Lesson plan
Chalk mining
, Denmark Chalk mining is the extraction of chalk from underground and above ground deposits by mining. Mined chalk is used mostly to make cement and bricks. Chalk mining was widespread in Britain in the 19th century because of the large amount of construction underway (and the Industrial Revolution). Some chalk mines were extensively large, with passages up to high and wide, their passages taking the form of a Norman arch. Because of chalk's softness, picks and shovels were used to excavate tunnels. Stepped slabs were dug into the chalk, allowing many miners to dig at the same time. Care had to be taken to avoid collapse, and places in which the chalk was soft were simply abandoned. A link was reported in the United Kingdom in 2017 between sinkholes opening up and the location of former chalk mines. The softness of chalk, as well as rain and erosion, has caused the ground in some places to collapse into the remnants of ancient chalk mines and tunnels.
Article summary
, Denmark Chalk mining is the extraction of chalk from underground and above ground deposits by mining. Mined chalk is used mostly to make cement and bricks. Chalk mining was widespread in Britain in the 19th century because of the large amount of construction underway (and the Industrial Revolution). Some chalk mines were extensively large, with passages up to high and wide, their passages taking the form of a Norman arch. Because of chalk's softness, picks and shovels were used to excavate tunnels. Stepped slabs were dug into the chalk, allowing many miners to dig at the same time. Care had to be taken to avoid collapse, and places in which the chalk was soft were simply abandoned. A link was reported in the United Kingdom in 2017 between sinkholes opening up and the location of former chalk mines. The softness of chalk, as well as rain and erosion, has caused the ground in some places to collapse into the remnants of ancient chalk mines and tunnels.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.