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Lesson Plan
Other

American Coal Foundation: Lesson Plan: How Was Coal Formed?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Two-part instructional activity in which students learn about when and how coal was formed. They will do research on geologic time frames and order them by eon, era, period, or epoch.
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Lesson Plan
Other

American Coal Foundation: Lesson Plan: Generating Electricity From Coal

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This two-part lesson plan teaches students about the process of generating electricity from coal and helps them research and discover alternate ways for using coal to produce electricity.
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Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: How Does Coal Become a Diamond?

For Students 9th - 10th
This article looks at the properties of coal, graphite, and diamonds, all of which are made from carbon, and explains why they are different. The formation of diamonds inside the Earth is described, and the theories around whether or not...
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Handout
eSchool Today

E School Today: Nonrenewable Energy: Natural Gas

For Students 3rd - 8th
Get the basics on nonrenewable energy. Learn about its uses and conservation.
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Website
US Geological Survey

Usgs: Energy Resources Program

For Students 9th - 10th
Find the latest research and publications on the subject of energy, in particular: oil, gas and coal resources.
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Handout
Other

Penn State University: Energy and Fuels in Society

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, which is provided for by the Penn State University, gives twenty one chapters of charts, graphs, and information on synthetic fuels.
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Handout
Indiana University

Indiana University Bloomington: Reference Documents: Indiana Coal [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A fact card describing the properties and characteristics of Indiana coal, how it formed, the volume of coal resources, their location in the state, and where this coal ranks on a coal scale.
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Handout
Indiana University

Indiana University Bloomington: Geo Notes: Composition of Coal [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the chemical and physical composition of coal and why understanding the chemical properties of coal is important for knowing how to process and use it.
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Handout
Indiana University

Indiana University Bloomington: Geo Notes: Peacock Coal [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes a type of coal called "peacock coal" due to its iridescent color streaks.
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Website
US Department of Energy

Department of Energy: Cleaning Up Coal

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out why coal causes pollution and several techniques that can be used to clean it up.
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Website
Other

First Energy: The Electric Avenue: Energy Fun Factory

For Students 3rd - 8th
Here, students can learn all about energy sources and electricity. Activities include games and calculating energy costs in their homes.
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Activity
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Claim Testers: Episode 4 Fueling the Future

For Students 9th - 10th
The claim tester gang comes face-to-face with Orx-30. This comic focuses around the topic of sustainable forms of energy.
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Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Coal Power Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
This comprehensive study guide covers the main terms and concepts needed for an earth science unit on coal power. Review questions are included at the bottom of the study guide.
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eBook
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Life Science: 7.8 Importance of Plants

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover the importance of plants to the ecosystem nad to humans.
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Website
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academies: Emerging Technologies: Advanced Coal Technologies

For Students 9th - 10th
Coal is still widely used in energy production but is responsible for a third of the carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. New technologies, described here, are being developed to reduce or eliminate these emissions.
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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...
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Handout
Energy for Sustainable Development

Esd Bulgaria: Kids & Energy: Energy Timelines: Coal

For Students 3rd - 5th
A short history of developments in the coal industry.
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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.
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Handout
Kidport

Kidport Reference Library: Energy

For Students 3rd - 5th
A simple introduction to energy, offering information on hydro-electric energy, fossil fuels, nuclear power, solar energy, and wind energy.
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Handout
Other

Black Hills Bentonite: Wyoming Lignite

For Students 9th - 10th
A description of lignite coal as well as an explanation of some of its uses.
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Activity
Other

New Mexico Solar Energy Association: Impacts of Coal Mining

For Students 9th - 10th
The impact of surface or strip coal mining in the United States, and the government response to it, are examined in this article.
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Handout
Other

Kentucky Coal Association: Kentucky Coal Heritage

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief history of coal in the state of Kentucky including explanations of scrip tokens and scatter tags.
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Handout
State Library of North Carolina

N Cpedia: Coal

For Students 9th - 10th
Coal in North Carolina is limited to two belts of Triassic sediment: the sporadic Dan River belt and the larger Deep River belt, which runs along the Deep River in Lee, Moore, and Chatham Counties. Read on to learn about the uses and...
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Handout
Energy4Me

Energy4me: Coal

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the use of coal as a usable form of electricity, and find out the history of this natural resource.