A scholarly paper written for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review looks at the causes of bank failures in the Great Depression, and how these failure rates were reflected across the country. Very detailed. [pdf]

This resource presents a project where students 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....

[Free Registration/Login Required] A structured academic controversy opportunity to peruse and analyze documents to ignite a debate over the success or failure of the New Deal.

Students work within constraints to construct model trusses and then test them to failure as a way to evaluate the relative strength of different truss configurations and construction styles. Each student group uses Popsicle sticks and...

An inquiry unit that teaches students about the how and why earthquakes cause damage and about life in earthquake country. Students specifically learn about: earthquake damage, where earthquake occur, earthquake patterns, seismic waves,...

Students conduct Internet research to investigate the purpose and current functioning status of some of the largest dams throughout the world. They investigate the success or failure of eight dams and complete a worksheet. While...

[Free Registration/Login Required] In the Civil War and Reconstruction unit, students engage in contentious historiographic debates about the period: Was Lincoln a racist? Was Reconstruction a success or failure? Was John Brown a...

Student teams design their own booms (bridges) and engage in a friendly competition with other teams to test their designs. Each team strives to design a boom that is light, can hold a certain amount of weight, and is affordable to...

Students will conduct several simple lab activities to learn about the five fundamental load types that can act on structures: tension, compression, shear, bending, and torsion. In this activity, students break foam insulation blocks by...