Description

EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT BUILDING STEM 5E PROJECT MS-ESS3-2 MS-ETS1-4

This highly engaging project (GOOGLE and PDF versions) is an engineering and design activity that allows students to gain a greater understanding of why we need to build earthquake resistant buildings, and also some of the features that we can add when building structures in earthquake zones.

This highly engaging STEM project follows the 5E model.

Engagement:

These engagement activities highlight why we need earthquake resistant buildings. The students will be shown a video on earthquakes. This will be followed by the analysis of historical data to see if they can accurately predict when an earthquake will occur (they cannot). They are then asked a probing question about earthquake fatalities in a poor country versus a wealthy country which leads to them understanding the importance of earthquake resistant buildings.

Exploration:

The students learn about the characteristics of earthquake resistant buildings through carrying out three activity stations and reading appropriate text.

Explanation:

A group discussion follows the stations where the students explain why they think the earthquake resistant features work. A short summary statement worksheet is then completed.

Elaboration:

The students will use the design process to apply what they have learned to build an earthquake resistant building.

Evaluation:

This is a written formative assessment that includes students critiquing their building, and offering ideas for improvement.

Easily obtainable materials are used for these activities (see list below).

Answers for the activities are given in the detailed teacher notes.

The science and engineering practices below are incorporated in this investigation:

Analyzing and interpreting data

Constructing explanations and designing solutions.

Developing and using models.

The cross cutting practices below are incorporated in this investigation:

Patterns

System and system models

This project supports the two NGSS standards MS-ETS1-4 and MS-ESS3-2.

Included in this resource:

Teacher slides (24 slides)

Detailed teacher notes (10 pages)

Printable student worksheets with activity instructions (9 pages)

Sample answers for student worksheets

Suggested materials needed for students:

Short pieces of wood

Wood dowels or pencils

Wood splints or wooden skewers

Large trays

Straws

Spaghetti (uncooked)

Marshmallows

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Email any questions you have with subject line “Questions on earthquake resistant building stem project” to us at engagersinscience@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to answer them

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