Skyscrapers and Jello Earthquakes

This was a fun activity to test different types of structures and how they stand up to earthquakes and liquefaction. We got the idea here. This would be a good thing to do in a Natural Disasters Unit, too!

We built structures using mini-marshmallows and toothpicks, trying to keep in mind the architectural principles we'd learned about what makes structures stronger (like wide foundations, triangle and truss-reinforced walls, and so forth).

Then we put our structures onto our pan of jello and shook them up to see how they withstood the earthquake! Fun.

The taller structures were definitely harder to keep stable!

There was one among us who did more eating than building, unfortunately.