STEM Challenge - Project Shake, Rattle, and Roll - Make a Seismograph

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:

Earthquakes are major geologic events. Some scientists, seismologists, spend their whole lives studying these catastrophic events. They use tools like a seismograph, an instrument for measuring seismic waves typically caused by an earthquake. Your challenge is to build a prototype of a seismograph which can measure when the ground vibrates or shakes. You will be given a budget and a "shop" full of materials to choose from to create your project. Along the way, you're going to learn about seismic waves and how scientists use data from seismographs. A working seismograph will be able to measure the magnitude of different seismic waves over a set period of time. Let's get to work and make something awesome!

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 or poster board (2’x2’)
  • Shoebox
  • Glue
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Tape
  • Styrofoam cup
  • Pins
  • Pen or pencil
  • Paperclips
  • Rubber bands
  • Toothpicks
  • Craft sticks
  • String or yarn
    

Supports 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.