Lesson plan
Mrdini
The Mrdini are a fictional extraterrestrial species from the Rowan/Talent series by Anne McCaffrey. They first appear in the novel Damia. The Mrdini, or 'Dinis, are described as looking somewhat like bipedal weasels with one eye. They grow continuously throughout life, and size—along with the number of letters in their name—is an indicator of status in Mrdini culture. For instance, a young 'Dini would have three letters in its name and be about the size of a child, whereas High Councillor Gktmglnt, co-president of the Human-Mrdini Alliance High Council, had more than twice the number of letters and was large enough to tower over most humans. They originate from a planet called Clarf, a world with very bright sunlight and a warmer average climate than Earth. The Mrdini, at the time of first contact with humans, had already colonized several star systems using slower-than-light travel; when they finally met humans, they were given their own Prime Tower (in this series, some humans called Prime Talents, using generators in specialized facilities called Towers, have the ability to psychically teleport matter over interstellar distances). The Mrdini culture has been shaped by generations of warfare with the rapacious colonizers called the Hivers.…
Article summary
The Mrdini are a fictional extraterrestrial species from the Rowan/Talent series by Anne McCaffrey. They first appear in the novel Damia. The Mrdini, or 'Dinis, are described as looking somewhat like bipedal weasels with one eye. They grow continuously throughout life, and size—along with the number of letters in their name—is an indicator of status in Mrdini culture. For instance, a young 'Dini would have three letters in its name and be about the size of a child, whereas High Councillor Gktmglnt, co-president of the Human-Mrdini Alliance High Council, had more than twice the number of letters and was large enough to tower over most humans. They originate from a planet called Clarf, a world with very bright sunlight and a warmer average climate than Earth. The Mrdini, at the time of first contact with humans, had already colonized several star systems using slower-than-light travel; when they finally met humans, they were given their own Prime Tower (in this series, some humans called Prime Talents, using generators in specialized facilities called Towers, have the ability to psychically teleport matter over interstellar distances). The Mrdini culture has been shaped by generations of warfare with the rapacious colonizers called the Hivers.…
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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.