Rationale/ Purpose (so what?)

Transcription

1 Title: Korean War Lesson Author: Tommy George and Gina Rumbolo Key Words: Forgotten War, 38 th Parallel, Soviet Union, Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, Korean Conflict, Korean Peninsula Grade Level: 11 th -12 th 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.

2 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 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.

3 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) - 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

4 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 20 th 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) Additional Materials/Resources: (include copies in materials section) -World Map (Material A) -Handout on background information of 20 th Korean History (Material B) -CNN Article of recent events/conflicts with N. Korea (Material E)

5 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. - 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 20 th 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

6 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: minutes Transition: From this debate, let s look at a Soviet perspective Objective # 3 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 Transition: Objective # 4 See Material D Time Frame: 10 minutes Korea is still divided today near the 38 th 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.

7 Closure/Writing Prompt: See Material E Time Frame: minutes 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.

8 Materials (one resource per page- so it becomes a teacher or student handout, or overhead directions or ppt presentation): Material A: World Map (

9 Material B: Background information about 20 th 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 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, 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

10 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 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 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

11 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 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

12 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.

13 Material C: Statement by President Harry S. Truman

14 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."

15 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 Korean War. Bush and Roh were to confer in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Korea.

16 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.

17 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).