Developing on Coal – Coal and Development Simulation – Teacher

Summary

Students simulate how countries industrialize using coal through a hands-on classroom activity, collecting coal tokens, investing credits, and comparing country teams with real-world traits drawn from the UK, US, China, India, and others. Across 3-5 rounds, teams build out their economies and then purchase “Gifts of Development” to reach a final development score. Includes full teacher instructions, country cards, an investment menu, and an answer key, suited for a high school Earth or Environmental Science energy unit.