8th Graders Test Buildings for Earthquake Resistance

The 8th grade science students culminated their study of Earthquakes today by testing their "buildings" on a shake table. Using what they had learned about building shape, mass distribution, and friction, teams competed to design a the tallest structure that would sustain a powerful earthquake. After each test, the class rated the amount of damage using the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. The winning building was over 6 feet tall! This activity connected this year's sustainability theme of "Structure" with the earth science curriculum.