Geographypods
Geography Pods: Earthquake Proof Buildings [Ppt]
Presents examples of earthquake-proof buildings around the world, and designs and techniques that can be used. The last slide presents students with the task of designing an earthquake-proof building, including a description of how to...
University of Wisconsin
Scien Count Ers: Earthquake Proof Buildings
This lesson looks at how the forces of an earthquake impact on buildings, and different ways to make buildings earthquake-proof. Includes student worksheet and tectonic plates map.
Imagination Station
Imagination Station: Earthquake Proof Buildings
This article discusses different techniques that engineers use to combat the lateral forces a building is subjected to during an earthquake. Includes two videos demonstrating some of the concepts.
Other
Shake Proof Science: Engineering Earthquake Safe Structures [Pdf]
Lesson covering earthquake basics and designing structures that can withstand earthquakes. Students are tasked with building earthquake-proof structures using marshmallows, spaghetti, and the option of bamboo skewers. These are then...
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
Iris: Buildings and Earthquakes Which Stands? Which Falls? [Pdf]
This is an excellent collection of background material, resource and video links, and lesson plan activities on earthquakes and methods for constructing buildings that will withstand an earthquake.
Scientific American
Scientific American: Earthquake Proof Engineering for Skyscrapers
Students construct a shake table, then build towers of different heights using Lego blocks, and test their stability on this platform. Next, they test towers with different sized bases, and towers made using different materials.
Other
Jacaranda: Atlas of Discovery: Design an Earthquake Proof House [Pdf]
A worksheet challenging students to build three models of houses using different materials, and test them to see if they can withstand the vibrations of a simulated earthquake.
San Jose State University
San Jose State University: Buildings in Earthquakes [Ppt]
Explains the physics of building movement during an earthquake through a discussion of force, mass, acceleration, frequency, and period. Then looks at the factors that affect a building's resilience versus the damage it could sustain.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Buildings and Earthquakes
Do you think you can build a house that can withstand the shaking from an earthquake? In this activity, students design and construct model building that will be tested on a shake table with a force sensor. Activity includes questions...
Ruth Patrick Science Education Center
Ruth Patrick Science Education Center: Shaking It Up With Earthquake Engineering
Students will learn basic information about earthquakes and their impact. They then follow the engineering design process as they construct earthquake-resistant buildings using toothpicks and marshmallows. The buildings are tested using...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Earthquake Safe Structures
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How buildings can be made safer from earthquakes.
Museum of Science
Ei E: Shake Things Up: Engineering Journal [Pdf]
A 34-page student journal of worksheets to accompany a lesson unit on designing buildings that will withstand an earthquake. [SEE: http://eie.org/sites/default/files/es_educator_guide_2014_10_09.pdf] First, they work on simple...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why Do Buildings Fall in Earthquakes?
Explains what happens during an earthquake to cause buildings to fall down, and what features give buildings a better chance of surviving one. Includes a video, background information and links, a multiple-choice quiz, and a discussion...
Other
Inside Science: Building an Earthquake Resistant Home
Engineers at Stanford University have designed a building that sits on a seismic isolator and is earthquake-resistant. When an actual house was tested on a shake table with a powerful earthquake simulation, the structure itself was...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Earthquake in the Classroom
Students will learn how engineers construct buildings to withstand damage from earthquakes by building their own structure with toothpicks and marshmallows. Students will test how earthquake-proof their buildings are by testing them on...
Other
Tech Museum: Building for the Big One [Pdf]
This resource presents a project where learners design and build structures that can withstand an earthquake. The project can include an extension where students look at the factors of soil type and proximity to fault in their design....
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Build an Earthquake City
Students learn about earthquakes and how they effect structures. Student then apply their knowledge by trying to build an earthquake resistant city.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Building an Earthquake Resistant Structure
How can you use the engineering design process to build a structure that can stand up to an earthquake?
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Earthquake Safe Structures Study Guide
Review the main concepts of earthquake-safe structures.
Other
Un/isdr: Stop Disasters!
The goal of this online game is to save lives after a disaster. Students choose a scenario and try to minimize the impact of a disaster. They explore how to build safer villages and cities as they learn about disaster risk reduction.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Faulty Movement
In this activity, students are introduced to faults. They will learn about different kinds of faults and understand their relationship to earthquakes. The students will build cardboard models of the three different types of faults as...
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology
Ciese: Musical Plates: Designing an Earthquake Resistant Structure
A lesson where students look at how the sudden movement in an earthquake causes a building to collapse, and how to design a building that can withstand it.
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology
Ciese: Musical Plates: Engineering Application: Keeping Afloat
A lesson that looks at how to design a building so that it will withstand an earthquake and not sink or lean over.
PBS
Nova Teachers: The Day the Earth Shook: Classroom Activity
Challenge your young scholars to design a building that will withstand an earthquake. Using materials like 3x5 cards and paperclips, students design three different buildings and test their effectiveness.