5. Now ask the students what would happen if you shook the base of
each building. Test a few gently while the students observe. What if
you held the base of each structure and pushed horizontally on the
top? Test a few, but again, try not to break any structure. Explain that
buildings experience horizontal loads or dynamic forces during
earthquakes. One way to simulate these forces is simply to push or
pull a structure from the side.
C. Conclusion
Tell students that at the end of this unit there will be another building
activity, but this time it will be a contest to design and build structures
that can support a horizontal load. What they learn in this unit can be
applied in the contest. Let them know there will be clearly defined
parameters and all groups will have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Label the structures with SET names and put them aside for the
contest at the end of this unit.
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