Lesson 1: Building Background Knowledge: Korea

Have students take out their copies of the anchor text, A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, and provide a brief introduction and overview.

• Say: The anchor text for this unit is A Single Shard. This novel tells the story of Tree-ear, a young orphan living in twelfth-century Korea who embarks on a journey to learn the craft of pottery. It is a work of historical fiction, a genre that blends fictional characters and plotlines with real historical settings, events, and, at times, people.

To build on students’ understanding of the genre, introduce the concept of third-person limited point of view.

• Say: Stories written in third-person limited point of view are told by a narrator who is not a character in the story. The narrator uses words like he, she, and they to describe what is happening. Most of the time, the narrator shares the thoughts and feelings of only one character, but sometimes they may include more than one. In A Single Shard, the narrator shares the thoughts and feelings of the main character, Tree-ear. This helps readers feel closer to him and better understand what is happening in the story.

Allow students the opportunity to observe the cover and flip through the pages of A Single Shard. Prompt them to record their thinking in the I See, I Think, I Wonder graphic organizer. Then have them discuss their ideas with a partner.

Turn and Talk

Say these Directions: Turn and talk with a partner about the following question to prepare for today’s lesson.

• Ask: What do you see, think and wonder as you review the cover and flip through the pages of A Single Shard?

• Say: Record your observations and questions in the I See, I Think, I Wonder graphic organizer. Then, turn and talk to discuss your thoughts and ideas with a partner.

Bring the class back together and invite volunteers to share their ideas.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: A Single Shard takes place in Korea during the twelfth century (1100s CE), which is about 800 years before now. In this lesson you'll build geographic and cultural understanding to better visualize and imagine this time period and its long and highly valued artistic tradition.

Part A: Jigsaw Resources (RI.6.2) (15 minutes)

Review the Jigsaw Reading protocol if needed and the Jigsaw Reading worksheet graphic organizer. Transition students into groups of three. Have students assign one of the following articles to each person in the group.

• Say: Assign one article to each person in your group.

  • Student 1: “From Ancient Beginnings to the Kingdom of Goryeo: An Early History of Korea”

  • Student 2: “South Korea: A Land of Mountains, History and Culture”

  • Student 3: “How Geography Shaped Korea: Land of Mountains, Rivers, and Big Neighbors”

Jigsaw Reading

Direct students to join the expert group that read the same text.

Use the following prompts to guide expert groups as they read and discuss their article.

• Say these Directions: As you read, think about what the article says about Korean history, culture, and geography. Identify the central idea and list three key details the author uses to support this idea. Consider how these details are introduced, illustrated, or elaborated in the text. In your expert groups, collaborate through discussion and ask your peers questions to deepen your understanding of the text.

Encourage students to highlight details shared by their peers, acknowledge the information, and then justify their conclusions. Have students record their responses and ideas so they can refer to them while completing the Jigsaw graphic organizer.

Instruct students in expert groups to record their responses to the following questions on the Jigsaw Worksheet graphic organizer.

• Ask: What is the central idea of the article you read? Which textual details about Korean history, culture, or geography help to convey the central idea?

• Say: Record your key takeaways in your group’s box on the Jigsaw worksheet graphic organizer.

Part B: Jigsaw Deep Dive (RI.6.2, RI.6.3, RI.6.9) (15 minutes)

Jigsaw Reading: Home Group Share

Say these Directions: Return to your home group to share what you learned with your expert group. Work together with your home group to complete the remaining sections of the Jigsaw Worksheet graphic organizer.

• Say: The goal for your home group is to collectively identify important historical, cultural, and geographic information about Korea from all the articles. Each expert will share what they recorded in the organizer, and all group members will add notes on what their peers recorded for the other texts. Be sure to include at least one specific detail from each text that describes historical, cultural, or geographic information about Korea. Then discuss how each detail connects to a central idea in the article.

As students discuss, circulate and look for evidence that they are comprehending the central ideas in each source. Notice the following: Did students cite at least one key detail from their article that describes historical, cultural, or geographic information about Korea? Do students understand how the key detail connects to a central idea in the text?

Deep Dive Discussion

Once students have completed each part of the Jigsaw worksheet graphic organizer, pose the following questions and discuss responses with the whole class.

• Ask: Based on the texts you read, how do Korea’s geography, history, and community life help explain the connection between pottery and identity during the Goryeo period?

  • During the Goryeo period, Korea’s geography and history helped make pottery a special part of who they were. Since Korea has many rivers, it was easy for people to move the heavy clay and wood needed to build big pottery ovens. The mountains also helped different groups of people focus on their own special ways of making art. Korean people were very proud of being inventors. Instead of just copying other countries, they created a unique green pottery called celadon that was famous all over the world. Working together in their communities to make these beautiful objects helped Koreans feel united and proud of their own creative skills.

• Ask: Based on your reading, what kind of community do you imagine Tree-ear might live in?

  • Tree-ear may live in a small, close-knit coastal village that values skilled crafts like pottery. The texts suggest that Korea’s long coastlines and difficult mountain terrain could lead communities to be somewhat isolated but still connected to trade by sea. Because the Goryeo dynasty was known for its beautiful celadon pottery and trade with other countries, Tree-ear’s community might be a center for artists and shared traditions that would be important to the village’s identity.

Think-Pair-Share

Say these Directions: Use the Think-Pair-Share routine to discuss the following reflection questions:

• Ask: What did you learn about Korea today that was especially interesting to you? How might this new learning connect to the novel, A Single Shard?

Instruct students to respond in their Reflection Journal to the following prompt:

• Prepare a definition of curiosity, using your own words. Identify two examples that show the meaning of the word curiosity.