John HalversonTeacher Consultant

Arizona Geographic AllianceGAINWGA

Desert Sands Middle SchoolPhoenix, Az.

Standards National Geography Standards ELEMENT ONE: THE WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS 1. How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process,

and report information from a spatial perspective. ELEMENT TWO: PLACES AND REGION 6. How culture and experience influence people’s perception of places and regions.

Arizona Geography Standards Concept 1: The World in Spatial Terms PO 3. Interpret maps, charts, and geographic databases using geographic information. Concept 2: Places and Regions PO 4. Identify how the role of the media, images, and advertising influences the perception of a

place.

Arizona History Standards Strand 1: American History Concept 8: Great Depression and World War II PO 5. Describe Arizona’s contributions to the war effort: e. POW and internment camps  

Overview Maps skills are essential to our

understanding of the world around us. Maps also influence our perception of place. During World War II German prisoners of war (POWs) were housed at Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona. How did maps influence the escape attempt by these prisoners?

Objectives The student will be able to:   Examine maps and solve a problem. Examine historical documents about

one of Arizona’s roles in World War II. Discuss how maps form our perception

of a place.

Purpose In this lesson, students will be able to

understand one of the roles that Arizona played during World War II by exploring the German escape from the Papago Park Prisoner of War Camp through an examination of maps from which they will draw conclusions.

Materials Group Activity: Directions and Devices—How Do We Escape?  Arizona’s Landforms and Rivers Map  Various transportation and regional maps of Arizona  Physical and Cultural Map Route Analysis Sheet  Transportation Map Route Analysis Sheet  1940 Highway Map  Writing Prompt: We Gotta Get Out of This Place, Escape from

Papago Park Essay Grading Criteria   Background Information  The Actual Escape from Papago Park  PowerPoint of maps and images  LCD projector and computer to show PowerPoint (optional)

Procedures SESSION ONE 1. Group Activity. Pass out Directions and Devices, How do we escape?

As groups have the students brainstorm what means of transportation they might use to escape from a POW camp and what types of things they may want for their escape. Discuss some of the ideas brainstormed.

  2. Read the background information to the students as a whole group.

Answer any pertinent questions. Tell them they will be looking to escape from Phoenix.

  3. Individual or Group Work: Hand out the Arizona Landforms and Rivers

Map and explain to the students that they are being held captive in 1940 in Phoenix and they need to plan an escape route to enable them to return to Germany. Each student should have a Physical and Cultural Map Route Analysis Sheet.

 

4. Allow the students sufficient time to complete the previous worksheet and then hand out the map of transportation routes in Arizona in 1942. Each student should have a Transportation Map Route Analysis Sheet

  SESSION TWO 5. Handout the writing prompt: We Gotta get Out of This Place,

Escape from Papago Park. Read the instructions as a group and have the students proceed to use their analysis sheets to determine a route of escape, advantages to their route, what they will take with them and a prediction for success. This may be done in small groups or as individuals. This may be done as a completion project for a second session or as a homework assignment dependent upon the individual classroom

  6. Closure for this activity will be the sharing of The Actual Escape from

Papago Park. Show the PowerPoint of the images. Seek student feedback as to their reactions to what really happened. Discuss how maps can form our perception of places.

Arizona Topographic Map

The topography of Arizona. What would influence you if you were trying to escape back to Germany? What factors would influence your choices?

Railroad Map

Railroad routes for Southern Arizona circa 1940. What are the options for escape? Where would you choose to go?

Roadmap of Arizona, 1940

The prisoners had an Arizona roadmap just like this. What routes might you choose to escape? What thoughts go into your choices?

Assessment  Students can be graded for geography and history

concepts by completing the Physical and Cultural Map Route Analysis Sheet and the Transportation Map Route Analysis Sheet with 80% or higher accuracy.

  The resulting essay can be graded with the rubric

provided. A score of 3 or higher will be considered mastery in each category.

  Students can answer the question: How can maps

influence your perception of a place using the Papago Escape as an example? Use the 6 Traits Writing Rubric to score in the areas of Ideas and Organization.

 

Extensions   Have the students do a comparison of their

potential escape route to the historical route along the Cross Cut Canal.

  Have the students research other POW

camps located in the United States. Compare them to POW camps in Europe.

 

Immediately After the Escape

The news hit the papers immediately after the escape. Note the reward for the return of the prisoners. How would this change your plans if you escaped?

- The exit to the tunnel.

Escapees from Papago Park

Heinrich Palmer made it to within 10 miles of the Mexican Border

Jurgen Wattenberg, ranking officer and a “ring leader” of the escape.

Prisoners at Papago Park

News Articles Related to the Escape

Remnants of World War II Very little remains from Papago’s role in

WW II

A few foundations remain from the camp. The entry at the Arizona Military Museum was a workshop at the POW camp.

Overlay Map of Papago Park

POW Camps in Arizona Buckeye #1, Maricopa County, AZ (branch camp under Pima, 530

Germans)*Buckeye #2, Maricopa County, AZ (branch camp under Pima, 530 Germans)*Casa Grande #1, Pinal County, AZ (branch camp under Florence, 500 Germans)*Casa Grande #2, Pinal County, AZ (branch camp under Florence, 450 Germans)*Continental, Pima County, AZ (branch camp under Pima, 150 Germans)*Cortaro, Pima County, AZ (branch camp under Florence, 300 Germans)*Cotton Center, Maricopa County, AZ (branch camp under Panago Park, AZ, 300 Germans)*Davis-Monthan Air Base, Tucson, Pima County, AZ (base camp, 400 Germans), now Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

POW Camps in Arizona Duncan, Graham County, AZ (branch camp under Pima,

sometimes Florence, AZ, 200 Germans) *Eleven Mile Corner, Pinal County, AZ (branch camp under

Florence, 300 Germans) *Eloy #1, Pinal County, AZ (branch camp under Pima,

sometimes Florence, AZ, 300 Germans)*Eloy #2, Pinal County, AZ (branch camp under Pima, sometimes Florence, AZ, 37 Germans)*Florence (Camp), Florence, Pinal County, AZ 85232 (base camp, 5500 Germans), now Arizona State Prison*Imperial Dam, Yuma County, AZ (base camp, ISU) *Litchfield Park, Maricopa County, AZ (branch camp under Pima, 850 Germans)*Maricopa, Pinal County, AZ (branch camp under Florence, 315 Germans)

POW Camps in Arizona Mt. Graham, Graham County, AZ (branch camp under

Florence, 250 Germans)*Navajo Ordinance Depot, Bellemont, Coconino County, AZ (base camp, 250 Germans)*Pima Prisoner of War Camp, Papago Park, Maricopa County, AZ (base camp, 1800 Germans), bought by the City of Phoenix in 1959*Queens Creek, Maricopa County, AZ (branch camp under Pima, 350 Germans)*Roll, Yuma County, AZ (branch camp under Pima)*Safford, Graham County, AZ (branch camp under Florence, 150 Germans)*Yuma, Yuma County, AZ (branch camp under Pima, 350 Germans)*Yuma Test Station, Yuma, Yuma County, AZ (base camp, 650 ISU)

Sources

http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/pams/road.html   Papago Park POW camp site http://

home.arcor.de/kriegsgefangene/usa/camps_usa/papago_park.html

Arizona Historical Society www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org

Arizona Republic

Objectives The student will be able to:   Examine maps and solve a problem. Examine historical documents about

one of Arizona’s roles in World War II. Discuss how maps form our perception

of a place.

Purpose In this lesson, students will be able to

understand one of the roles that Arizona played during World War II by exploring the German escape from the Papago Park Prisoner of War Camp through an examination of maps from which they will draw conclusions.