Lesson 3: Let's Learn About Korea
Aim
Learn basic facts about Korea and Father’s childhood
Key Words
North Korea, South Korea, Pyongyang, Seoul, Sangsa-ri
Materials
Map of the world or globe and map of Korea
Pictures of Sangsa-ri, Jeong-ju and Father’s mother (Kim Kyung-gye)
Large letters of key words
The Korean flag
Korean flag to colour
Board game, counters, dice
Lesson Outline
Facts about Korea
Father’s childhood
Activities – Colour the Korean flag, play “Journey to Sangsa-ri” board game
Review lesson aims
Prayer
1) Facts about Korea
Ask the children to locate Korea on a globe or world map.
Give some background facts.
Korea is in Asia near China and Japan.
People have yellow skin, black hair and narrow eyes
When Father was a child Korea was one country, but there was a war and now it is divided into North Korea and South Korea.
Pyongyang is the capital of the north and Seoul of the south.
When Father was born Korea was a very poor country and it was ruled by the Japanese.
Most children didn’t go to school at that time, but Father did.
2) Father’s childhood
Father’s birthplace
Sun Myung Moon was born on January 6th in 1920 in the straw thatched home of a farming family in north-west Korea.
He was one of eight children.
The house was one of a line of fifteen which made up a tiny village called Sangsa-ri, near the town called Jeong-ju.
People called it ‘Moon Village’ because ten of the homes were of the Moon clan.
Grandparents, parents and children all lived together in the same house.
The families in the village farmed the land, growing rice, millet, corn, beans, cabbages and radishes.
At that time Korea was ruled by Japan and Koreans had a hard life.
Most of the families rented their fields and they had to give half of what they grew as payment to the Japanese.
The best quality rice was not for the eating. After the Japanese took over, it was taken to the nearest town, Jeong-ju,
where there was a market every five days, and sent to Japan.The villagers mostly ate millet instead of rice, with corn, beans and pickled cabbage and radish.
They kept chickens for their eggs, and ate beef, pork or chicken on special occasions usually birthdays.
It was a difficult life, but nobody starved.
A Generous Family
The Moon family owned their own land, and were not as poor as others. They were known to be very generous. Whenever strangers came, asking for food, the Moon family always gave. They never turned anyone away.
This is what Father said:
“ Our family had a tradition that we should never turn away poor people without feeding them. When guests came, we never sent them away empty-handed. That was our family tradition. My mother used to feed the people who passed through our hometown on their way to Manchuria because of the harsh Japanese rule and exploitation. Almost every day she would feed people. She lived like that, without a single word of complaint.”
“My grandfather used to feed beggars in wintertime. When beggars came and asked for food, he would give them’ his own food. He himself would go without food. If a family feeds poor people from all over, that family will not perish. If you do so, your descendants will be welcomed by everyone everywhere.”
3) Activities
Colour the Korean flag
Play “Journey to Sansa-ri” board game.
Throw a dice to move forward.
If you land on a black square, go back one space.
If you land on a red, you get an extra go.
First to reach Sanga-ri is thewinner.
4) Review aims of lesson
Learn basic facts about Korea
Korea is in Asia near China and Japan.
People have yellow skin, black hair and narrow eyes
When Father was born Korea was a very poor country and it was ruled by the Japanese
Today it is divided into North and South Korea
Most children didn’t go to school at that time, but Father did.
Learn basic facts about Father’s childhood
Father was born in 1920 in a small farming village called Sansa-ri in North Korea
It was a hard life
The Moon family were very generous and always gave food to strangers
5) End with a prayer
Worksheets:
