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8th grade West Virginia's industries and resources, then and now worksheet

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West Virginia's industries and resources, then and now

Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Coal and gas, 1950 and today

    Map 1, "Coal in 1950" (1950): 127,000 coal miners worked in the state. By the early 1950s a machine called the continuous miner did the main steps of mining in one operation, so far fewer workers were needed. In the 1950s and 1960s many people left the coalfields to find work elsewhere. Map 2, "Energy today" (today): Coal is mined in 21 counties. In 2026 there were 9,589 underground miners and 2,093 surface miners. Production peaked at more than 180 million tons in 1997 and is now about half of what it was in 2008. West Virginia is the second-largest coal producer in the nation, after Wyoming, and the largest east of the Mississippi, with 41 percent of US coal exports. Its natural gas production ranks fifth in the nation, and its natural gas reserves rank third. Key: dots are counties where coal is mined; a flame is natural gas. Below the maps: These are dated facts about production and jobs, not a judgment about energy choices.

  2. In how many counties is coal mined today, by map 2, Ari asks?

    • 55 counties
    • 41 counties
    • 2 counties
    • 21 counties

  3. How many underground and surface miners worked in 2026, together, Bo asks?

    • 11,682
    • 116,820
    • 7,496
    • 9,589

  4. About how many fewer miners worked in 2026 than in 1950, Esme asks?

    • About 11,700 fewer
    • About 1,150 fewer
    • About 138,000 fewer
    • About 115,000 fewer

  5. Why did mining need fewer workers after 1950, by map 1, Jun asks?

    • Gas replaced coal in 1950
    • The coal ran out in 1950
    • The mines closed in 1951
    • Machines such as the continuous miner

  6. Which state produces more coal than West Virginia, Kira asks?

    • Wyoming
    • Kentucky
    • Pennsylvania
    • Ohio

  7. What share of US coal exports comes from West Virginia, Luz asks?

    • 59 percent
    • 4.1 percent
    • 21 percent
    • 41 percent

  8. How does natural gas production rank, by map 2, Milo asks?

    • Second in the nation
    • First in the nation
    • Third in the nation
    • Fifth in the nation

  9. When did coal production peak, by map 2, Noah asks?

    • 2026
    • 1997
    • 2008
    • 1950

  10. What changed between 1950 and today, by the maps, Pia asks?

    • No coal is mined anymore
    • Far fewer miners, though coal is still mined
    • Mining moved out of the state
    • More miners than ever before

  11. What did many people do in the 1950s and 1960s, by map 1, Ren asks?

    • Built new salt furnaces
    • Opened the first glass plants
    • Moved into the coalfields
    • Left the coalfields to find work
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8th grade West Virginia's industries and resources, then and now worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

West Virginia's industries and resources, then and now. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can read a resource map of early West Virginia industries: salt, glass, lumber, coal and chemicals.
  • I can compare coal and natural gas in 1950 and today, using dated production and job numbers.
  • I can read where the state's general revenue comes from and how jobs divide among industries, without judging which is better.

Standard: D2.Geo.11.6-8

Common mistakes

Your child picked another date on the sheet. Find the event the question names, then read its date.

Your child read another industry's line on the map. Find the industry the question names first.

Your child matched the wrong symbol in the key. Match the symbol, then read its words.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with west virginia's industries and resources, then and now?

Your child picked another date on the sheet. Find the event the question names, then read its date.

Are these 8th grade social studies worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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