In Miss Hiner's 4th grade science class, students have been learning how engineers create buildings to withstand earthquakes.
The students used their imaginations to create a building using common materials like straws, modeling clay, paper, tape, and Popsicle sticks.
The building also needed to be 30 centimeters tall, have two stories, be able to stand up on its own, hold a "live load" sand bag, and be shaken on the shake table for at least 15 seconds without major damage.
After filling the "order form," for materials and drawing a blueprint with detailed instructions, the students were given time to build their building with their group. After the first test, the students were able to revise their plan and build a stronger structure from what they learned.
Not only was it a great hands-on activity, but it was a fantastic example of how our students can work together to accomplish a goal!