TEACHING CLUES AND CUES
Engineers and architects
are the people best
qualified to assess the
strength of structures
ask them to characterize the soil of the site they will be visiting. (See
Master 2.5b, Soil and Geologic Maps and Map Sources.) Emphasize
again that the site and the mode of construction interact.
4. Distribute copies of Master 5.3a, Structural Checklist, and Master
5.3b, Wood Stud Frame Construction. Point out the numbered areas
on the drawing, and tell students that these are among the things they
will be inspecting on their field trip.
5. Travel with your class to the site you have chosen. Direct pairs or
small groups of students to conduct inspections. When one group has
finished, those students can complete their worksheets while the others
proceed.
C. Conclusion
If you are in a moderate- or high-risk area, and your students find that
their own homes could be reinforced to better withstand an
earthquake, distribute copies of Master 5.3c, Strengthening Your
Wood Frame House. Assign students to take home these simple
directions for four inexpensive projects. High school students and their
parents can follow the steps on these pages to reinforce their wood
frame homes.
ADA P T A T I ON S AND E X T E N S I ON S
If a majority of your students live in wood frame houses, you may
assign this activity as an out-of-class exercise. Cover the information
in the introduction with the whole class, then hand out copies of
Master 5.3a, Structural Checklist. Ask students to assess the stability
of their own homes and complete a report to share with their families
and/or their classmates. Have students check on local building laws or
talk to the city building inspector. Invite the building inspector to visit
your class and talk about local building codes.
V
Note:
Master 5.3c, Strengthening Your Wood Frame House, is adapted from
An Ounce of Prevention: Strengthening Your Wood Frame House for
Earthquake Safety,
with permission
from
the Bay Area Regional Earthquake
Preparedness Project, 101 8th Street, Room 152
,
Oakland
,
CA 94607.
and their resistance to earthquakes.
If your students have serious con-
cerns, encourage them to discuss
with their parents the possibility of
bringing in a professional. Even the
first modification on Master 5.3c is
best undertaken after structural
analysis, especially an analysis of
foundation soils.
A G U
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F E M A
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