Recommended for grades 9-12 science and/or social studies classes, this 13-14 day unit is designed to allow students to explore coal and its properties, examining the nature of coal, where it is found, materials made from coal, and the role of coal in the past and its promise for the future. The unit consists of 11 activities with rationale, objectives, and instructional strategies provided for each activity. Many of the activities contain an informational reading which provides basic information about a particular topic or issue (with Fry readability levels for each reading indicated in the introduction). Following the readings, students answer questions about the readings, design graphics, interpret data, try experiments, and research various aspects of coal. A teacher's guide for a slide program (The North Omaha Coal Fired Plant) which can be ordered from the Nebraska Energy Office is also included. (Author/JN)