Grades 6-8 Lesson Plan - Map Stratego

Map 15 Main Page

Core Map: "Rand McNally Polar Map of the World," in Rand McNally World Atlas, Premier Edition (Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1944). Newberry Library call number: Rand McNally Collection, Atlases, World Atlas Premier Edition, 1944. © 1944 by RMC, R.L.03-S-87. www.randmcnally.com (Printable PDF version of the Core Map)

Overview
The core map caused people to look differently at the proximity of the U.S. to other countries and opened the eyes of many to the possibility that the United States was not far removed from the war in Europe and Asia. In this lesson students determine strategic locations for defense against attack.

Objectives
By the end of this lesson students are expected to:

1. use the core map to analyze coast lines and distances to develop a strategic defense plan for the U.S. during World War II.
2. calculate distances for different latitudes using a polar projection

Key Terms
strategic defense

Materials
Computer image or overhead of the core map, copies of the core map, globe

Time
Two 40 minute periods, plus homework

Getting Started

1. Display the core map and discuss its perspective on the world during U.S. involvement in World War II (see curator's notes). Discuss what nations were at war with each other.

2. Have students determine reasons why the arc routes are given on this map.

3. Show students how to use the scale of miles for this map (see Curator's notes for an explanation). Have students calaulate the distancebetween several large cities.

4. Note that air distances are given on the map. Have students identify the air distance between Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santigo, Chile and between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL.

Developing the Lesson

1. The core map emphasized the proximity of the United States to countries at war. Ask students to identify from what countries the U.S. was vulnerable. Discuss technology and methods of warfare that were possible at the time. For example, the Japanese developed a torpedo for shallow water and use aircraft carriers to maneuver planes closer to targets; the Germans were adept at submarine warfare and were within site of the U.S. coast. Discuss what strategies might have been used to attack the U.S. Discuss why defenses would most likely be coastal.

2. Divide students into groups of 3-4. Distribute a copy of the core map to each group. Each group should develop a plan of strategy for defending the U.S., locating five strategic defense positions with an X. (The center of the X is the exact location.) Within the group students should discuss reasons for their locations. They should not show their maps to other groups.

3. Pair up the groups to play a strategic defense game. Distribute a new desk copy of the core map to the groups. One group should represent the Allies and one the Axis powers. The Axis powers get to attack the U.S. in five locations. They should briefly discuss their strategy and then identify where they would invade by placing five dots on the new map. The plan should be feasible based on warfare technology of the time. The Allied group will then reveal their strategic defense plan. Were they able to ward off the attack? Referring to their strategic defense plan, if the Allied group has an X within 100 miles of the Axis dot, they have defended the country. The Axis group gets one point for each attack point that that is undefended. The groups should change roles. Continue as a round robin, having winners playing winners until the best strategic group wins.

4. Discuss: If a foreign country was to invade the U.S. (during World War II), where would they attack and why? Have the class discuss logical positions of strategic defense systems and reasons for their locations.

5. Distribute a new copy of the core map to each student. Have each student reflect on teh defensive strategies used in teh game and plan five locations for U.S. strategic defense positions. Each position should be marked with a dot and a number. Below the map, students should explain why each location was chosen as a strategic defense position, protecting the U.S. from foreign invasion during World War II. In a summary paragraph, students should explain how the core map is beneficial to understanding the United States' location in relationship to the Axis powers.

Evaluation
Using a four point scale (4=exellent, 3=very good, 2=good, 1=fair), evaluate the work done in concluding the lesson.

For 4 points, the student locates five positions for strategic defense of the U.S. on the core map and identifies logical reasons for the positions. The summary paragraph indicates an understanding that the core map shows the close proximity of the U.S. to both Europe and Asia, something tradition maps did not do. It also explains how attack could affect shipping routes and trade. Student participates cooperatively in the small group decisions and game.

For 3 points, the student locates five positions for strategic defense of the U.S. on the core map and identifies reasons for the positions. The summary paragraph indicates an understanding that the core map shows the close proximity of the U.S. to both Europe and Asia, something tradition maps did not do. Student participates cooperatively in the small group decisions and game.

For 2 points, the student locates less than five positions for strategic defense of the U.S. on the core map and does not state logical reasons for the positions. The summary paragraph indicates that the core map shows the U.S., Europe and Asia. Student participates cooperatively in the small group decisions and game.

For 1 point, the student locates less than five positions for strategic defense of the U.S. on the core map and does not identify reasons for the positions. The summary paragraph indicates that the core map shows the U.S. Student participates with limited input in the small group decisions and game.

For 0 points, the student meets less than, if any, of the requirements for 1 point.

Extensions

1. Have students research the Strategic Defense System of the U.S. today to discover where the U.S. has coastal military bases and why. Map the locations.
2. Discuss how the U. S. strategic defense plan has changed since World War II and why.
3. Study the coastal defenses of Germany along the English Channel. Discuss the strategy of the D-Day invasion to overcome these defenses.
4. Tell students that the cartographer of this map was accused of creating it as propaganda. If this was true, what would the message be and to whom?