Teacher Notes

This task guides students through evaluating the economic and environmental impacts of different coal mining strategies, using the Coal Mining: Economics & Environmental Impact simulation.

Alignment to NGSS

Performance Expectation:

• HS-ESS3-2: Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.

Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs):

• Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Evaluate competing design solutions to a real-world problem based on scientific ideas and principles, empirical evidence, and logical arguments regarding relevant factors.

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs):

• ESS3.A: Natural Resources: All forms of energy production and other resource extraction have associated economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical costs and risks as well as benefits. New technologies and social regulations can change the balance of these factors.
• ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions (Secondary): When evaluating solutions, it is important to take into account a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, and to consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):

• Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science: Engineers continuously modify these technological systems by applying scientific knowledge and engineering design practices to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.

Evidence Statements

Student work will demonstrate the following:

1. Supported claims: Students describe the nature of the problem (balancing profit and environmental impact) and identify the solution (mining strategy) with the most preferred cost-benefit ratios.
2. Identifying scientific evidence: Students identify evidence including the cost of extracting the resource (drills, picks) and the costs/benefits of the design solutions (gross revenue vs reclamation fees).
3. Evaluation and critique: Students evaluate relative strengths of the solutions based on economic and environmental costs, and analyze constraints.
4. Reasoning/synthesis: Students use logical arguments based on their evaluation of costs, benefits, and evidence to support one mining strategy over the other.

The True Cost of Coal: A Balancing Act

Estimated Time: 45 minutes Materials: Computer with internet access, Coal Mining: Economics & Environmental Impact simulation, calculator (optional).

Part 1: Engage

Imagine you are the CEO of a newly formed mining company in West Virginia. Your investors expect you to turn a profit, but state law requires you to restore any land you disturb outside your legal mining boundary. If you leave too much coal behind, you lose money. If you destroy too much land trying to get every last piece of coal, the reclamation fees will bankrupt you.

Think about it: What factors do you think make a mining operation profitable? How might environmental regulations change how a company extracts resources?

Part 2: Explore

Open the Coal Mining: Economics & Environmental Impact simulation. You will test two different mining plans: Standard Seam Mine and Premium Vein Mine.

Directions:

1. Select the Standard Seam Mine. Note your starting budget.
2. Purchase picks and drills. (Picks cost $0.50, Drills cost $2.00).
3. Proceed to the Operations Phase and begin mining. Try to extract as much coal as possible within your boundary.
4. Record your results in the data table below.
5. Click “Reset Operation” and switch to the Premium Vein Mine.
6. Adjust your equipment and mine again. Record the results.

Data Collection Table

Part 3: Explain

Based on the data you collected in the simulation, answer the following questions:

1. Which mine had the higher gross revenue, and why? Did it require more expensive equipment to extract the coal? ___ _______

2. Did you incur any reclamation fees for disturbing land outside your boundary? If so, how did this impact your final Net Profit/Loss? ___ _______

3. Compare the cost-benefit ratio of the two strategies. A cost-benefit analysis involves subtracting total costs (equipment + reclamation) from total benefits (gross revenue). Which strategy provided the best financial outcome? ___ _______

Part 4: Elaborate & Evaluate

As the CEO, you must present a final recommendation to your board of directors on which mining strategy to pursue next year.

Your Deliverable: Write a one-paragraph scientific argument recommending either the Standard Seam Mine or the Premium Vein Mine. Your argument must include:

• A clear claim stating which strategy is better.
• Evidence from your data table, including specific dollar amounts for costs, revenue, and net profit.
• Reasoning that explains how the chosen strategy better balances the constraints of economic profit and environmental regulations (reclamation fees).

Extension: If you were an engineer hired to improve the less profitable mine, what specific changes would you make to the equipment or operations to decrease environmental risks while increasing financial benefits?