Lesson plan
Conulite
(glove for scale) A conulite, also called a mud cup, is a type of dripstone that forms when water drips into a soft sediment, both eroding the sediment and depositing calcite. Because they form in soft sediments when those sediments are washed away, these formations are left standing like ice cream cones stuck in mud. These formations can be white and often have cave pearls inside them. When dripstones (specifically stalagmites) form, they will sometimes create a conulet first, making a kind of 'root' for the stalagmite.
Article summary
(glove for scale) A conulite, also called a mud cup, is a type of dripstone that forms when water drips into a soft sediment, both eroding the sediment and depositing calcite. Because they form in soft sediments when those sediments are washed away, these formations are left standing like ice cream cones stuck in mud. These formations can be white and often have cave pearls inside them. When dripstones (specifically stalagmites) form, they will sometimes create a conulet first, making a kind of 'root' for the stalagmite.
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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.