Coal Country Documentation

THIS DOCUMENT INCLUDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT INSTALLING AND RUNNING THE COAL CONTRY PROGRAM ON WINDOWS BASED SYSTEWMS (MAC DOCUMENTATION CONTIANED WITH PROGRAM FILES), BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT COAL COUNTRY, AND SUGGESTED EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIMENTS FOR CHILDREN.

THE U.S. BUREAU OF MINES EXPRESSLY DECLARES THAT THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHICH APPLY TO THE SOFTWARE CONTAINED HEREIN. BY ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF SAID SOFTWARE, WHICH IS CONVEYED TO THE USER WITHOUT CONSIDERATION BY THE U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, THE USER HEREOF EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL CLAIMS FOR DAMAGE AND/OR SUITS FOR OR BY REASON OF PERSONAL INJURY, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, INCLUDING SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER SIMILAR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE CONTAINED HEREIN. THE MATERIAL IN THIS PROGRAM WAS SIMPLIFIED FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY OVER-SIMPLIFICATION THAT MAY BE REPRESENTED.

SME Foundation
8307 Shaffer Parkway
Littleton, CO 80127
(303) 973-9550

Office of Public Information
U.S. Bureau of Mines
810 7th Street, NW.
Washington, D.C. 20241
(202) 501-9649

The American Coal Foundation
1130 Seventeenth St. N. W.
Suite 220
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 466-8630

Program Support Statement
No technical support is provided by the authors or distributors of this
program! This software program has been released as an educational service.
Feel free to make copies of the program or call the distributors above.
(Note: The "Copy Information" section below lists the conditions for
distribution of this software). No technical support is provided by the
authors or distributors of this program!

   - you don't alter Coal Country or the "ReadMe.doc" file,
   - the "ReadMe.doc" file always accompanies Coal Country, and
   - you give Coal Country away for free. (Reasonable Shipping &
     Handling or downloading fees expected.)

This section describes how to install and uninstall Coal Country on the
hard disk of your IBM PC or compatible computer. It also explains how
to run Coal Country.

1. Coal Country will run on any color 386 or better IBM-PC compatible
computer with a 13 inch or larger monitor. The graphics display
should be set to 640x480 resolution, 256 (8bit) colors for best results.

2. Coal Country requires at least 8 MB of memory (4 MB may be sufficient
if no sound card is used).

5. The sound on the computer should be turned on to medium or higher.
    You must have a properly installed and configured sound card to hear
    the music and sound effects within the program. It will run without
    a sound card.

If the above requirements are met then the program can be installed on
your computer. You should have received five disks containing the
program. To install the program, follow the steps in the next section.

"Coal Country" comes on 5 disks that includes the program "CoalCnty",
readme.doc, and supporting WINDOWS files. The INSTALL utility program,
which resides on Disk 1, should be used to install Coal Country to your
hard disk. This utility can also be used to uninstall (remove) Coal
Country from your hard disk. It is recommended that you exit Windows
to install Coal Country. While the installation program will
usually work under Windows, in several cases it has been found to be
sensitive to particular Windows setups and did not successfully complete.
To be safe, follow the instructions for installing from DOS as follows:

4) Follow the instructions at the installer program window. You will be
    asked whether you are installing (I) or uninstalling (U) Coal Country.
    Type in "I" and press <Enter>. You must also supply the drive letter
    and directory name where Coal Country will be stored. The default
    choices are drive C: and directory COALCNTY. If the defaults are
    acceptable, just press <Enter>. Otherwise, type in new values.

5)   You will be prompted to insert each disk in sequence. When all disks
     have been read, you will be asked whether to modify or make a WIN.INI
     file. Type Y (Yes) in response to this question if you wish the
     installation procedure to add a program group icon for Coal Country
     to your Windows Program Manager.

6) If you responded Y to step 5, you must start Windows when the
installation ends so that the Coal Country program group can be created.

If you experience difficulties installing Coal Country, make sure that you
have sufficient disk space (as specified in the section "System
Requirements"). Data integrity problems on your hard disk may also prevent
the installation procedure from working properly. The DOS CHKDSK utility
(or a third party hard disk diagnostic utility) can be used to test and
repair disk errors before reattempting the installation.

You may uninstall (remove) the Coal Country software from your computer
by following the steps for Installation given above. However, type "U"
in step 4 rather than "I". Uninstall will not remove the Coal Country
icons from your Program Manager - you will have to delete them manually
from Windows.

If you chose to create the Coal Country Windows program group during the
installation procedure, you will be able to run Coal Country by clicking on
that program group and then clicking on the first icon in that group. The
first icon is called COALCNTY and is represented by a miner wearing a cap
lamp. A second icon called READ ME also appears in that group. Clicking
on the READ ME icon displays this help file.

If you did not create the program group, you must select the "RUN" option
from the Windows "FILE" menu and type in C:\COALCNTY\COALCNTY to run Coal
Country (if you installed to a directory other than C:\COALCNTY, please
substitute the directory chosen).

If you have trouble running Coal Country, refer to the section "System
Requirements" above to make sure your PC is properly configured. In
particular, if the photographic quality of the screen images in Coal
Country is poor (or if the display does not fill up the entire screen),
make sure that you have set your graphics display to the proper
resolution and 256 colors.

COAL COUNTRY is an innovative software program based on the original
Coal Kids program which was developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM)
in cooperation with the Bethel Park, PA Public Schools. COAL COUNTRY was
developed with the support of the Center for Economic and Energy Development
and the Society of Mining Engineers. As an interactive, educational
computer program, its purpose is to provide mineral education, specifically
on coal, to elementary school children, although pilot presentations have
shown that COAL COUNTRY appeals to all ages. Teachers can use this program
to supplement and broaden existing curriculum or as an enrichment program.

The program includes four modules: (1) How Coal is Formed (2) Where Coal
is Found (3) How Coal is Mined, and (4) How Coal is Used. Each module
lasts approximately 5 to 8 minutes and can be viewed separately or as a
total educational unit. The program includes pictures, sound, animation,
and provides interaction through alternative choices. The development of
the COAL COUNTRY program closely follows instructional design methodology
and follows a tutorial style of computer-aided learning. A tutorial style
states the information and allows exploratory interaction throughout the
majority of screens of information. Hypercard was the original program
authoring tool. The present program was redesigned for a national
audience using MacroMind on the IBM-PC platform. This translation from
the Macintosh platform resulted in some loss of quality of the scanned
photographs in Coal Country. USBM experts in mining engineering,
geology, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, education,
psychology, and underground mining served as reviewers to evaluate the
content, flow, and ease of use.

The original program was piloted in the cooperating schools and included a
pre-written and post-written test compiled by the teachers. A one-tailed
t-test of significance was conducted to evaluate the differences between
the pretest and posttest scores by questions. The experiment was designed
to test if the question scores were significantly greater (p < 0.05).
After the students had viewed the program, a significant difference
emerged from the t-test, suggesting that the improvement in test scores
was the result of the COAL COUNTRY program. Written comments were
collected from the teachers and subject children, revealing that the
program was well received. The children "asked to see the program over
and over again."   "It helped the children understand how coal is formed
and why this natural resource is important....."   One comment that the
authors believed summed up the children's reaction was: "I loved it.
It got me interested in coal."

OBJECTIVE: The student should be able to simulate and observe the
conditions present in coal formation.

MATERIALS:
Aquarium
Plant Leaves
Fine- to medium-grained sand
Screen or sifter
Fern fronds
Fine silt
Twigs
Sand

1. Take an aquarium and place about 6 inches of water in it.
2. Spread about 2 inches of fine- to medium-grained sand on the bottom.
3. Drop in small leaves, sticks, and fern fronds. Let it stand for
    about 2 weeks. Write down observations of changes in decomposition
    and color.
4. Wait another two weeks. Then sift fine silt and sand to a depth of
    2 inches. Notice the "coal layer."
5. Take out the surface water and let silt and sand dry for a few weeks.
    There will be plant "fossil" imprints left where the sediments are
    removed and broken.

TIP: This is a smelly activity. If you have an area where you can put
this out of the way and observe occasionally, you will like it more!

OBJECTIVE: 1) Organize thoughts into coherent questions
2) Improve verbal skills
3) Write a report using notes

1. Student will identify a person who was or is directly or indirectly
    involved in the coal industry. This may be a person who is working
    or did work at a coal mine. It may be someone (such as a
    grandparent) who used coal to heat his or her house. It may be
    someone who works for an electric company that uses coal.

NOTE: A tape recorder may be used and the interviews put on one tape
for a class record.

In what country were you born?
Where did you first live in this area?
How old were you when you started working in the mine?
What was the name of the mine, and where was it?
Who owned the house in which you lived?
Where did you shop?
What were your wages?
Describe your home.What jobs did you do in the mine?
What was the greatest change you saw in coal mining?
Did unions develop slowly or rapidly in your area?

SAMPLE PERMISSION SLIP
(may be amended according to school policy)
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Student's Name: ___________________________________________________
Person Accompanying Student on Interview: ________________________
Date and Time of Scheduled Interview _____________________________
Place of Interview _______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
Signature and phone number of parent/guardian approving of above
arrangements (this portion to be returned to teacher)

Person to be Interviewed: _______________________________________
Student Interviewer: ____________________________________________

I have agreed to this interview and I allow all or part of it to be
recorded, replayed or transcribed as long as it is not for profit.

Place six or eight pieces of coal in a bowl. Next, mix two heaping
tablespoons of salt, one-half ounce of bluing (the type used for
washing clothes), three tablespoons of clear household ammonia
(liquid ammonia should be handled carefully and never leave the lid
or cap off when not in use), three tablespoons of red ink, and one-half
cup of water. Pour this mixture over the coal and base with a spoon so
that all pieces are covered. After the first day, add salt and coloring
as needed; once a day is not too often. It will grow into a beautiful
coral-red plant.

To prevent the plant from growing out of the bowl, rub edge with lard or
petroleum jelly.

Watch beautiful crystals grow in this fascinating garden!
You'll need:
6 tablespoons of salt
6 tablespoons of water
6 tablespoons of laundry bluing
1 tablespoon ammonia food coloring
a large bowl
3 or 4 pieces of coal
a spoon
a glass container

Mix salt, water, bluing, and ammonia in large bowl. Put 5 or 6 pieces
of coal in glass container.

Set container in a warm place. Check back from time to time to see how
your garden is growing. It will continue to grow until the liquid is
absorbed. Note: If you want to move your garden, carry it very gently
to avoid breaking the delicate crystals.

An old glass bowl makes a good container for your garden. You can also
make a "minigarden" by pouring the liquid over one or two pieces of coal
in a small bowl or small apothecary jar.

The purpose of this activity is to give the students an introduction to
the process and economics of mining. This is accomplished through a
game where the student buys a mining "property", purchases the
"mining equipment", pays for the "mining operation", and finally pays
for the "reclamation" of the mined site. In return, the student
receives money for the "ore mined". The objective of the activity is to
make a profit by making wise choices when purchasing a mine property and
mining tools and by mining efficiently and carefully.

Mine properties (cookies)
Mining tools - flat toothpicks, round toothpicks, paper clips
Cookie Mining money
Worksheet
Graph paper
Paper towels or napkins

3. There are several options for deciding upon mine properties to use
    for this activity. Different types of cookies represent different
    ore deposits. Students can each mine the same type of deposit, or
    you can offer a choice of ore to be mined. The cost for different
    types of deposits varies, depending on the potential sale price of
    the ore, the extent of the deposit, and other geologic/ecomomic
    factors:

b. Oatmeal Raisin cookies - Iron deposits ($3.00 each). Chocolate
    Chip cookies - Coal deposits ($5.00 each) Butterscotch Chip
    cookies - Gold deposits ($7.00 each). (Note: If using homemade
    cookies, the gold deposits can be made more realistically by
    reducing the number of chips in the cookies!)

c. Multicolor Chip cookies - ($3.00 each) - Each color chip represents
    a different metal, e.g., red - Iron, blue - zinc, green - copper,
    and yellow - gold. Metal deposits often contain multiple minerals
    that can be recovered form the ore.

4. After the mine property is purchased, the student places the property
    on the graph paper and traces the outline of the mine with a pencil.
    The student then counts each square that falls inside the property
    (area of the cookie). Count partial squares as a full square.

5. Students must use tools to mine their ore. They should select tools
to purchase, keeping in mind that only the tools can be used during
mining (no fingers). Mining equipment for sale:

    a. Flat toothpick - $2.00 each
    b. Round toothpick - $4.00 each
    c. Paper clip - $6.00 each

6. Students will have a maximum of 5 minutes to mine as much ore from
    their properties as possible. The ore should be fairly clean, and
    the chips/raisins should be as intact as they can manage. Mining
    costs are $1.00 per minute.

7. When mining is completed, as in all actual mining operations, the
    students must reclaim their properties. Tools should be used to
    return the waste materials into the original shape and size of
    the cookie. A second circle is traced around the reclaimed mine
    property, and any extra squares are counted and recorded on the
    worksheet. Reclamation costs are $1.00 for each square that covers
    area greater than the cookie's original size.

8. Students may now count the number of chips/raisins they were able
to mine. Sale of the "ore" brings:

    a. Iron ore (raisins) - $1.00 per raisin
    b. Coal (chocolate chips) - $2.00 per chip
    c. Gold (butterscotch chips) - $3.00 per chip
    d. Multicolored chips - varied values depending on what the chips
represent.

9. Students compare the total cost of mining to the value of the ore
    they mined by subtracting the mining costs (property, tools, mining
    time, and reclamation) from the value of the ore. A positive number
    indicates a profit; a negative number, a loss.

1. No student can use their fingers to hold the cookie. The only
things that can touch the cookie are the mining tools and the
paper that the cookie is sitting on.

2. Students should be allowed a maximum of 5 minutes to "mine"
their cookie. Students who finish mining before the 5 minutes
are used up should only pay for the time spent mining.

3. Students can purchase as many mining tools as they desire, and
the tools can be of different types.

4. If a mining tool breaks, it is no longer usable, and a new tool
must be purchased.

5. All students win at the end of the activity, because they get
to eat the remains of their cookie.

    The activity provides the students an opportunity to learn about
    the steps involved in a mining operation and to make the most money
    with the resources provided. Decisions are made by the student to
    determine which property to buy and which piece(s) of mining
    equipment to buy.

    The student should have learned a simplified flow pattern of an
    operating mine. Also, the student should have learned something
    about the difficulty of reclamation, especially in returning the
    property back to the exact size and shape that it was before mining
    started.

1. Make a timeline from the formation of coal to the present.
2. Make a map (or give students a map) of the United States and show where
   the coal deposits are on the map.
3. Research the making of steel.
4. Make a cartoon strip showing the life of a coal chunk from mine to
   powerplant.
5. Make a mural or a chart showing the steps in coal removal.
6. Discuss how mining methods have changed through the years.
7. Write a story about what it would be like if you lived in a coal mining
   town.
8. Make a list of products and ways in which coal is being used today.

Beyer, Barry K., Jean Craven, Mary A. McFarland and Walter C. Parker.
Communities Near and Far. New York: MacMillan, 1990.

Coffey, Rosemary K. The Story of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh: Board of
Public Education, 1986.

Coombs, Charles. Coal In The Energy Crisis. New York: William
Morrow & Co., 1980.

Doty, Roy. Where Are You Going With that Coal?. New York:
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977.

Lindbergh, Kristina and Barry. Coal A Contemporary Energy Story.
New York: Scribe, 1980.

Lorant, Stefan. Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City. Lenox:
Authors Edition, 1988.

**Variety of Pamphlets, Booklets and Slides from the Bureau of Mines/U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., Center for Energy and Economic Development, SME Foundation, and CONSOL Inc.

This program is brought to you by the U.S. Department of Interior,
Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh Research Center.

Kathleen M. Kowalski, Ph.D.
Research Psychologist, PRC, USBM
Project Coordinator

Mary T. Reina, M.Ed.
Computer Instructional Designer
(original Coal Kids)
Keystone Computer Resources
412-655-8757

Christian S. Winters
Interactive MultiMedia Developer for Industrial and Corporate
Training, Christian Winters Associates
800-775-4333

Special Acknowledgment to those individuals whose support made the
completion of this program possible:

William J. Wiehagen
Supervisor, Education and Training Research Group, PRC, USBM

Bethel Park, PA Teacher Collaborators:
Carol M. Austin, Virginia L. Douds, Janet Carr, and Doris P. Puckett,
Computer Specialist

Thank you to: Our colleagues at the Pittsburgh Research Center and elsewhere for their support, expertise, and encouragement.

Marlene D. Ackman - Edward A. Barrett - Michael J. Brnich - Marie I. Chovanec Kim M. Cornelius - Dave & Barry DeBone {Studio} - Bruce of Pgh Comp. Store - Roberta A. Dorton - Cindy E. Driscoll - Emily T. Hurd - David L. Garry - Audrey F. Glowacki - John J. Haggerty - Alan Harris - Jacqueline H. Jansky - Shelly Ziska - Lizard Software / Planet Color - Frank Kopriver III - Mitchell Schwartz - Elaine Stone - Dee Edwards - John G. Kovac - August J. Kwitowski - Nicholas Kyriazi - Patricia J. Lenart - Launa G. Mallett - Chris Mark - Robert H. Peters - Robert F. Randolph - Denise A. Recker - Lynn L. Rethi - E. William Rossi - Barbara O. Sheppard - Robert R. Stein - Robert J. Tuchman - Fred C. Turin - Richard L. Unger - Charles Vaught - W. VA Mining & Reclamation Association - Michael R. Yenchek - Gambit Interactive - Phil of PMS Microdesign - Kathleen M. Berry, Canon McMillan Schools - Rebecca Berkey-Ludlow & Dan Alexander, CONSOL Inc. AND others not listed and all the "Coal Kids" who made the program real.