Earthquake in the Classroom Caitlin Norton and Sabrina Lynn

Lesson Overview Natural Disasters Unit 3 rd – 5 th grade project level Focused specifically on earthquakes Identified some of the factors that make buildings earthquake-proof Compared which designs created the sturdiest structures

Materials 50 Mini Marshmallows/student 50 Toothpicks/student 3 large boxes of Jell-O Glass pan

Activity Use simple objects, such as toothpicks and marshmallows, to build structures Use Jell-O to simulate an earthquake Students make their own buildings with a maximum of 50 toothpicks & 50 marshmallows each Students put their buildings to the test by shaking the pan of Jell-O, which simulates an earthquake

Our First Two Structures

The Third & Fourth Structures

The Fifth and Final BIG One Bigger is not always better!

Troubleshooting Tips Make Jell-O the night before Leave Jell-O in the refrigerator as long as possible before testing Use fresh marshmallows Don’t use regular size marshmallows Line desks with paper towels or newspaper before project begins