Q
Paper clips
TEACHING CLUES AND CUES
Q
Two craft or ice cream sticks
Q
VCR and videotape (
optional
; see adaptations)
A gallon plastic jug with
the top cut off makes an
excellent storage
container for the dry
materials.
Q
A variety of materials for building structures, such as sugar cubes,
ice cream sticks, small interlocking blocks, peanut butter (for
mortar), dry spaghetti, straws, pipe cleaners, paper clips, cardboard,
string, aluminum foil, and Styrofoam
P ROC E DUR E
Teacher Preparation
1. Several days before you plan to do this activity, ask students to
bring cardboard boxes and building materials from home. Suggest the
items at the end of the materials list; students may think of others on
their own. Gather the remaining materials, including extra odds and
ends for students who forget, and arrange them in a convenient place.
2. Following the directions on Master 4.4a, build one shake table to
use as a demonstration model.
A. Introduction
Tell the class that earthquake engineers use devices called shake tables
to model the effects of an earthquake on buildings, bridges, and other
structures. In this lesson, students will build simple shake tables and
use them to test their own model structures.
TEACHING CLUES AND CUES
Give students plenty of
time to complete this
step.
Use a paper clip to
anchor one end of the
rubber band, and a
second paper clip as a
B. Lesson Development
1. Direct students to gather into SETs as for the other lessons in this
unit.
2. Distribute one copy of Master 4.4a, Shake Table Directions, to
each team. Invite students to assemble their materials and build the
shake tables. Offer assistance only as needed.
3. When all the groups have completed their tables, list these 10
variables on the chalkboard or poster paper:
Q
shape of structure
Q
height of structure
Q
construction materials
Q
shape of structural elements (triangle or rectangle)
needle to thread the rubber bands
through the holes.
Q
nonstructural exterior features (overhanging moldings, heavy
decorative panels)
Q
foundation strength
Q
siting (type of soil structure is built on)
Q
duration (how long the earthquake lasts)
Q
intensity (how intense earth shaking is at the building’s site)
Q
frequency
A G U
/
F E M A
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E I S M I C
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L E U T H S
