Subjects
Eighth-grade geography and North Carolina history
Competency goals
Social studies: 6.2, 6.3, 6.4
Instructional materials
- North Carolina road maps
- blank outline map of North Carolina (Adobe Acrobat file)
- list of World War II military installations in North Carolina (Adobe Acrobat file)
- Web site: U.S. Naval Activities, World War II, North Carolina table
- colored pencils or crayons
- removable colored dots
Introduction
Upon entering World War II, the United States mobilized its people and resources. To organize and speed those efforts, military installations were built in North Carolina and throughout the country. This lesson looks at the number, locations, and impact of those facilities in the Tar Heel State.
Procedure
Choose an option based on the size or ability of each class and the time allotted for the lesson.
Option 1: Give the students a state road map with latitude/longitude lines, a blank outline map of North Carolina, and the two lists. Have them enter on the blank map the latitude and longitude (absolute location) of the installations on the lists. (You may shorten the lists as time or class ability requires.) Students may search the Web for accurate locations. One helpful site is:
http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=139:1:363653767507778
Option 2: If your class has not yet studied latitude and longitude, have the students use the state road map to find the locations of the installations and place colored dots at those points on the map. The dots will help the students understand the number of military posts and their proximity to each other.
Extension activity
Research a specific military installation and report on its history, environment, and impact on the surrounding community.
To the teacher
The first exercise will help students apply newly acquired latitude/longitude concepts. The names of many installations include hints about their functions, such as munitions inspection, recruitment, gunnery ranges, shipyards, and coastal defenses. Discuss why specific posts were built in certain locations. Have the students color or decorate blank outline maps to aid their visual understanding.