Earthquake Building Design - ThemeSpark

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Preparation Guide Lesson Rubric Lesson Plan

Activity	Activity Type	Description
hook	other	During informational writing, students researched and wrote an essay about natural disasters that have occurred in the world in the last five years. Students also watched a video of a real earthquake shake table used by researchers in California to test building designs. Explain to students we are going to be doing the same thing with the earthquake design. We live in an area that is earthquake prone, so the activity was also connected to real world applications. Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duzcOkzwpDo Students will...During informational writing, students researched and wrote an essay about natural disasters that have occurred in the world in the last five years. Students also watched a video of a real earthquake shake table used by researchers in California to test building designs. Explain to students we are going to be doing the same thing with the earthquake design. We live in an area that is earthquake prone, so the activity was also connected to real world applications. Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duzcOkzwpDo Show Details
inform	read	Students read in student workbook from Hand 2 Mind about earthquakes and locations around the world where earthquakes are more frequent. Students also read about the different technologies used in real world buildings. Students build the basic four story building in order to create a more earthquake resistant building. Students will read...Students read in student workbook from Hand 2 Mind about earthquakes and locations around the world where earthquakes are more frequent. Students also read about the different technologies used in real world buildings. Students build the basic four story building in order to create a more earthquake resistant building. Show Details
practice	do groupwork	Students will work in cooperative learning groups to jigsaw the different types of earthquake technologies in order to gain information to be used to create the best model of an earthquake resistant building. Each group will build their assigned technology and test it for the class. The class will collect the data to be used when creating their own designs. In groups, students will...Students will work in cooperative learning groups to jigsaw the different types of earthquake technologies in order to gain information to be used to create the best model of an earthquake resistant building. Each group will build their assigned technology and test it for the class. The class will collect the data to be used when creating their own designs. Show Details
apply	create	Students will work together in their cooperative learning groups using the data from the class technology tests to create what they believe is the best design of a building to withstand an earthquake. Their buildings need to fit in the constraints and criteria given to them by the kit and modified by the teacher. Kit criteria is 8 seconds to stop shaking, but was modified to 4 seconds to make the challenge more advanced. Students are able to test their buildings multiple times. The group with the best design within the criteria competes with the other classes to see which design/model will be "bought" by the principal and STEM teacher to build. Students will create...Students will work together in their cooperative learning groups using the data from the class technology tests to create what they believe is the best design of a building to withstand an earthquake. Their buildings need to fit in the constraints and criteria given to them by the kit and modified by the teacher. Kit criteria is 8 seconds to stop shaking, but was modified to 4 seconds to make the challenge more advanced. Students are able to test their buildings multiple times. The group with the best design within the criteria competes with the other classes to see which design/model will be "bought" by the principal and STEM teacher to build. Show Details

Rubric:

	1. Standard Not Met	2. Approaching Standard	3. Standard Met	4. Exceeding Standard
MS-ETS1-4 - Engineering DesignDevelop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.	Suggested ways to test a proposed object, tool, or process.	Developed a model to generate data for testing a proposed object, tool, or process.	Developed a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.	Evaluated merits and limitations of two different models of the same proposed tool, process, mechanism, or system in order to select or revise a model that best fits the evidence or design criteria. Designed a test of a model to ascertain its reliability.