Curated OER
Coal Camps and Mining Towns
Young scholars should gain a better understanding of the processes involved in extracting coal from the Earth as a result of this instructional activity. They reearch the history of coal mining, look into coal mining towns, and create a...
Park City Historical Society & Museum
Mining and Milling: The Story of Park City
Study the chemistry of mining! Through nine lessons in the unit, learners explore different concepts related to mining. Their study ranges from rock and mineral analysis to the environmental impact of dynamite and the chemical reaction...
Curated OER
A Golden Opportunity for Science
Students participate in a varity of activities surrounding "gold." They explore the science, myths, and legends about gold and conduct a debate over the environmental problems created by gold mining in a small small mining town.
Curated OER
Introduction to Mining in Utah
Students come up with a definition of mining together as a class. They take notes and explore how three mining towns in Nevada were begun.
Curated OER
Coal Mine Industrial Picture Analysis
Learners observe coal mine pictures. In this US history lesson, students analyze the pictures realizing that history is shown in pictures and then write a newspaper article about life in a coal town using the pictures as sources of...
Curated OER
Edible Coal Mining
Learners explore the concept of bituminous coal and the role it plays within our world. In this economic and earth science lesson, students discover and model the extraction methods with hands-on activities. Learners also identify the...
Curated OER
Miners of the Prairie: The Days of Shaft Mining in Northern Illinois
Students explore the life and times of a coal miner in Illinois through the analysis of primary source documents and images.
Curated OER
Patchtowns: Big Industry, Little Towns
Students explore what it was like to live in a coal mining town. In this history lesson plan, students discuss specific details about the lives of coal company workers and their families.
Curated OER
Mining for Natural Resources
Students discover that mining for nonrenewable natural resources has a dramatic effect on our environment. They gain an understanding of the processes involved in harvesting a natural resource and the impact it has on the earth.
Curated OER
Debate in the Classroom: The Pebble Mine Pundits
High schoolers research and debate the pros and cons of the Pebble Mine in Alaska from a variety of perspectives. They also write a position paper that either supports or opposed Pebble Mine develpoment.
Curated OER
Days of '49: "I've Been Toiling Hard for the Last Two And a Half Years"
Learners trace the stages of gold mining in California. They discuss the life of a gold miner and how the discovery of gold influenced towns and cities in California during the 1949 Gold Rush.
Curated OER
The Birth of a Rocky Mountain City and Railroad: Georgetown and the Loop Railroad
Students explore the evolution of a town. In this social studies instructional activity, students discuss why Georgetown and the Georgetown Loop Railroad were developed and discuss life as a prospector. Students write a letter explaining...
Curated OER
Gold Rush -- Lesson 4
Students continue their examination of the Gold Rush in California. In groups, they use a map to examine the original sites of the towns and what happened to them. They work together to create a brochure for one of the towns and...
Curated OER
Physical Location; How a Border Town Might Develop
Students speculate how a location can develop into a large town. They investigate the physical resources and how populations can grow. There are guiding questions to help students through the research and class discussion. Students make...
Curated OER
Life in a Coal Patch
Young scholars study life in a coal patch town. In this American History instructional activity, students read material about life for coal miners and their families. They answer questions, create a poster, and complete a creative...
Curated OER
Every Building Tells a Story
Examine images from past that depict buildings and towns from their own communities, and compare images with photographs taken at present locations, interview local architect and compare role of 19th Century architect to 21st Century...
Reed Novel Studies
Moon Over Manifest: Novel Study
Manifest, Kansas is a town where anything is possible. Scholars explore the fictional setting using an engaging novel study on Clare Vanderpool's Moon Over Manifest. After answering questions about the text and complete a vocabulary...
Curated OER
Metaphorical Gold: Mining the Gold Rush for Stories
Young scholars complete a history and research lesson about the Gold Rush using selections from Jack London. In this Gold rush research lesson, students research the Klondike/Alaska Gold Rush and use details from the history in their own...
Curated OER
Thurmond: A Town Born from Coal Mines and Railroads (28)
Students examine the complex and often dangerous daily routines at the Thurmond train depot, and explore how rail workers were immortalized by some of the people they served.
Curated OER
Signs of Mine
In this reading and life skills instructional activity, students practice recognizing common signs that would see around town and at school. Examples are, stop signs, exit signs, etc. After a class discussion where examples are given,...
Curated OER
The Struggle to Organize
Students analyze correspondence and a news release regarding the Harlan, Kentucky, mine strike of 1931-1932. They use these documents to discuss the problems of organizing industrial trade unions before the New Deal.
Curated OER
Follow the Road to Riches
Students study the story of gold and silver mining in the San Juan region. Through the use of interactive video and the Internet, they will examine the various events occurring at this time. They create a timeline highlighting the major...
Curated OER
Boom and Bust Exploring Bannack, Montana's Colorful Past
Students study what life was like for the early settlers of Bannack, Montana after gold was discovered. They explain the important buildings and then, why Bannack became a ghost town. They participate in a gold mining simulation.
Curated OER
Bauxite: More Than A Small Town
Students identify the mineral bauxite and its impact on the community and the world. They use the Internet to research the mineral and its uses. They draw a picture depicting the uses of bauxite.