Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Overview: NewsHour Extra feature stories can help students identify and interpret key issues in current events. This activity anticipates one class period, but the follow-up essay might be assigned as homework or in another period.

Warm Up: Use initiating questions to introduce the topic and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Have students read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the questions on the reading comprehension handout.

Discussion: Use discussion questions to encourage students to think about how the issues outlined in the story affect their lives and express and debate different opinions.

Follow-up: Students can write a 500-word editorial on the topic expressing their views and send it to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org] for possible publication.

Evaluation: Students are graded on their answers to reading comprehension questions and/or their editorial.

Story: Coal Mining Under Scrutiny, 01/25/06
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june06/coal_1-25.html

Initiating Questions:

1. Where do you get your electricity?

2. What do you know about coal and coal mining?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. Why has the coal industry been in the news recently?

Recent fatal accidents at U.S. coal mines have raised questions about the industry's safety record and its future in a period of swiftly changing global energy needs.

2. Compare the safety of mining in the U.S. now to mining in the U.S. 100 years ago.

While the deaths of 12 coal minders trapped by an explosion in West Virginia, and two more killed from fire, made coal mining seem extraordinarily dangerous, the industry is much safer today than it was 30 years ago.

In 1907, more than 3,200 miners died in accidents nationwide, compared to 22 last year.

3. How has the government responded to the most recent mining accident deaths?

New technologies and stricter rules have made accidents less frequent, but Congress and local officials say better rule enforcement and possibly more regulations are necessary to keep miners safe.

"Miners shouldn't have to get sick or fear death just to go to work every day," said Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa whose father was a coal miner.

The Senate is holding hearings this week and the governor of West Virginia has proposed safety reforms of his own.

4. Who were the earliest users of coal? When did coal get very popular?

Archaeological findings show the ancient Romans used coal for such purposes as far back as 100 A.D.

Emerging methods of steam-powered transportation, such as boats and railroads, created a strong demand for coal during the Industrial Revolution of the early 1800s.

5. Describe the state of coal mining in the United States? How much coal does the U.S. have and how has mining changed in the past 20 years?

The United States possesses the world's largest known coal reserves. These reserves can supply coal for the next 200-300 years at today's consumption rates, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Coal mines are located in 27 states across the country. Wyoming produces the highest volume.

While the number of mines in the United States has dropped over the past 20 years, their individual sizes have grown.

6. What is U.S. coal used for?

More than 90 percent of all coal mined in the United States is used for creating electricity.

The resulting electrical power accounts for more than half of all power produced in the United States.

Other areas in which coal is used include withdrawing certain ingredients from the mineral to make synthetic materials, or baking it to produce a component used in the creation of steel.

7. Describe the two ways that coal can be extracted from the earth?

Coal can be extracted from the earth two different ways: surface mining and underground mining.

Surface mining is often used when coal is less than 200 feet from ground level. For this process, layers of topsoil are removed until the bed of coal has been reached. Once the coal is removed the original soil is replaced.

Coal deposits further beneath the earth's surface are accessed by drilling large tunnels underground.

8. What impact does the growth in coal mining have for coal miners?

For coals miners that growth has resulted in better job stability, and higher wages.

Where once mining towns were abandoned by young men in search of other work, a new generation of miners is lining up.

Lou Retton, mayor of the West Virginia mining town of Fairmont, told Charles Sheehan of the Chicago Tribune: "We're going to see 800 new coal mine jobs ... the impact on this area is immediate."

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Compare and contrast the state of coal mining in the United States to mining in China. What do you think accounts for the differences? See the following NewsHour Extra story for more information.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec05/toxic_12-07.html

2. Research the most unsafe jobs in this country. Where does coal mining fall on the list? Should people be allowed to work unsafe jobs? If so, how should they be compensated?

3. What are energy alternatives to coal? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

4. Is media coverage of the coal mining disasters helpful in raising awareness of dangerous mining conditions? Or is the media exploiting the accidents for higher ratings?

Write a 300-500 word essay on either of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra (extra@newshour.org). Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.