Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Safety vs. Energy
Political cartoons are a poignant way to examine energy sources. This analysis handout has scholars examining a cartoon by Joe Heller (a link to his gallery is included for possible extensions). Background information reminds pupils of...
National First Ladies' Library
Mining Disasters
Learners examine the risks and sacrifices miners have made in order for all of us to have the use of precious metals. They explore the "Miners Museum" website and read the article on uses of coal. They brainstorm a list of what would be...
Curated OER
Digging for Knowledge
Students explore coal mining in Great Britain. In this mining lesson, students visit selected museums and learning centers online and in person to study mining processes, the history of mining, and mining disasters.
Curated OER
Documenting the Great Depression
Students compare and contrast two photographs from the Great Depression, and identify the ways in which the photographers depicted the hardships of everyday life during this period. They hypothesize about the story behind each photograph...
Other
Cape Breton Miners' Museum: History of Mining
The first coal mine was opened in Cape Breton in 1720. Read about the long history of coal mining there, mining techniques, how coal is formed, the industry's impact on immigration, coal miners' unionization, etc. There is a detailed...
Other
Cape Breton Miners' Museum: Mine Explosion in New Waterford, 1917 [Pdf]
Sixty-five men and boys died in the 1917 mining disaster at New Waterford in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. This collection of first-hand accounts has several interviews, news articles and documentation from the subsequent inquest. Reading...
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Expore Pa History: Stories From Pa History: Labor Strikes and Mine Disasters
Read about the dangers of coal mining in Pennsylvania, the emergence of unions in an attempt to protect the miners, and some of the mining disasters that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Other
Interview With Melissa Fay Greene
Melissa Fay Greene is the author of "Last Man Out: The Story of the Springhill Mine Disaster" a book published in 2004 about the 1958 Springhill Mine Disaster. Ms. Greene is an accomplished American author and National Book Award...