When Kids Educate Us!!

A friend of mine relayed a story that took place at their dinner table last week.  I thought it was funny, yet true...

They were sitting down eating dinner and the conversation went like this:

Dad: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Son:  "A fire-fighter or a marine."

Dad:  "I wanted to be in the military, but I couldn't.  I'm sad, because I really wanted to serve my country."

Son:  "Dad, you DO serve our country!!  You help us have electricity so we can see!!"

The Dad is a coal miner. :-)

Teaching the Truth about Coal

As I was searching for ideas on how to incorporate all that I learned this summer into lessons for my classes, I ran across this article from the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/energy-industry-shapes-lessons-in-public-schools/2011/05/25/AGRaXYHH_story.html

It is about a teacher in Coeburn, VA who has written and used lessons promoting the opportunities that coal mining provides to rural areas.  I found it quite interesting!!

Day 6: Rockspring Coal Mine

My hero...in more ways than one!

Before I begin to talk about the events of today, I have to give a little personal history.  I grew up in Southwest Virginia where coal mining is a big deal.  Our coal mines are mostly underground.  Because of the culture of the area, rarely did I hear arguments opposing coal.  Instead I have grown up seeing "Friends of Coal" bumper stickers and have many friends who work in the mines.  I understand the benefits and risks of working underground.  I personally knew two men who have been killed in mine accidents.  But my first true admiration for miners came from one of the most influential people in my life...Chris Hamilton (aka Coachie), my high school basketball coach.  He is one of the hardest workers and most dedicated people I've ever met.  He (and his wonderful family!!) taught me much more than just how to play basketball, he taught me how to LIVE with passion, dedication, integrity, and a good work ethic.  With that being said...

This morning we visited Rockspring Coal Mine, a division of Alpha Natural Resources in East Lynn, WV.  I have enjoyed each day of our trip, but today was the day I was looking forward to the most.  Ever since hearing Coachie's stories, I have wanted to go underground and today I had that amazing opportunity.  It was as breathtaking as I had imagined...but not nearly as scary as I thought.  We road the cart on tracks a couple of miles underground and then took rubber-wheeled carts a little farther to the site that was currently being mined.  We saw a continuous miner at work, carts dumping the mined coal onto the conveyor belt, roof bolts being put into place, and I even got to walk alongside part of the conveyor belt to see how they inspect it during each shift.  It was truly an experience of a lifetime and I don't even know how to begin putting it into words.  

When we came back outside, the manager showed us a slide show.  On the title page was the picture I have posted above.  I remember thinking, "That's a cool pic."  But then I looked at the faces and realized that Coachie (far left) and his son, Derick (far right), were in it!  That just brought it all home for me...and I don't think I've stopped smiling yet!  It was just a wonderful way to end a great week!!  I can't wait to share everything I've learned with my students, family, and friends.  While coal is essential to our daily living, the influence of a coal miner has forever changed the WAY I will live my life.  That is why I will always have a passion for learning and educating people about coal mining. 

Day 5: Reclaimed Mine Sites, CoalMac Surface Mine, Mt. Laurel Processing Plant

Reclaimed Mine Sites
One of the most interesting parts of this coal "experience" has been the discussions about what can be done with the land after mining has taken place.  Today we had the chance to visit several sites that showed wonderful examples of how the land can be reclaimed.  We began this morning with a stop at a strip mall near Chapmanville.  The shopping center has been built on a former mine site.  Interestingly enough, the underground mine was not filled in before the construction took place.  Currently, they are having to go back and "fix" the shortcuts that were taken which is probably costing more than it would have if it was done right the first time...definitely a life lesson we can pass on to our students!

We also saw an airport that was built on the top of a mountain on a reclaimed mine site.  Some other purposed land is used for grazing cattle, golf courses, and schools.


CoalMac Surface Mine
Everyday it seems as though I have had a new "highlight" of the trip.  Well today my experiences were topped once again as we visited a current mine site.  What made this site so interesting was that we were able to see all the different stages of mining side by side.  There was land where mining hasn't begun, current mining taking place, and all kinds of different stages of reclaimed land.  I found it especially interesting that many of the complaints about how the reclaimed land doesn't look like it did before being mined, is actually due to the requirements that are set for the exact way the mine companies have to contour the "new" mountains.  When hearing the whole story it made total sense how you must take into account preventing erosion and the different stages of planting grass, then brush and trees.  We saw a piece of land that was mined six years ago and it was astounding how natural things were beginning to look.  There was also wildlife including deer, wild turkeys, bears, grasshoppers, etc...

Mountain Laurel Processing Plant
The whole experience...  We have studied early coal mining and the changes that have taken place, seen the past and present coal mines, but now we had the chance to see the processing plant where the coal is cleaned.  We actually were able to walk through the entire plant and see the complete process.  It was yet another completely different view of things.  I always thought I knew a lot about coal, but now I realize how wrong I have been!

A few thoughts...
At dinner tonight, Steve asked his "question of the day."  What can you take back to your students immediately??  I instantly thought about the variety of jobs that we saw displayed today.  The stereotypical coal miner (at least in my limited view) is an underground miner like you see on the Spike TV show, Coal.  Yet, we have seen such a range of jobs from truck drivers to engineers (mining, civil, environmental, and electrical) to human resources to manufacturers to well...you get the point.  I don't think my students realize how many different types of opportunities await them and the amount of money they can make by taking advantage of them.  Sure I want to apply what we have learned to math, but even more than that, I want to apply it to the lives of my students.  After all, I don't just teach math, I teach students...the very people that will determine the future of our state and country.  First, I want them to learn that to form an opinion on a subject you need to hear ALL sides of the story and experience things for yourself and THEN come to your conclusion.  (Math application:  There are many ways to get a correct answer to just about any problem, but my students need to be able to explain how they came to their conclusions.)  Second, I want them to be aware of their surroundings and the future that awaits them and that starts by having an appreciation for the history and future of our state, country, and world and a good place to start is with our natural resources.

Day 4: Beckley Exhibition Mine

Underground at Beckley Exhibition Mine

Beckley Exhibition Mine
This morning we began by going underground in the exhibition mine.  Marvin was an excellent tour guide! We rode a little cart through the mine and Marvin showed us how mining was done back in the early 1900's as well as the changes that have taken place since then. Coal mining always brings back good memories because my high school basketball coach was a coal miner and would tell us stories on our bus trips.  Often he would come to practice straight from work still covered in coal dust. As we rode through the mine, I found myself reverting back to those days and picturing Coach doing each of the jobs. It really brought things to life for me since I finally had a picture to go with all the stories I heard over the years.

Traditional Schoolhouse in the Early 1900's

We also had the chance to tour the buildings they had representing houses, schools, churches, stores, etc... of the time period.  The funniest thing we saw was the rules for teachers in 1915...including the fact that they were required to wear "at least" two petticoats.  They also had a list of bad behaviors and how many lashes were given as punishment for each.

Highwall Miner

Highwall Miner Manufacturer
We went to see the manufacturing plant in Beckley where highwall miners are made.  It is a really neat operation.  We watched a video about how the miner actually works.  It only requires 3 to 4 workers to run the machine per shift and it produces coal much safer than other ways of mining that require 9 to 12 workers in each area.  But one thing that was very interesting was the fact that the "tour guide" made it clear that while highwall mining is a great way of doing things, all four types of mining are needed for each specific situation.  But with the highwall miner no one is required to go underground which is a huge safety improvement!

Courthouse steps where Sid Hatfield was Murdered

McDowell County Courthouse
Next stop was a quick photo-op where Sid Hatfield was murdered as he was entering his trial in Welch.

Mike Little explaining the blood bath at Matewan

Matewan
I loved hearing Dr. Little explaining what took place in Matewan.  His passion for the history of West Virginia as a whole and for the truth of what exactly happened at the hardware store is catchy.  I greatly enjoyed seeing the sites and hearing his interpretation of the events.

Van 2 - Ready for Work!! :-)

Van 2
I have had a blast on the trip!  It has been great seeing the state of West Virginia and learning about the entire process of coal, but the conversations we have had on our van have been priceless.  From the collaborative educational talk to the hysterical joking and laughing till we cry...it is a trip I will definitely not forget! :-)

Day 3: Joe Knob, Nuttallburg, New River Gorge Bridge

Joe Knob:
The weather didn't cooperate very well this morning and we were forced to remain in the vans as we toured Joe Knob.  Part of the site was still being mined (mountain-top renewal).  It was interesting to see the operation up close.  It looks a lot different than it does from below.  It was kind of sad to see the mountain being torn apart by heavy machinery.  Then we saw the reclaimed portion of land that had already been mined.  While it was far from perfect, it was nice to see that they have been able to make it look a lot closer to normal.  One of the biggest problems is that the vegetation is not very diverse.  There are very few types of trees, grass, etc...  But it is obvious that they have worked to try to restore things.  I was disappointed we weren't able to get out of the vans and do some water quality tests.  It would have been interesting to see how it compared to Yellow Creek which has naturally been reclaimed and has a greater diversity of plant life nearby.

Nuttallburg:
Nuttallburg is a former coal camp on the bank of the New River.  We tested some run-off from the mountain and the water quality was actually pretty good.  The pH was 6.5 and the overall quality was 72.2 which falls at the low end of "Good Water Quality" on the scale.  That was the highest score that we have gotten this week.  It was also neat to see the foundations of some of the houses that still stood on the mountain side.

New River Gorge Bridge:
A nice surprise today was a stop at the New River Gorge Bridge.  I have rafted the New River several times and been over the bridge a lot, but the great size of the bridge never ceases to amaze me!  It was also really neat to visit the site with some "newbies" that had never been there as well as some "natives" that grew up in the area.  The van conversations were quite interesting involving the history of the area (both distant and recent past).

Day 2: Yellow Creek, Blackwater Falls, Coketon

Yellow Creek:
This morning we began our field work by testing water at Yellow Creek.  It was the first time that I have ever truly done a science lab (other than Physics).  I went to a small private high school and was able to watch videos of labs but never experienced the labs for myself.  It was really fascinating!  Yellow Creek is a former mine site where nature has "repaired itself."  It is neat to see the diverse vegetation and the blueberries growing there.  The pH test showed 4.4 and the overall water quality was 63.55 which fell in the "Medium or Average water quality" on the scale.

Calibrating probes and preparing for field work

Blackwater Falls:

We ate lunch at Blackwater Falls and got to walk down to see them.  Being a nature girl, I love seeing waterfalls.  It was beautiful!!

Water testing at Yellow River

Blackwater Falls

Coketon:

After lunch we went to see the beehive coke ovens that were used years ago.  They were covered with a weird substance that reminded me of an inch of wood stain that had semi-dried.  We also got to do some water testing there in the Blackwater River.  The water quality was 52 which was at the very bottom of the "Medium or Average" on the scale.  The water was very cloudy and the rocks were a strange orange color.  They also had a slick layer of orange slim covering them.  But there was another pretty waterfall there! :-) 

Testing water in the Blackwater River in Coketon