Lesson plan
Butte
and Merrick Butte in Monument Valley, Utah–Arizona In geomorphology, a butte ( ) is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word butte comes from the French word ( ), meaning 'knoll' (of any size); its use is prevalent in the Western United States, including the Southwest, where is used for the larger landform. To differentiate the two landforms, geographers use the rule of thumb that a mesa has a top that is wider than its height, while a butte has a top that is narrower than its height. Due to their distinctive shapes, buttes are frequently landmarks in plains and mountainous areas.
Article summary
and Merrick Butte in Monument Valley, Utah–Arizona In geomorphology, a butte ( ) is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word butte comes from the French word ( ), meaning 'knoll' (of any size); its use is prevalent in the Western United States, including the Southwest, where is used for the larger landform. To differentiate the two landforms, geographers use the rule of thumb that a mesa has a top that is wider than its height, while a butte has a top that is narrower than its height. Due to their distinctive shapes, buttes are frequently landmarks in plains and mountainous areas.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.