The Effects of Earthquakes on Buildings
Postsecondary Education Lesson Plan
Overview
The purpose of this lesson is to:
 Help students enhance learning through technology
This lesson should be taught:
 Students will work in groups of two or three
 Each student group will need access to a computer and the internet
Objective
Materials
Procedure
Evaluation
References
By the end of this lesson the students will have learned:
 About earthquake-proof construction and the effects of earthquakes on
buildings
 How to use the online earthquake simulation tool
 How to communicate their findings via spreadsheet
The materials needed for this lesson are:
 This website to simulate earthquakes
Dsc.discovery.com/guides/planetearth/earthquake/interactive/interactive.html
 Computer
 Internet access
Part one:
 Each student group will run 8 – 10 earthquake simulations using the link
provided
 Record data in EditGrid chart as each variable changes, try to create more
earthquake-proof buildings
Part two:
 Use spreadsheet to analyze results and draw conclusions as to what elements
make buildings more earthquake-proof
At the end of the lesson each student group should be able to:
 Identify which characteristics help a building withstand earthquakes
 Accurately create a spreadsheet using EditGrid software and analyze data
organized in a spreadsheet
www.microsoft.com/education/earthquakes.mspx