Reference
Rebecca Nazario Wright
1st and 2nd Grade
Falk School
Curriculum Unit Review
Learning from Asian Art: Korea
This curriculum unit, produced by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, gives a basic yet highly informative introduction to Korean art. The unit focuses on 10 pieces of Korean art, dating from the 6th to the 21st centuries, and includes photographic slides, image card reproductions, a highly informative booklet, and also a video showing modern potter Yoon Kwang-Cho at work in his studio. The set also includes a CD-ROM with all materials on it. In short, this is a wonderful curriculum unit that can adapted to any virtually grade level.
The booklet contains not only detailed information on each of the pieces of art, but also includes a comparative timeline showing what else was occurring in world history while these pieces were being created in Korea, questions to guide the students’ observation of the piece, information linking the cultural and historical significance, group activities, and suggestions for further research. A helpful glossary and lists of additional resources, including websites, are also included in the booklet.
This broad overview is a terrific introduction to Korean art for students at virtually any elementary and middle school level. It could serve as a very preliminary jumping off point for more involved high school level art history classes, too. Everything that is needed is truly “right in the box,” and the inclusion of both paper-based and digital media is a nice touch. The video, albeit brief at an approximately 15 minute running time, shows Yoon Kwang-Cho at work creating rather modern pieces of pottery. Kwang-Cho had his first solo show in the U.S. at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, so this tie-in makes sense. The incredible amount of information that is provided in the booklet makes the artworks accessible to any teacher; you do not need an art history background to teach about these objects. I look forward to using this unit in my classroom very soon!
