Coal mining

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/coal-mining

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the composition?Primarily carbon, with varying amounts of hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen
2. What is the primary industrial uses?Electricity generation, iron extraction for steel production, and cement manufacturing
3. What is coal and why do we use it?Coal is a black or brownish rock made mostly of carbon from old plants. It gives a lot of energy when burned, so it powers factories, trains, and electricity.
4. How do miners get coal from the ground?Miners dig it out in big pits or tunnels. In open‑cut mining, machines remove the soil above the coal and trucks haul it away. In underground mining, machines cut large panels of coal and move it with conveyors.

Sedimentary Rock: Rock formed from accumulated mineral or organic particles, often in layers.
Fossil Fuel: A natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Gases released into the atmosphere that trap heat, contributing to global warming.
Just Transition: Ensuring that the shift to a green economy benefits all workers and communities.