Handout
Other

World Coal Association: Coal Mining

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the effects of coal mining on the environment, the rehabilitation of land after mining, and proper mining management.
Activity
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Activities: Cookie Mining

For Students 3rd - 8th
An activity where students simulate the process of extracting coal from the ground using chocolate chip cookies. They then calculate the costs involved to determine whether coal mining is profitable.
Handout
Other

Athro, Limited: Formation of Coal

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes how coal is formed using a chart and great pictures.
Handout
University of Kentucky

Kentucky Geological Survey: How Is Coal Formed?

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the evolution of dead plant matter into coal.
Handout
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Coal Background

For Students 9th - 10th
A resource page on coal. Learn what coal is, what it is used for, its sources, how it is mined, and advantages and disadvantages.
Handout
Ohio State University

E History: Hazards of 19th Century Coal Mining

For Students 9th - 10th
Information from an Ohio State University site. You can read about the many hazards coal miners in the 19th century faced while digging coal to fuel the emerging industry of America.
Website
Other

Mine Safety and Health Administration: Our Page for Kids

For Students 3rd - 5th
Site from the Mine Safety and Health Administration that aims at teaching children about mining, prospecting, mine safety, and what the human body needs from natural resources.
Website
Ohio State University

E History: Coal Mining in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era

For Students 9th - 10th
A look into the coal mining industry in the Gilded Age through maps, timelines, images, and primary source documents.
Website
Other

Appalachian Voices: I Love Mountains: What Is Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining?

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains what mountaintop coal mining is, the stages involved, where it is being done in the United States, and the impact on local communities and the environment.
Handout
Indiana University

Indiana Univ. Bloomington: Geo Notes: History of Coal Mining in Indiana [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief history of coal mining in Indiana.
Handout
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission

Explore Pa History: Mining Anthracite

For Students 9th - 10th
Examine the economic and historical impact of anthracite mining in Pennsylvania's rich history. Included in this historical account are video, interactive, audio, and pictorial artifacts.
Website
Other

Colorado Coal Field War History

For Students 9th - 10th
Presented is a fascinating detailed account of the 1913-1914 Colorado Coal Strike that went on for 14 months and resulted in 66 deaths. Although the coal miners lost, they ultimately came to see the strike as a victory in many ways....
Handout
Other

Earth Science Australia: Coal Types, Formation and Methods of Mining

For Students 9th - 10th
This informative site lists four stages in the development of coal. Different types of coal mines are explained in this site as well.
Article
US Department of Labor

U.s. Department of Labor: The Coal Strike of 1902: Turning Point in u.s. Policy

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the background of coal miners and coal mine operators prior to the coal strike in 1902. Find out the significant role of the federal government in bringing the strike to an end.
Handout
Other

West Virginia Office of Mhs & T: West Virginia Coal Mining Facts

For Students 4th - 8th
The history and economy of the mining industry in West Virginia are presented.
Article
A&E Television

History.com: How the 1966 Aberfan Mine Disaster Became Elizabeth Ii's Biggest Regret

For Students 9th - 10th
The Aberfan disaster wiped out a generation of Welsh school children and devastated the nation. An avalanche of coal waste slid down a rain-saturated mountainside. It destroyed everything it touched, eventually killing 144 people, most...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Why the Arctic Is Climate Change's Canary in the Coal Mine

For Students 9th - 10th
William Chapman explains why scientists often describe the Arctic as the "canary in the coal mine" when it comes to climate change. [3:59]
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Environmental Impacts of Mining

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes types of mining, their environmental costs, and reclamation.
Lesson Plan
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Hands on Experiments to Test for Acid Mine Drainage

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Fifteen short experiments which test acid mine damage to the streams, rivers, and creek ecosystems surrounding it.
Handout
Texas Railroad Commission

Texas Railroad Commission: Kids World: History of Coal Use

For Students 3rd - 5th
This one-page summary provides many facts about the history and origin of coal in providing humans with heat and energy.
Handout
US Energy Information Administration

U.s. Eia Energy Kids: Timelines: Coal

For Students 9th - 10th
Timeline of key milestones in the use of coal as a source of energy in America.
Handout
Energy for Sustainable Development

Esd Bulgaria: Kids & Energy: Coal

For Students 3rd - 5th
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons. It is the most abundant fossil fuel produced in the United States. Coal is also a nonrenewable energy source because it takes...
Graphic
Curated OER

Children Mining Coal

For Students 9th - 10th
Children mining coal in Kingston, Pennsylvania, circa 1900.
Handout
Other

Illinois Labor History Society: Early Days of Coal Mining in Northern Illinois

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the coal boom of the late 1860s and learn about the difficult lives of the miners and their families.

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