Lesson plan

MicroTAC

The MicroTAC is a series of cellular phones that was marketed by Motorola from 1989 until approximately 2000. The MicroTACs pioneered a new "flip" design in cellular handsets that was considered innovative and more compact compared to previous "brick" phones, such as Motorola's own DynaTAC line. The MicroTAC's design consisted of the "mouthpiece" being folded over the keypad. On later production models the "mouthpiece" was actually located in the base of the phone, along with the ringer. This set the standard and became the model for later clamshell design phones, which Motorola adopted in the StarTAC in 1996. The first MicroTAC model was released for analog networks. In 1994, GSM-compatible and TDMA/Dual-Mode versions were introduced, followed by a CDMA-compatible version in 1997.

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Article summary

The MicroTAC is a series of cellular phones that was marketed by Motorola from 1989 until approximately 2000. The MicroTACs pioneered a new "flip" design in cellular handsets that was considered innovative and more compact compared to previous "brick" phones, such as Motorola's own DynaTAC line. The MicroTAC's design consisted of the "mouthpiece" being folded over the keypad. On later production models the "mouthpiece" was actually located in the base of the phone, along with the ringer. This set the standard and became the model for later clamshell design phones, which Motorola adopted in the StarTAC in 1996. The first MicroTAC model was released for analog networks. In 1994, GSM-compatible and TDMA/Dual-Mode versions were introduced, followed by a CDMA-compatible version in 1997.

Key claims

  1. release date: 1989-04-25 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. release date: 1989 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. release date: 1992 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. release date: 1900 — 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 release date is "1989-04-25". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the release date is "1989". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the release date is "1992". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the release date is "1900". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  7. 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=1368930739

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