John Halverson
Teacher Consultant
Arizona Geographic Alliance
GAIN
WGA
Desert Sands Middle School
Phoenix, Az.
Standards
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National Geography Standards
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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.
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Arizona Geography Standards
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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.
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Arizona History Standards
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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
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Overview
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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 Examine historical documents about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.
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Purpose
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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Have the students do a comparison of their
potential escape route to the historical
route along the Cross Cut Canal.
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Have the students research other POW
camps located in the United States.
Compare them to POW camps in Europe.
Immediately After the Escape
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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?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/pams/road.html
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Papago Park POW camp site
http://home.arcor.de/kriegsgefangene/usa/camps_usa/papago_p
ark.html
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Arizona Historical Society
www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org
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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.