STEM Challenge - Project Seismic Catastrophe - Design an Earthquake Proof Home

Looking for a flexible, multi-day activity that gets your students “doing science?” Every STEM Challenge offers a hands-on, inquiry-based, student-led project designed to allow them to step into the roles of researchers and engineers.

STEM Challenge projects are ideal for use at any time throughout the school year, between units, before breaks, or during afternoons when testing weeks occur.

For teachers, there are presentations and step-by-step guides to facilitate pacing and lesson plans that align with standards. Students utilize the included notebooks to guide them through activities (both individually and in small groups), challenge them to learn new information, and reflect on and apply the information they have learned.

The Challenge:

Have you ever thought about how buildings in California have to be designed and built differently than buildings in other parts of the country? To construct a building to withstand an earthquake requires more planning and engineering to ensure it doesn't come crashing down during this type of catastrophic event. Your challenge is to build an earthquake-proof building at least five stories tall. What are the current engineering trends and designs? What are you going to have to research to make your building withstand heavy vibrations? The BIG ONE is coming! Are you prepared?

What’s in a STEM Challenge?

• a video explaining the engineering challenge and setting the context for the project
• a BIG Question to guide the inquiry
• teacher presentation in PPT (Google-compatible) and Keynote
• a teacher's guide on what the teacher and students should be doing along the way
• student notebook offers
  • questions to provide the students with a framework for their inquiry throughout the entire project
  • opportunities to absorb new information and reflect on ways to use it to complete the challenge
• Using the LAUNCH process, students brainstorm with their peers and reflect on failures and opportunities, with the prospect of sharing their ideas with the world. This holds students accountable, and they will put forth the best effort, knowing that other students could critique the project.
• Each STEM Challenge contains a list of suggested supplies for its project. We were very cautious about choosing inexpensive items, and the supply list is dynamic, allowing for adjustments to individual situations. Suggested supplies include:
  • Cardboard
  • Glue
  • Toilet paper/paper towel tubes
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Tape
  • Paperclips
  • Rubber bands
  • Toothpicks
  • Modeling clay or Play-Doh
  • Small boxes
  • Craft sticks
  • Foam board pieces
  • Bubble wrap
  • Styrofoam packing pieces
    

Supports these Next Generation Science Standards:

MS-ESS3-2

Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

MS-ETS1-1

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3

Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MS-ETS1-4

Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.