Grade Levels:
4-8, developed for 5th Grade

Subjects:
Social Studies/History, Language Arts, Technology

Learner Outcome:

• Students will develop an awareness of how coal used to be mined and how the changes in technology affect coal mining.
• Students will become aware of the cultural history of their area.
• Students will develop interviewing skills.

Duration of Lesson:
Three, 45 minute class periods

Materials:
Display of old mining items, book - PowerPoint Introduction, King Coal, film, History of West Virginia, students' glossary notebooks, highlighters of various colors, fact sheet

Technology Tools/Courseware:
video equipment & data projector
power point presentation for wrap-up purposes

Teacher notes:
To make these interviews a success, enlist the help of 4 senior citizens from your community whom have a good rapport with youth. Make sure these seniors have roots dealing with the mining industry. Set up interviewing time for each group during the related arts time slot. A short lesson in interviewing etiquette might be needed.

Procedures:
Day 1: PowerPoint Introduction--Display of materials.
Day 2: Have each interviewing group introduce their topic, person interviewed, and show their taped interview.
Discuss each tape and topic.
List of Sample Questions
Day 3: Show film-History of West Virginia or The Rock That Burns
Discuss selected pictures in King Coal.
Possible topics include coal camps, scrip, use of canary, mine safety, etc. (review display of materials).
Compare film and book to oral interviews.
Review facts with students by highlighting sections of the student glossary/fact notebook

Modifications:
Students who do not have good communication skills will be allowed to work equipment.
Students will be heterogeneous grouped.
Highlighting facts instead of writing notes.

Enrichment Activities:
Students can conduct individual interviews at home.

Evaluation/Assessment:
A rubric for the taped interview, both technology usage and oral expression.

WV IGOs:
Language Arts:  5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.13,5.14,5.61
Technology: 5.58
Social Studies/History: 5.48, 5.56

National Standards:

Historical Understanding

2.  Understand the historical perspective.

4.  Gathers and uses information for research purposes.
8.  Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes.
9.  Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media.

6.  Understand the nature and uses of different form of technology.

1.  Understands family life now and in the past, and family life in various places long ago.

References:
King Coal-A Pictorial Heritage of West Virginia Coal Mining by: Stan Cohen
"The History of Coal in America" handout by Bethlehem Steel
History of West Virginia film by WNPB
The Rock That Burns film
 

Authors:
Jeanne Brewster
Helen Curry
Judy Smith