Debbie Napier
Snapshot
Virtual Field Trips in Harlan County!
Students will design and create digital field trips that showcase aspects of Harlan County’s coal mining history and present Harlan Country favorably to a large audience via the place-based social learning network, Holler. Last year, our initial virtual field trip focused on and told the story of Portal 31, a historical coal mine in the community of Lynch located in Harlan, Kentucky. In the 1940s, Lynch was the largest coal company town in the world and also led the world in coal production. The mine has been restored for tours. Tourists ride a mantrip through the mine which includes sound and light effects, animatronic miners, and a robot mule. This year students will organize and design other Virtual Field Trips of sites important to Harlan County’s coal history to share with other schools, districts, and the community.