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In the article, “Shake, Rattle, and Hopefully Not Fall,” by Adam Maltese he focuses on the effect’s earthquakes have on buildings. The article touches upon why the effects of earthquakes vary throughout the world even though they may be of the same magnitude. One of the key reasons for this is due to how the buildings are built. One of the ways the author attempts to teach his students these effects is through a hands-on activity. Maltese first teaches his students about earthquakes for them to have a general background of what they are and why they occur (Maltese 40). After he teaches the students about earthquakes, he has students create their own building for the hands-on activity. The first step of the activity is for students to create a design system for their buildings. Once approved by the teacher they were able to begin their construction. Some of the requirements for the project included “building the structure using toothpicks and glue sticks, having the structures withstand the internal load of a masonry brick for 30 seconds, and having the buildings withstand “earthquakes” mimicked by a shake table” (Maltese 41).The students would be given time in class to construct the project and once completed they would be assessed on “aesthetics, design, load-bearing support, and the ability to withstand simulated earthquakes” (Maltese 42).
The activity included in the article is a great project to have students construct when learning about earthquakes. One of the great things about this activity is that it allows students to think critically. They are challenged to create a building that can withstand the effects of an earthquake. By taking part in this activity students learn why some buildings are more susceptible to damage than others. They are also able to learn about the challenges of creating buildings that withstand natural disasters. Another great feature of this activity is that it provides students with a real-world application of what they learned it class. By doing this, students can see the relevance of what they are learning in school with the real world thus demonstrating the importance of learning this topic. Overall, this article discusses a create activity for students to do when learning about earthquakes which is both engaging and informative.
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