Lesson plan

Broad Arrow

The broad arrow, of which the pheon is a variant, is a stylised representation of a metal arrowhead, comprising a tang and two barbs meeting at a point. It is a symbol used traditionally in heraldry, most notably in England, and later by the British government to mark government property. It became particularly associated with the Board of Ordnance, and later the War Department and the Ministry of Defence. It was exported to other parts of the British Empire, where it was used in similar official contexts. It is sometimes nicknamed the crows foot. In heraldry, the arrowhead generally points downwards, whereas in other contexts it more usually points upwards.

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Article summary

The broad arrow, of which the pheon is a variant, is a stylised representation of a metal arrowhead, comprising a tang and two barbs meeting at a point. It is a symbol used traditionally in heraldry, most notably in England, and later by the British government to mark government property. It became particularly associated with the Board of Ordnance, and later the War Department and the Ministry of Defence. It was exported to other parts of the British Empire, where it was used in similar official contexts. It is sometimes nicknamed the crows foot. In heraldry, the arrowhead generally points downwards, whereas in other contexts it more usually points upwards.

Key claims

  1. publication date: 1833 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. publication date: 1827 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the publication date is "1833". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the publication date is "1827". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1357087711

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.