The Great Escape

To love problem solving is to love mathematical thinking.  Problem solving is what mathematics is all about!

I love "The Great Escape" a 1963 movie about allied POW's in a German prison camp during WWII who try to get 250 prisoners out through an escape tunnel.  The movie is based on a true story.

How could they get 250 prisoners out of a heavily guarded compound?  What are the math, engineering, and management skills involved with such an endeavor?

The producers took liberties in the storyline for the sake of selling tickets, but what remains very much accurate are the details of the escape attempt.

We could analyze and calculate various aspects of this escape in class when we complete viewing the movie or just some select clips.

You can get information about the movie and the real "Great Escape" online.

• "TheGreatEscapeMovie"Channel
• The Untold Story
• The Making of "The Great Escape"
• The real "Great Escape"
• Return to The Great Escape
• PBS Nova
• Wikipedia (Movie)
• Wikipedia (Stalag Luft III prison camp)

• Article: Finding the lost tunnel