P ROC E DUR E
Teacher Preparation
Contact a local realtor to find a nearby wood frame house that students
can visit to conduct their assessment, or arrange with a contractor to
visit a building site. If no vacant home is available, plan to use your
own home or that of a friend or colleague. Arrange for transportation
and permissions as necessary.
A. Introduction
Survey the class, asking: How many students live in wood frame
houses? How many have friends or relatives who live in wood frame
houses? How many have lived in such houses at some point in their
lives? (Be sure students understand that the frame of the house may be
wood even if the outside sheathing is stucco, decorative brick, brick
veneer, stone, or some other material.) Record a count of student
answers on the board.
Tell the class that many homes in regions across the country are
constructed of wood frame systems. These wooden structures are
lightweight and flexible, and properly nailed joints are excellent for
releasing earthquake energy and resisting ground shaking.
Nevertheless, frame houses are sometimes damaged by an earthquake,
causing a great deal of unnecessary trouble and expense for
homeowners. This damage is unnecessary because most often it could
have been prevented by some very basic alterations. It pays to find out
if your home needs rehabilitation or strengthening and what can be
done to lessen the earthquake hazard.
B. Lesson Development
1. Tell students that they are going to play the role of potential home
buyers. Each of them has just landed a new job at a higher salary, and
has decided to buy a new wood frame house. First, however, they
must conduct a visual inspection of each home they consider buying to
identify potential earthquake hazards. In this lesson they will learn
what to look for in the foundation and other structural components.
2. Ask: What seismic hazard designation has been applied to the area
where we live? (In Unit 3, Lesson 3, you noted this information on the
classroom local map. It is also available on Master 1.3b, U.S.
Earthquake Hazard Map.) Explain that the degree of earthquake risk in
any structure depends on where it is located as well as how it is built.
If your school is located in a region identified on Master 1.3b as one
of low seismic hazard, however, remind students that this map depicts
what has happened; it does not predict what
may
happen. Earthquakes
can occur anywhere in the world. Moreover, most Americans move
several times in the course of their lives.
3. If you did Lesson 2.5, students will also know the soil characteristics
of their own region. If this information is not on your classroom map,
refer students to local maps of soil characteristics, and
A G U
/
F E M A
300
S
E I S M I C
S
L E U T H S
