Lesson plan
Karoo
The Karoo ( ; likely from Khoikhoi (also known as Khoekhoegowab/Namagowab or Hottentot language) word ) is a semidesert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its extent is also not precisely defined. The Karoo is partly defined by its topography, geology and climate, and above all, its low rainfall, arid air, cloudless skies, and extremes of heat and cold. The Karoo is also known for the exposure of fossiliferous rocks of the Karoo Supergroup, which record in detail ecological changes in the region when it formed part of southern Pangaea from the Middle Permian to the Early Jurassic, around 270 to 200 million years ago. The Karoo formed an almost impenetrable barrier to the interior from Cape Town, and early adventurers, explorers, hunters, and travelers on the way to the Highveld unanimously denounced it as a frightening place of great heat, great frosts, great floods, and great droughts. Today, it is still a place of great heat and frosts, with an annual rainfall of between . On some of the surrounding mountains it can be higher than on the plains. However, underground water is found throughout the Karoo, which is tapped by boreholes, making permanent settlements and sheep farming possible.…
Article summary
The Karoo ( ; likely from Khoikhoi (also known as Khoekhoegowab/Namagowab or Hottentot language) word ) is a semidesert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its extent is also not precisely defined. The Karoo is partly defined by its topography, geology and climate, and above all, its low rainfall, arid air, cloudless skies, and extremes of heat and cold. The Karoo is also known for the exposure of fossiliferous rocks of the Karoo Supergroup, which record in detail ecological changes in the region when it formed part of southern Pangaea from the Middle Permian to the Early Jurassic, around 270 to 200 million years ago. The Karoo formed an almost impenetrable barrier to the interior from Cape Town, and early adventurers, explorers, hunters, and travelers on the way to the Highveld unanimously denounced it as a frightening place of great heat, great frosts, great floods, and great droughts. Today, it is still a place of great heat and frosts, with an annual rainfall of between . On some of the surrounding mountains it can be higher than on the plains. However, underground water is found throughout the Karoo, which is tapped by boreholes, making permanent settlements and sheep farming possible.…
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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.