Teaching Sijo
resources for teachers
The sijo is a traditional structured three-line Korean poetic form. It has been the most popular form of lyric verse in Korea for over five hundred years and is considered a classic example of traditional Korean fine arts. Through the sijo, students may be introduced to not only a unique, lesser-known form of poetry, but also a culture little explored.
Here you can find resources intended to aid teachers interested in bringing the sijo to their classrooms.
Teaching Examples
- Video index - Video examples of three teachers using the sijo in their classes. Includes Ms Tracy Kaminer (Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal, VA), Ms Elizabeth Jorgensen and Ms Heidi Hamilton (Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, WI), and Mr Chuck Newell (Notre Dame High School, Chattanooga, TN).
- Video lecture - Video example of an impromptu class of elementary-age students being taught sijo by Ms Elizabeth Jorgensen (Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, WI).
Teaching Guides
- Sijo structure and samples (.ppt) - a brief overview of sijo with examples, compiled by the Sejong Cultural Society
- Sijo structure and samples (.pdf) - a brief overview of sijo with examples, compiled by the Sejong Cultural Society
- Reading and Writing the Sijo by Tracy Kaminer (.doc) - a suggested outline for teaching sijo in a language arts classroom, intended for grades 7-12
- Korean Sijo by Amy Stoltenberg (.doc) - a lesson plan with a focus on translations and the cultural aspect of sijo, intended for grades 9-12
- Writing Haiku and Sijo: Showing the Differences in East Asian Cultures by Chuck Newell (.docx)
- Sijo lesson plans by Elizabeth Jorgensen (.pdf)
About Sijo
Sijo lectures by David McCann
Sijo lecture series by Mark Peterson