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This Everyday Engineering: Build an Earthquake Resistant Structure activity also includes:
- Everyday Engineering: Build an Earthquake Resistant Structure (.pdf)
- At Home Engineering: Distance Learning & The Engineering Design Process (.docx)
- Why the Engineering Design Process Is More Important Than Ever
- 4 Easy Tips to Having Fun Doing STEM Activities at Home
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Shake, rattle, and learn! Future engineers build structures out of toothpicks or spaghetti sticks, using marshmallows as connectors. They then use a homemade shake table to test the sturdiness of their creations.
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Concepts
Instructional Ideas
- Have pupils research local building codes
Classroom Considerations
- Activity requires shoe boxes or other similar containers, marbles or ping-pong balls, toothpicks or spaghetti sticks, and marshmallows
- Learners must be familiar with the engineering design cycle
- This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
- Directions include pictures that show the process
- Gives a list of questions to use as discussion prompts
Cons
- None