regards to
the documents and background information. This lesson was developed to
bring attention to world events and how they have affected current events
in regards to the conclusions developed in the prior knowledge interview
(dominated U.S. perspectives, and lacking context of world events,
especially the Korean War when asked to identify an image of this event).