Joseon Korea · 1392-1450

Sejong the Great and Hangul

King Sejong of Joseon gave Korea its own alphabet in 1446, so that ordinary people could read and write. Students explore the new dynasty and its capital, Sejong's scientists and the debate over Hangul at his court.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
10–13
On the map
3 steps, AD 1450 to AD 1419
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

King Sejong of Joseon gave Korea its own alphabet in 1446, so that ordinary people could read and write. Students explore the new dynasty and its capital, Sejong's scientists and the debate over Hangul at his court.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Describe the founding of the Joseon dynasty and its capital Hanyang.
  • Explain why Sejong created Hangul and why some officials opposed it.
  • Name two scientific achievements of Sejong's reign.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1450

River borders

Open the map in 1450 and find Korea. Its northern border follows two rivers, the Yalu in the west and the Tumen in the east. Find them. Why would rivers make a good border?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1450

The new capital

Zoom in on Seoul, then called Hanyang, ringed by mountains with the Han River to the south. Why was it a good place for a capital?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1419

Pirates in the strait

Find Tsushima island between Korea and Japan. In 1419 a Korean fleet attacked pirate bases here. Why could pirates use islands like this?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Why might the new Joseon dynasty move its capital from Kaesong to Hanyang?
  2. Sejong gathered scholars in a "Hall of Worthies". Why does a ruler need clever advisers?
  3. Some officials opposed Hangul. Why might an educated elite want writing to stay difficult?
  4. Sejong's scientists made rain gauges, sundials and water clocks. Why would a farming kingdom care so much about time and rain?
  5. Korea celebrates Hangul Day every 9 October. Why is an alphabet worth a national holiday?
4

Game round

9 min

Play Rule History as Sejong the Great. Let students take turns making his rulings on the classroom screen. After each one, ask: does this choice help ordinary people, the scholars at court, or both?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.