Lesson plan

Harry Patch

Henry John Patch (17 June 1898 – 25 July 2009), dubbed in his later years "the Last Fighting Tommy", was an English supercentenarian, briefly the oldest man in Europe, and the world's last surviving trench combat soldier of the First World War. Patch was not the longest-surviving soldier of the First World War, but he was the fifth-longest-surviving veteran of any sort from the First World War, behind British veterans Claude Choules and Florence Green, Frank Buckles of the United States and John Babcock of Canada. At the time of his death, aged 111 years and 38 days, Patch was the fourth-oldest man in the world, behind Walter Breuning, Horacio Celi Mendoza, and Jiroemon Kimura.

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Article summary

Henry John Patch (17 June 1898 – 25 July 2009), dubbed in his later years "the Last Fighting Tommy", was an English supercentenarian, briefly the oldest man in Europe, and the world's last surviving trench combat soldier of the First World War. Patch was not the longest-surviving soldier of the First World War, but he was the fifth-longest-surviving veteran of any sort from the First World War, behind British veterans Claude Choules and Florence Green, Frank Buckles of the United States and John Babcock of Canada. At the time of his death, aged 111 years and 38 days, Patch was the fourth-oldest man in the world, behind Walter Breuning, Horacio Celi Mendoza, and Jiroemon Kimura.

Key claims

  1. date of death: 1976 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. date of death: 1989-03-18 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. date of death: 2007-03-19 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. date of death: 2008-11-09 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  5. date of death: 2008-10-26 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  6. date of death: 2005-12-24 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  7. date of death: 2011-05-05 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  8. date of death: 2009-07-18 — 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 death is "1976". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the date of death is "1989-03-18". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the date of death is "2007-03-19". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the date of death is "2008-11-09". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. The record states that the date of death is "2008-10-26". What evidence would count against this claim?
  7. The record states that the date of death is "2005-12-24". What evidence would count against this claim?
  8. The record states that the date of death is "2011-05-05". What evidence would count against this claim?
  9. The record states that the date of death is "2009-07-18". What evidence would count against this claim?
  10. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  11. 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=1376275774

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