Day 2 Coal in Pennsylvania Lesson Plan Discussion of the Distribution of Coal in PA Developed by 2008-2009 TESSE Graduate Fello s !

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Objectives: Students ill) *% #se a "ap to deter"ine +i&+ ran,s o! &oal are present in P- as ell as +o &oal resour&es are distributed t+rou.+out t+e state% 2% #tili/e t+e t+eir ne ly .ained ,no led.e on &oali!i&ation as ell as s+aded relie! and p+ysio.rap+i& provin&e "aps o! P- to &o"e to an understandin. o! t+e i"pa&t o! "ountain buildin. on &oali!i&ation and to e0plain +o it &ontrols t+e .eo.rap+i& distribution o! bitu"inous and ant+ra&ite &oal in t+e state% 1% 2evie ,ey .eolo.i& and .eo.rap+i& &on&epts su&+ as latitude and lon.itude3 "ountain buildin.3 and .eolo.i& ti"e3 as ell as lo&ate "ountainous re.ions o! P- $-ppala&+ian and -lle.+eny 4ountains( Materials: Distribution o! Coal in P- 4ap and Transparen&y Transparen&y 4ar,ers P- di.ital s+aded relie! "ap P- p+ysio.rap+i& provin&e "ap Coal in P- or,s+eet Coal in P- Po er Point -ni"ation or !i.ures s+o in. &ollision o! -!ri&a and 5ort+ -"eri&a leadin. to t+e !or"ation o! t+e -ppala&+ians P+otos s+o in. bitu"inous &oal sea"s in estern P- and ant+ra&ite &oal sea"s in !olded ro&, layers in eastern P Assessment: 6! desired3 a s"all ritin. assi."ent &an be .iven t+at revie s "aterial and &on&epts learned in day * o! t+e "odule% 2ole Playin. 7ritin. -ssi.n"ent) 89ou +ave been +ired durin. t+e turn o! t+e 20t+ &entury by a &o"pany t+at is interested in obtainin. &oal it+ t+e +i.+est +eatin. values in bot+ estern $7 o! :; lon.( and eastern $E o! :; lon.( Pennsylvania% T+ey assi.n you to t+e tas, o! deter"inin. +i&+ estern and +i&+ eastern &ounties &ontain t+e .reatest a"ounts o! +i.+er-ran,in. &oal% 7rite a s+ort report !or your boss t+at na"es t+e types o! &oal t+at s+ould be "ined3 +i&+ &ounties ould be "ost pro!itable !or e0ploration o! t+ese resour&es3 and t+e .eolo.i& reason +y t+e +i.+er-ran,in. &oals e0ist in t+ese spe&i!i&

Day 2 Coal in Pennsylvania Lesson Plan re.ions%<

Coal in Pennsylvania $2002(

Day 2 Coal in Pennsylvania Lesson Plan

P- Depart"ent o! Conservation and 5atural 2esour&es $2000(

T+is dis&ussion !ollo s t+e Coal Identification activity from Day 1% T+e tea&+er ill lead t+e students in a dis&ussion o! &oal resour&es in P-% *% Distribute t+e Distribution of Coal in PA map to t+e students% =ave a lar.e &opy o! t+e "ap at t+e !ront o! t+e &lassroo" or display it on t+e Coal in PA PowerPoint% >rea, t+e students up into s"all .roups% =ave ea&+ .roup rite a list o! observations about t+e types o! &oal present3 t+e distribution o! &oal $in .eneral and based on ran,(3 and any ot+er trends t+ey see% -t t+is point3 t+ey are "erely observin. and not yet "a,in. any interpretations% 7+en t+ey are !inis+ed3 as, ea&+ .roup in turn to na"e one observation until all o! t+e" +ave been &overed% 7rite t+e observations on t+e board to ,eep tra&,% Tell t+e students t+at you ill no or, to.et+er to e0plain t+e distribution o! &oal in P- and any ot+er ?uestions about t+e "ap t+ey "ay +ave% 2% -s, t+e students ?uestions t+at address spe&i!i& observations t+ey "ade !ro" t+e &oal "ap% Guide t+e" to t+e &orre&t ans ers by as,in. !ollo -up ?uestions to t+eir ans ers +en ne&essary% T+e !ollo in. @ ?uestions are in&luded on slides in t+e Coal in PA PowerPoint% A) Which type of coal is found in our county (or another specific county)? A) Does it surprise you that there are large parts of the state that do not have coal

Day 2 Coal in Pennsylvania Lesson Plan reserves? Why do you suppose this is the case? -) Pennsylvania only spreads a &ouple o! de.rees o! latitude $revie latitude and lon.itude( so one ould not e0pe&t a lot o! variation in &li"ate !ro" nort+ to sout+ in t+e state li,e e see in Cali!ornia or !ro" Canada to Florida !or e0a"ple% T+ere!ore3 it is not li,ely t+at variations in &li"ate and environ"ent o! P- &aused &oal to !or" in so"e lo&ations and not in ot+ers% T+e blan, re.ions on t+e "ap do not see" to s+o a &orrelation it+ latitude any ay% E0plain t+at "u&+ o! P- as &overed by &oal bearin. ro&,s at one ti"e% =o ever3 erosion +as re"oved "any o! t+ese layers in &ertain re.ions o! t+e state% T+e "ap s+o s &oal reserves t+at are &urrently present in P-% A) Do you think the coal in one region of the state is significantly older than that in the other regions? -) T+e students "ay ans er t+at t+e ant+ra&ite &oal in eastern P- is t+e oldest be&ause t+e passa.e o! "ore ti"e ould allo t+e &oal to e0perien&e .reater burial and !urt+er &oali!i&ation% 7+ile it is true t+at &oal in&reases in ran, over .eolo.i& ti"e3 as, t+e students i! t+e ant+ra&ite &oal has to be older t+an t+e bitu"inous &oal to t+e est% A) Explain that the coal in western PA is roughly the same age as the coal in eastern PA yet one region is of a higher rank! "ow is this possi#le? -$ -s, t+e students +at ot+er !a&tors are i"portant in in&reasin. t+e ran, o! &oal% -s t+e &oal is buried !urt+er it+in t+e eart+3 te"perature and pressure in&rease3 drivin. t+e &oali!i&ation% Te"perature is t+e "ost i"portant "e&+anis" be&ause +i.+er te"peratures de&rease "oisture and volatile ele"ents3 +i&+ leads to +i.+er ran,in. &oals t+at +ave +i.+er +eat $&alori!i&( values% #sually3 +i.+ te"peratures &orrelate to .reater dept+s it+in t+e eart+3 but ot+er &ir&u"stan&es3 su&+ as &lose pro0i"ity to a vol&ano3 &ould produ&e +i.+ te"ps it+out deep burial% -lt+ou.+ deeper burial and t+us +i.+er te"peratures3 i"plies an older a.e3 &oals o! rou.+ly t+e sa"e .eolo.i& a.e &an vary dra"ati&ally in ran,% 7e &an reason t+en t+at t+e burial dept+3 te"perature and pressure in eastern P- "ust +ave been .reater t+an in estern P-% A) Why might the coal in eastern PA have #een su#%ected to greater #urial depth and higher temperature? 1% Let t+e students o!!er potential e0planations t+en distribute t+e physio raphic province and shaded relief maps! T+ese "aps s+o t+e lo&ations o! t+e -ppala&+ian and -lle.+eny 4ountains as ell as t+e &ounty boundaries% T+e !ollo in. ?uestions &an eit+er be dis&ussed as a &lass or t+e students &an !irst dis&uss t+e ?uestions in s"all .roups by usin. t+e Coal in PA "or#sheet% & (also found on Coal in PA Worksheet)$

Day 2 Coal in Pennsylvania Lesson Plan *% 'sing the Pennsylvania coal map the digital shaded relief map and the physiographic provinces map descri#e the terrain in the coal #earing areas of western and eastern Pennsylvania! (s it consistent across the state or does it vary? What are the main types of geologic features present in the coal*#earing regions? Descri#e the locations of these features! What are their specific names? Draw the #oundaries of any important geologic features from the physiographic province and relief maps on the coal distri#ution map! Do you notice any relationships #etween geologic features and ranks of coal? "ow might the formation of the geologic features you identified influence the process of coalification? =ave a student dra t+e boundaries o! i"portant .eolo.i& !eatures on t+e Distribution of Coal in PA Map $ransparency to aid in t+e &lass dis&ussion% 9ou "ay also ant to s+o t+e di.ital overlay o! t+e Distribution of Coal in PA Map on PA Di ital %haded &elief Map !ro" slide 8 o! t+e Coal in PA Power Point to +i.+li.+t t+e relations+ip bet een "ountain buildin. and &oali!i&ation% Lead t+e students in a &lass dis&ussion o! t+e Coal in PA "or#sheet ?uestions t+ey ans ered in t+eir s"all .roups%

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-) -nt+ra&ite &oal in eastern P- as !or"ed as t+e or.ani& "aterial as subBe&ted to .reat burial dept+s and +i.+ te"peratures durin. t+e buildin. o! t+e -ppala&+ian 4ountains in t+e late Paleo/oi&% Cver 100 "illion years a.o3 -!ri&a &ollided into 5ort+ -"eri&a% T+e sedi"entary layers o! t+e &ontinent $&ontainin. t+e dead plant "aterial( ere !or&ed deep into t+e eart+ and t+en &o"pressed into !olds% Erosion o! t+e "ountains piled "ore sedi"ent onto t+e re.ion3 &o"pressin. t+e layers !urt+er% -s te"perature and pressure in&reased3 t+e &oal in&reased in ran,% T+e &oal "aintained t+e ran, it a&+ieved at its "a0i"u" te"perature and pressureD it does not de&rease in ran, +en i! it is upli!ted to t+e sur!a&e by te&toni& a&tivity or i! overlyin. ro&, is eroded% Coal in estern P- is bitu"inousD t+e s a"py plants ere !urt+er !ro" t+e "ountain buildin. in t+e east and ere t+ere!ore subBe&ted to lesser burial dept+s3 little to no "ountain buildin. and !oldin.% -t t+is point3 t+e tea&+er s+ould s+o illustrations or an ani"ation o! t+e &ollision bet een -!ri&a and 5ort+ -"eri&a t+at led to t+e !or"ation o! t+e -ppala&+ians% T+is ould also be a .ood ti"e to s+o i"a.es o! in-situ bitu"inous and ant+ra&ite &oal in P-% -nt+ra&ite is usually !ound in !olded layers o! ro&,% T+ese i"a.es &an be !ound in t+e Coal in PA PowerPoint! T+e students "ay also point out t+at t+e +i.+er-ran,in. bitu"inous &oal in estern

Day 2 Coal in Pennsylvania Lesson Plan P- is &orrelated it+ t+e -lle.+eny 4ountains3 +i&+ is a "ountainous re.ion t+at is part o! t+e -ppala&+ian 4ountain 2an.e but is &onsiderably s"aller t+an t+e "ain stret&+ o! t+e -ppala&+ians! 2e!eren&es) Appalachian Mountain 'ormation Paleomaps: +ttp)''Ban%u&&%nau%edu'r&b:'na"%+t"l Coal 'ield Photos: +ttp)'' +ttp)'' %.eolo.y%pitt%edu'GeoSites'pbur.+&oal2%Bp. D %.eo%&ornell%edu'eas'ener.y'E4edia'200;*0*F-002%Bpe.

Distribution of Coal in PA Map( Coal %eam Illustrations: Ed"unds3 7illia" E% Coal in Pennsylvania% =arrisbur.) Pennsylvania Geolo.i& Survey Fourt+ Series3 2002 PA Di ital %haded &elief Map: http:))www!dcnr!state!pa!us)topo eo)pub)map)map*+,!aspPA Physio raphic Province Map: http:))www!dcnr!state!pa!us)topo eo)map1.)