Summary
Table of Contents

During WWII Monopoly game boards, along with other types of games were used to hide small undetectable items such as a tiny compass, files, and silk maps. POW's used the items to escape. When America entered the war, they used the British model to incorporate hidden escape tools into board games through the US Army's Escape and Evasion section, run by the expertise of a Civil Engineer turned Intelligence Officer, Captain, Robley Winfrey. One way to introduce these documents would be: 1) To ask students to come up with a list of items that might be needed to escape from a POW camp. 2) After a list is generated, I would set out several board games and ask students to design a way to hide the items within the game. 3) Then, after sharing their plans, I would use the documents to reveal the actual way items were concealed This could be done through a variety of formats: student research, power point, short film clip, etc. Follow up discussion: technology and ingenuity used to develop for these tools

Learning Goals

To learn technology needed to assist POW's in WWII
To discover the Military procedures and practices for escape tactics during WWII

title "WWII POW Escape Tools: Monopoly and concealment tools" 2024 by Deborah Rowland
under license"Creative Commons Attribution"

Version History

Cite this work

WWII POW Escape Tools: Monopoly and concealment tools

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Deborah Rowland

**monopolyIMG_4345.JPG***Concealed Escape Tools in Board Games*

Concealed Escape Tools in Board Game image by Deborah Rowland

WWII Escape and Evasion Maps

Evasion and Escape Tools

Cribbage Board with Hidden Tools

Stories from Eyewitnesses

National Museum of Air Force Escape Procedures

Download: POW_Work.pdf

Download: Procedures_for_Escape56640.pdf

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Standards

WY.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3

Wyoming Standards for English Language Arts

Grade 7

Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text

Standard: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Degree of Alignment: Not Rated (0 users)

WY.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1

Wyoming Standards for English Language Arts

Grade 7

Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening

Standard: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Degree of Alignment: Not Rated (0 users)

MCCRS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3

Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards

Grade 7

Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text

Standard: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Degree of Alignment: Not Rated (0 users)

MCCRS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1

Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards

Grade 7

Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening

Degree of Alignment: Not Rated (0 users)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3

Common Core State Standards English Language Arts

Grade 7

Cluster: Key Ideas and Details.

Standard: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Degree of Alignment: Not Rated (0 users)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1

Common Core State Standards English Language Arts

Grade 7

Cluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.

Degree of Alignment: Not Rated (0 users)