Coal Formation in the Pacific Northwest
A Yakima WATERS Mini Lesson
Targets and Assessment
Lesson Parameters
WA Science Standards Addressed:
 9-11 ES2D The Earth does not have infinite
resources; increasing human consumption
impacts the natural processes that renew
some resources and it depletes other
resources including those that cannot be
renewed.
 9-11 ES3A Interactions among the solid Earth,
the oceans, the atmosphere, and organisms
have resulted in the ongoing evolution of the
Earth system. We can observe changes such
as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on a
human time scale, but many processes such
as mountain building and plate movements
take place over hundreds of millions of years.
 9-12 INQG Intellectual honesty. Public
communication among scientists is an
essential aspect of research. Scientists
evaluate the validity of one another’s
investigations, check the reliability of results,
and explain inconsistencies in findings.
 9-12 APPF It is important for all citizens to
apply science and technology to critical issues
that influence society.
 9-11 PS2I The rate of a physical or chemical
change may be affected by factors such as
temperature, surface area, and pressure.
Content Area: Environmental Science
Assessments:
 Work sheet attached
Suggested Time: one 50 minute class period
Overview: Students will develop knowledge on coal
formation in Washington by reading a scientific
article.
Grade Level: 9-12
Special Materials:
 Article and picture attached
 Sample of Coal
Learning Outcomes: Students should be able to:
Knowledge:
o Describe the importance of coal and where it was found in Washington.
o List the environmental conditions required for coal formation.
Skill: students should be able to:
o Obtain important facts about coal from reading a scientific article on the topic.
o Explain these facts by completing the worksheet for this lesson.
o Demonstrate how could coal formed in Washington by knowing the three key environmental conditions
mentioned, pressure, heat and time.
Science Concept Background:
 A general understanding of coal formation. This could be tied in well with a class topic of energy resources and
consumption, or biogeochemical cycles. All answers for leading questions and worksheet questions can be found
in this lesson plan.
 The instructor may want to center the activity and questions around a local example of a coal mine in order to
make this lesson more relevant to their students.
Helpful definitions to aid students with reading and comprehending the article:
 Metallurgical- The science that deals with procedures used in extracting metals from their ores,
purifying and alloying metals, and creating useful objects from metals.
 Coke- The solid residue of impure carbon obtained from bituminous coal and other carbonaceous
materials after removal of volatile material by destructive distillation. It is used as a fuel and in
making steel.
 Metallurgical Coke- Resulting from high-temperature retorting of suitable coal; a dense, crushresistant fuel for use in shaft furnaces.
Materials: “State Coal Profile: Washington” article, coal formation picture, and worksheet below. One should be printed
per student in the classroom. An optional prop that would be beneficial to bring into the classroom is a piece of coal to
pass around.
Procedure:
Leading Questions
 Question: Why is coal of interest to us?
Answer: Non renewable natural resource, energy source of local economy/community development.
 Question: What is coal made of?
Answer: Coal is made of preserved and compressed ancient organic matter.
 Question: Where do we get coal?
Answer: Underground mines. A local example is Roslyn.
Question: What did Roslyn probably look like in the past?
Answer: A swampy area with a lot of organic (plant and animal) material.
 Question: How do we find it underground?
Answer: We must understand how it forms to predict where it will be found.
Give students 10 minutes to read the article and have them take notes on concepts or terminology that they don’t
understand. If more time seems necessary for good note taking, this should be allowed. The instructor should walk
around the classroom to monitor progress and assist if students have trouble with vocabulary. Spend 10 minutes
answering questions. If extra time seems necessary, this should be allowed. Students should then break into groups and
discuss and debate their questions and notes. Lastly, have the students complete the attached worksheet.
Extension(s): This lesson could be extended by describing what kind of geologic processes could have changed the
landscape from a coal forming one to the current one. Students could develop a sequence of events that have produced
coal in Washington. These ideas could be discussed, and then current scientific theory on how coal has formed here
could be researched.
Teaching Tips:
Answers to worksheet questions:
 5 counties- Cowlitz, Whatcom, Lewis, Thurston, King
 Common factor- All are in Western half of the state along the slope of the Cascade Mountains.
 How could coal form here- Coal forms where the 3 key environmental conditions mentioned are met (pressure,
heat and time).
Supplements: Article, questions, and pictures attached below.
By: Jessica Giblin, Fall 2011, for Ellensburg High School
State Coal Profile: Washington
Energy Information Administration/ State Coal Profiles
Coal is an important part of the mineral economy of and
manufactured gas plants. Coal was also shipped to
Washington. In 1992, coal was estimated to be the secondCalifornia.
highest valued mineral commodity produced in the State,
after sand and gravel, accounting for nearly one-fifth of After
World War I, annual coal production trended
the estimated value of all mineral commodities produced.
downward as consumers switched to oil or turned to less
A Federal coal lease generated $2 million in royalties,
expensive coal from Utah and Wyoming. In the 1930's, the
which were disbursed to the State and the Federal coal
industry suffered as the State's large hydroelectric
Government. Although coal is the only mineral fuel resources
were developed to provide low-cost electricity.
produced in Washington, its role as an energy source is Coal
production dropped below 2 million short tons in the
greatly overshadowed by the abundance of hydroelectric
1930's and fell to 37,000 short tons by 1970.
power in the State.
The principal coal deposits in Washington occur in small
areas in the western half of the State. The major economic
coal deposits are located along the western slope of the
Cascade Mountains. All ranks of coal, from lignite to
anthracite, are present in Washington, but production
consists predominantly of subbituminous coal, with a
small amount of bituminous coal. Although some
Washington coal is suitable for conversion to coke for
metallurgical use, none has been mined for this purpose
since World War II.
The coalbeds in Washington are commonly folded and
faulted, features that hamper mining. Only a few areas are
suitable for surface mining. The high ash content
characteristic of many coalbeds in the State is due to
volcanic ash that fell when the coal-forming plant material
was deposited. Production in 1992 was from about eight
coalbeds ranging from 8 to 50 feet in thickness. The major
bed is the Big Seam, which averages about 26 feet in
thickness.
The earliest recorded discovery of coal in Washington was
in 1833, along the Toutle River in what is now Cowlitz
County. The State's first coal mine was opened in 1853
near Bellingham, Whatcom County. Soon after, mining
began in other areas, and by 1880 all of the State's major
coal deposits were being produced. Totaling 2 million
short tons in 1900, production doubled by 1918, reflecting
an increase in demand created by World War I. Early coal
consumers in the State included railroads, electric utilities,
cement mills, coke plants, briquette producers, smelters,
Interest in Washington's coal was renewed in the 1960's
when projections of future electricity requirements
escalated beyond the capability of the State's hydroelectric
plants. This led to the opening of the Centralia surface
coal mine, in Lewis and Thurston counties, to produce
subbituminous coal for the Centralia power plant of
PacifiCorp, constructed near the mine in Lewis County. In
1971, when the plant's first electric generating unit was
placed in service, coal output rose above 1 million short
tons. The following year, it more than doubled to fuel a
second generating unit at the plant, which has a total
generating capability of 1,310 megawatts. Since then,
annual production has ranged from 4 to 5 million short
tons; in 1992, nearly one-third of the mine's output was
from a Federal coal lease. A subsidiary of PacifiCorp
operates the mine
Although the Centralia mine accounts for most of
Washington's coal output, a smaller coal mine has been in
operation since 1986. This is the John Henry No. 1 surface
mine of Pacific Coal Coast Company, located about 50
miles northeast of Centralia, in King County. The mine's
production, all bituminous coal, totaled about 300,000
short tons in 1992. About three-fourths of the output was
exported to Japan and Korea. The export coal was carried
by rail to Westshore Terminals at the Port of Vancouver,
Canada, for loading into colliers. The balance of the mine's
output was used in Washington.
Virtually all of the 6 million short tons of coal consumed
in Washington in 1992 was for generating electricity.
Nearly all of the utility coal used was from the Centralia
100 Energy Information Administration/ State Coal Profiles
mine, with a smaller amount from the John Henry No. 1
mine. Supplementing this supply was coal from Montana
and Utah. Of the coal used for other purposes, nearly two
thirds
was from Utah, with the balance mostly from
Washington and Colorado. The principal industrial users
of coal in Washington were manufacturers of cement,
pulp, and nonmetallic products.

Locate and circle all 5 counties mentioned in
the article on the map of Washington below:

What do these counties have in common?

How could coal have formed in these areas?