Like teachers in many countries with a national curriculum and standardized testing, South Korean teachers find it challenging to include in their curriculums knowledge students will need in the future that doesn't fall within the purview of tested areas. The arts education, character education, environmental education, geography, and education for citizenship are among subjects likely to get short shrift. According to the author, South Korean teachers use interdisciplinary methods to teach essential concepts and skills that fall outside the reach of the core academic subjects. Song describes a series of lessons carried out by a 2nd grade teacher in Gwangju, South Korea that helped students connect to their local neighborhood, including through visiting a residence for elderly women who can't live with their blood families called Sungsim House. Through writing, group reflection, and arts projects using recycled materials to depict stories the elderly women told them, the 2nd graders synthesized what they learned about the changes in childhood over the generations and ethical behaviors consistent with Korean culture--like respecting one's elders and taking care of vulnerable people in society. (Contains 1 endnote.)