A Single Shard

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. This novel is set in a small village in 12th-century Korea. Think about the differences between your daily life and what it might be like for someone from such a time and place. What are some features of the modern world that wouldn’t have been available then? How do you think this would affect the way you spend your time?

Teaching Suggestion: The book focuses heavily on the manual tasks associated with pottery-making; for example, chopping wood for the kiln fire requires hours of work. Likewise, clay must be cut from a riverbank and not bought at a store. The potter’s wheel is run on foot power. It may be useful for students to consider their daily routine in a world without electricity, running water, or labor-saving devices as they respond to the question.

• Britannica's “Daily Life and Social Customs” of South Korea gives some insight into the world inhabited by the novel’s characters.
• “Ancient Korea” on World History Encyclopedia describes living conditions during the time the novel takes place. 

2. The novel’s central character has a strong desire to learn pottery-making. Do you know anything about how pottery is made? Some pots are inexpensive everyday containers, while others end up as decorative objects in palaces. What do you think makes the difference between a container and an art object?

Teaching Suggestion: The novel’s central character secures a valuable palace commission for his master’s celadon pottery. His quest raises the question of what constitutes art as opposed to a simple jar. Students can explore the difference by considering the qualities of the piece itself and of the craftsperson who made it. This discussion question relates to the theme of Dreams of a Lifetime in that both the protagonist and his mentor aspire to create great art instead of merely making pots for a living.

• “Potter's Wheel” is a brief article from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder providing a description of wheel-made pottery that pre-dates the time period of the novel; it also features linked images of ancient Greek pottery.
• This video, “Pottery Making Using the Very First Wheel,” from the How To Make Everything series explains the evolution of pottery wheels over time in the first 2 minutes; the remainder of the 19 minutes details by demonstration the creation of an ancient potter’s wheel. (A sponsorship ad which can be skipped appears from 2:10 to 3:00.)
• Britannica’s article on “Celadon” explains this type of pottery with a specific discussion of the Korean technique of incised designs like those mentioned in the novel.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

The central character in the novel is frequently required to overcome his fears by acting courageously. Describe a time in your own life when you wanted to run away from something but didn’t. How did you feel about yourself afterward?

Teaching Suggestion: Tree-ear is faced with multiple situations that require him to stand his ground in the face of an intimidating person or situation. His choices illustrate the theme of Fear Versus Courage. Each time he stands up to his fears, he finds that his circumstances improve. Students might write a short essay or conduct a class discussion of the topic to better connect with the main character’s personal growth in overcoming a challenge.

• “Defining Courage” explores the psychology behind the trait and might provide some additional talking points or ideas for discussion. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing)