North Korea vs. Dokdo
Yesterday in one of my senior level classes we were reading about Germany in geography. I love this months' geography because it's all on Western Europe. Tuesday was about France. Needless to say, I was excited. Anyways, so we were talking about the Berlin wall and the division of the country. I asked them what country was similar in this way to Germany. It took them a really long time to figure out that I was talking about THEIR OWN COUNTRY. When one student finally did get it they were all just like, yeah, ok, I guess so. Its like they don't really think about their country being divided and how sad it is.
Whenever I can talk about one of the topics that gets them fired up, I do. Sometimes its the only way to get them to talk. And once again it worked.
None of them seemed to be too concerned for the North Koreans or for the fact that their country is divided. I asked them "well what about Dokdo? Is it your land, or does it belong to Japan?" Of course they started yelling that it is theirs and that Japan is a bad country yadda yadda yadda. So I said "which is more important? Dokdo or North Korea?" They ALL said Dokdo. I just couldn't believe it. I said "How many people live on Dokdo? How many people live in North Korea?" Trying to get them to understand that Dokdo really isn't that important, well at least not in comparison. (For those who don't know, no one lives on Dokdo)
They still weren't seeing what I was tying to say.
I told them that the people in North Korea are not free, that they do not have cell phones or the internet or all the TV shows that we have. Their eyes popped out of their heads. "They don't have cell phones?!" (haha. finally I was able to find something that made them feel sorry for their situation) I asked them how they'd feel if the countries were reversed and they were the ones with no freedom. They just said that they're not so it doesn't matter.
It can be frustrating at times getting them to think about the flip side of things. I understand that they're still young and that it can be difficult to think outside of what you know and see each day. I was just wanting them to think a little bit about it. Even if they never think about it again at least I got them talking a bit...
posted by Poorlittlelamb @ 7:09 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Its weird that people in South Korea don't care about North Korea
but koreans outside are pretty passionate..
or maybe its just christian koreans I've met hahaha
hey sarah, when you get back i wanna talk lots about your trip even though i read about it a lot
That would be great! I'd love to talk to you about it. (and get you pumped up for when you get to go back).
I'll be back in December, and I'm sure I'll be in the KW area at least for a bit ;)
This sounds like a great lesson/discussion with your class. Good work finding ways to get them to talk...I love it!
My students are always talking about uniting North and South Korea...so I take devil's advocate and try to make them think of reasons why it's maybe not the best idea ever (really, they have more in common with China).
-North Korea is very poor, it would cripple the economy
-Do YOU (point to student) have family in North Korea? (no) Do your friends? (no) Then why do you care so much?
-etc
But I also used your topic of Dokdo to get my kids talking the other day. Being older, they know more and can articulate a little better (surprisingly better)
1) Dokdo DOES have people on it...like 3 families! :P
(But Koreans have lived there since Joseong Dynasty blah blah blah)
2) Dokdo *possibly* has manganese underground in the sea around it ("Future-resource")
3) If they lose dokdo, they lose a lot of very fertile fishing area around it.
Now you know...but I'm sure, like me, you still don't care :P
It's just so much fun to call it Takeshime to get the kids all wriled up :P
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