West Virginia's industries and resources, then and now
Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
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.
In how many counties is coal mined today, by map 2, Ari asks?
- 55 counties
- 2 counties
- 41 counties
- 21 counties
How many underground and surface miners worked in 2026, together, Bo asks?
- 7,496
- 116,820
- 9,589
- 11,682
About how many fewer miners worked in 2026 than in 1950, Esme asks?
- About 11,700 fewer
- About 138,000 fewer
- About 115,000 fewer
- About 1,150 fewer
Why did mining need fewer workers after 1950, by map 1, Jun asks?
- Machines such as the continuous miner
- The coal ran out in 1950
- Gas replaced coal in 1950
- The mines closed in 1951
What share of US coal exports comes from West Virginia, Luz asks?
- 21 percent
- 41 percent
- 4.1 percent
- 59 percent
How does natural gas production rank, by map 2, Milo asks?
- Third in the nation
- Second in the nation
- Fifth in the nation
- First in the nation
When did coal production peak, by map 2, Noah asks?
- 1950
- 2008
- 2026
- 1997
What changed between 1950 and today, by the maps, Pia asks?
- Mining moved out of the state
- No coal is mined anymore
- More miners than ever before
- Far fewer miners, though coal is still mined
What did many people do in the 1950s and 1960s, by map 1, Ren asks?
- Moved into the coalfields
- Built new salt furnaces
- Opened the first glass plants
- Left the coalfields to find work
A note says, 'Today the state mines twice as much coal as in 2008.' What fix does Zee make?
- Change coal to gas
- Change twice to about half
- Change 2008 to 1997
- Keep it; the note is right