In Podcast #21 the Trekkers take you to the Pocahontas Coal Mine, home of the world famous Pocahontas coal, in the Appalachian Plateau region of Virginia.  It was the official coal of the U.S.Navy and was used to heat homes across the nation.  When the mine opened after the Civil War in 1883, it led to the growth of the railroad and cities in Virginia and helped with the Reconstruction of our state.  Explore the coal mine with the Trekkers and  learn about the difficult and dangerous life of a coal miner; find out how coal was formed and take a look at some petrified wood and a real fish fossil that we found in the mine!  Come on, let's go trekkin’! (Trouble viewing the YouTube video? Try Vimeo or direct link)

Even little kids had to work in the coal mines.  Here’s a picture of some elementary-aged boys who worked in the mines.  They had to be in the dark, dirty mines for the same amount of time as the men and often had jobs which were just as dangerous.  You can learn more by clicking here.


This is a Google Map of the Pocahontas Coal Mine and its HUGE coal field!

Zoom in and out using the +/- button in the bottom right corner. Click the marker for more information.

You can turn off the overlays by clicking the top left corner and unchecking the boxes.



Here is a 360 view of the entrance to the Pocahontas Coal Mine. Take a look around!


Social Studies

1.8 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to explain how individuals make economic choices to meet their basic needs by

a. identifying the difference between goods and services;

b. describing how people can be both consumers and producers;

c. describing ways people work to earn and save money to purchase goods and services;

d. describing goods and services produced in Virginia;


2.8 (2015) The student will describe natural resources (water, soil, wood, and coal), human resources (people at work), and capital resources (machines, tools, and buildings).


2.13 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to understand basic economic principles by

a. identifying natural resources (water, soil, wood, and coal), human resources (people at work), and capital resources i.e. manmade things used in production (machines, tools, computers, and buildings);


3.8 (2015) The student will demonstrate an understanding of different cultures and the natural, human, and capital resources they used in the production of goods and services.


3.13 (2015) The student will recognize that Americans are a people of diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions and are united by the basic principles of a republican form of government and respect for individual rights and freedoms.


3.10 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the basic economic principles of

a. defining production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services;

b. understanding of different cultures and the natural, human, and capital resources they used in the production of goods and services;


VS.2 (2015) The student will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between physical geography and the lives of the native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by

b) locating and describing Virginia’s Coastal Plain (Tidewater), Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau;


VS.8 (2015) The student will demonstrate an understanding of the reconstruction of Virginia following the Civil War by

c) describing the importance of railroads, new industries, and the growth of cities to Virginia’s economic development.


VS.1 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the relationship between physical geography and the lives of Virginia’s peoples, past and present by

b. locating and describing the relative location and physical characteristics of Virginia's five geographic regions on a map; and


VS.9 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to understand the ways in which Virginia became interconnected and diverse by

a. explaining the importance of railroads, waterways, new industries, and the growth of cities to Virginia’s economic development in the late 1800s; and

b. explaining the economic and social transition from a rural society to a more urban society.


Science

3.2 The student will investigate and understand that the direction and size of force affects the motion of an object. Key ideas include

a) multiple forces may act on an object;

b) the net force on an object determines how an object moves;

c) simple machines increase or change the direction of a force; and

d) simple and compound machines have many applications.


4.8 The student will investigate and understand that Virginia has important natural resources. Key resources include

c) minerals, rocks, and ores;


5.2 The student will investigate and understand that energy can take many forms. Key ideas include

a) energy is the ability to do work or to cause change;

b) there are many different forms of energy;

c) energy can be transformed; and


5.8 The student will investigate and understand that Earth constantly changes. Key ideas include

b) plate tectonics describe movement of the crust;

c) the rock cycle models the transformation of rocks;

d) processes such as weathering, erosion, and deposition change the surface of the Earth; and

e) fossils and geologic patterns provide evidence of Earth’s change.


5.9 The student will investigate and understand that the conservation of energy resources is important. Key ideas include

a) some sources of energy are considered renewable and others are not;

b) individuals and communities have means of conserving both energy and matter; and

c) advances in technology improve the ability to transfer and transform energy.