• Coal Mining Investigation
Activity 3
• Coal Mining Investigation
Objective Students will research and report on the different methods of coal mining.
Materials Internet access, resource books, resource people.
Procedure Introduce basic methods of coal mining: surface mining and underground mining.
Types of surface mining:-Area or mountain top mining is done in relatively flat locations. Coal is removed in one location at a time with large machines such as draglines.-Contour mining is done where coal is located in hills or mountains. Coal is excavated in circular tracks around the landscape.
Types of underground mining:-Longwall mining is used to remove most of the coal in an area underground. A longwall mining machine cuts wide tunnels with rotating disks of steel teeth. Large steel jacks must be used to support the roof to prevent it from collapsing.-Room and pillar mining involves removing part of the coal in an underground site. Much coal is left untouched to support the roof of the tunnels. This underground excavation looks like rectangular rooms, divided by coal pillars. Assign research to investigate mining practices, both past and present. Topics should include the basic process of excavating coal, efficiency of operations, health and safety of miners, economic ramifications and environmental impacts. Land reclamation issues should be included.( Specific dates indicating changes in the industry should be collected for next lesson.) Encourage students to use a variety of resources to gather information, which may include personal interviews of miners. Facilitate class discussion on research findings.
Evaluation Students complete research on mining in written report with references cited.
6