1. Earthquake in the Classroom Caitlin Norton and Sabrina Lynn

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. Our First Two Structures

6. The Third & Fourth Structures

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

8. 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