Croydon

Article summary

Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive shopping area. The entire town had a population of 192,064 as of 2011, whilst the wider borough had a population of 384,837. Historically an ancient parish in the Wallington Hundred of Surrey, at the time of the Norman Conquest of England, Croydon had a church, a mill, and around 365 inhabitants, as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Croydon expanded in the Middle Ages as a market town and a centre for charcoal production, leather tanning and brewing, with the brewing industry in particular remaining strong for hundreds of years. The Surrey Iron Railway from Croydon to Wandsworth opened in 1803 and was an early public railway. Later 19th century railway building facilitated Croydon's growth as a commuter town for London. By the early 20th century, Croydon was an important industrial area, known for car manufacture, metalworking and Croydon Airport. In the mid 20th century these sectors were replaced by retailing and the service economy, brought about by massive redevelopment which saw the rise of office blocks and the Whitgift Centre, the largest shopping centre in Greater London until 2008.…

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1885 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1859 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of birth: 1968 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of birth: 1959 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. date of birth: 1986 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
6. date of establishment: 1860 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
7. date of establishment: 1976 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
8. date of establishment: 1994 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
9. date of formation: 1889 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
10. date of formation: 1930 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
11. date of foundation: 1871 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
12. population: 365 inhabitants — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
13. release date: 1982 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
14. students: 13,000 students — 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 date of birth is "1885". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1859". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of birth is "1968". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of birth is "1959". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the date of birth is "1986". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. The record states that the date of establishment is "1860". What evidence would count against this claim?
8. The record states that the date of establishment is "1976". What evidence would count against this claim?
9. The record states that the date of establishment is "1994". What evidence would count against this claim?
10. The record states that the date of formation is "1889". What evidence would count against this claim?
11. The record states that the date of formation is "1930". What evidence would count against this claim?
12. The record states that the date of foundation is "1871". What evidence would count against this claim?
13. The record states that the population is "365 inhabitants". What evidence would count against this claim?
14. The record states that the release date is "1982". What evidence would count against this claim?
15. The record states that the students is "13,000 students". What evidence would count against this claim?
16. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
17. 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=1378289332