October 2006

Naomi J. Marty
GK-12 Program
Earthquakes
Concept:
Earth Science: Earthquakes & Earthquake-Resistant Construction
Description of Activity:
Activity starts with introduction to earthquakes and the way seismic waves travel. The
students are then asked to design a building out a certain number of toothpicks and gumdrops
that will withstand a simulated earthquake. The students build and test their designs together as
groups within the classroom.
State Standards:
(arkedu.state.ar.us)
ESS.8.6.10
Identify the effects of earthquakes on Earths surface:
tsunamis
floods
changes in natural and man-made structures
ESS.8.6.11
Investigate and map patterns of earthquake and volcanic activity
Locate earthquake belts on Earth:
Mediterranean-Tran-Asiatic
Circum-Pacific (Ring of Fire)
ESS.8.6.13
Analyze how earthquake occurrences are recorded (seismograph) and measured (Richter scale)
ESS.8.6.15
Investigate careers, scientists, and historical breakthroughs related to internal forces that change
the earth
Materials:
o Wood Fault Line Models (described below)
o Dry Spaghetti
o Gumdrops
o Toothpicks
o Earthquake Shaker Simulator
o Metal Slinky
Key Questions:
o Where do earthquakes happen?
o What kind of properties to you think would be important for a building to withstand an
earthquake?
Management or Organization Suggestions:

Allow the students to pick their partner for the earthquake-resistant structure activity. Tell
the students that if their building falls over on the earthquake-simulator it is out of the
contest.

Procedure:
1. Have the students watch a video about earthquakes. Follow video with discussion of
earthquake material. Discuss recent earthquakes in the news (Hawaii-very recent).
2. Group the students and have them assemble the strike-slip fault line model with spaghetti
inserted into the slats. Discuss the idea of pre-shocks and after-shocks associated with
an earthquake. Using a fault line model built of several layers of colored clay stacked up
and sliced at an angle, demonstrate how the foot wall and hanging wall are moving in a
normal fault, reverse fault, and strike-slip fault.
3. Talk about shock waves and how waves travel using the slinky.
4. Discuss earthquake measurement and what the Richter scale is.
5. Talk about earthquake resistant construction.
6. Challenge the students to build the tallest, most earthquake resistant building they can out of
15 gumdrops and 15 toothpicks.
7. The students should, together with a partner, design their structure and then draw this
structure in their science journal. They should then write a 2-3 sentence description of
their structure and why they think the structure they chose will withstand the simulated
earthquake.
8. The students should then be provided with the gumdrops and toothpicks for building.
9. Test the structures using the earthquake simulator. If a building falls over easily, it is removed
from the contest.
Reflection:
1. What worked?
I made a model fault line using clay that seemed to help the students understand how the
reverse and normal faults were different. I think this would have been a good thing for them to
have done themselves, modeling the different fault lines, but we didnt have enough time to
complete that and use the earthquake simulator. The students were very excited about using the
earthquake simulator and competing with the other students for some sort of prize (we gave them
pencils). The competition was fierce. Many students built walls around their work area, so that
their designs would not be copied. Also the students came up with some good ideas, in the end,
about what kind of things were important in earthquake-resistant structures.
2. What didnt work?
This activity would be more influential if the students had extra time to redesign their
structures after the first run and then test them again. We did not have enough time for the
second part of the activity. However, perhaps if we used something like clay and plastic rods
(coffee stirrers) instead of gumdrops and toothpicks, the students could simply disassemble their
primary structures and rebuild a secondary one.
3. What would I change for the next time?

I think I would prefer to include a second testing on the earthquake simulator, using clay
or play dough instead of gumdrops.