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Two years ago, NASA launched a rocket on a mission to Mars!  The rocket transported a robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of the planet Mars.  The goal of this mission is to determine if Mars has a core and if the lander can detect any earthquakes.  You might ask why NASA would be interested in earthquakes on Mars.  We often times think of earthquakes as something to be avoided.  In actuality, earthquakes are needed for a planet to sustain life!  We know from experience that earthquakes shake things up.  Earthquakes do more than that.  They builds mountains, they enrich the Earth's soil, they regulate it's temperature, and they bring to the surface life dependent elements like carbon.  You see in order for a planet to sustain life, that planet must also produce earthquakes.  That's the very reason NASA is conducting investigations to determine if there are any earthquakes occurring on Mars.   That's an important factor in determining if life is possible on other planets.  This may cause you to wonder how earthquakes happen.  Let's spend some time investigating that.  How do earthquakes happen?  Let's find out together! Look at the photo below. This crack in the earth was caused by an earthquake. What do you see? What do you wonder?

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Essential Question:  How do earthquakes happen?
Click on photo below to play video.

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Voting for this episode is now closed. Would you like to vote on the most recent poll?

I pulled three questions from my jar. Which question do you want to explore next week?

What makes food delicious?

-Xiomara, 3rd Grade

Why do different instruments make different sounds?

-Sadye, 5th Grade

Why do we have allergies?

-Justice, 2nd Grade

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Voting for this episode is now closed. Would you like to vote on the most recent poll? I pulled three questions from my jar. Which question do you want to explore next week? What makes food delicious? -Xiomara, 3rd Grade Why do different instruments make different sounds?

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Read "Preparing for Earthquakes" and review the included vocabulary at the end of the text.  Click on the passage below to expand the text.

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What did this lesson make you curious about? What other questions do you have about earthquakes?
Talk to someone in your home and explain to them how earthquakes happen.  What can you do to prepare for an earthquake?  Explain your thinking.
"I know ______________________________________________________________."

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Engineering Option #1:  Design a stable structure which can withstand an earthquake!

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Engineering Option #1:  Design a stable structure which can withstand an earthquake!

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Can you figure out ways to keep a building from falling down in an earthquake? Build a tower out of paper. You can fold, twist, or tear the paper — whatever you need to make it stand tall. Place your tower on a plate and shake it back and forth, slowly at first, then stronger, and then slowly again. Does your tower fall? If it does, what could you do to help it stay up? Try again and see if it stays upright this time!

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Engineering Option #2:  Shake Tables & Marshmallow and Toothpick Structures

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Engineering Option #2:  Shake Tables & Marshmallow and Toothpick Structures

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In this activity students build structures using mini marshmallows and toothpicks.  Broken pieces of uncooked spaghetti can be used in place of toothpicks.  I designed these shake tables using wooden boards and rubber bands.  However, paper plates of books may be used in place of the wooden shake tables.  See if you can design a structure to withstand an earthquake. Design, test and redesign until you have a stable structure!  Have fun and think like an engineer!
Click the image below to play demonstration video.