Earthquake Engineering: Shake It Up with Jell-O
Content Warning: This material might upset children specially is they've been through a natural disaster. Goals

Level 1:

• Understand that earthquakes happen when the Earth shakes
• See how shaking affects buildings
• Try to build something that won’t fall over!

Level 2:

• Describe how earthquakes are caused by movement at transform or convergent plate boundaries
• Understand that seismic waves move through the ground and can damage structures
• Explore how engineers design earthquake-safe buildings

Materials

• 1 tray of prepared Jell-O (firm — a glass or plastic container works best)
• Toothpicks, mini marshmallows, and/or uncooked spaghetti (for building structures)
• Optional: LEGO bricks, gumdrops, foam pieces
• Paper towels and cleanup supplies

Set Up the Demo
Make a tray of Jell-O the day before. You want a firm consistency so the Jell-O doesn’t melt or wobble too quickly.Let the kids build small "buildings" using marshmallows and toothpicks, or small LEGO towers.

Discussion
(you could also watch a video or read about earthquakes)
Level 1:
“Have you ever felt the ground shake? That’s called an earthquake! Let’s see what happens when the ground shakes under a building.”
Level 2:
“Earthquakes happen when tectonic plates suddenly shift. The energy sends out waves that shake the ground — and anything on top of it! Engineers try to build structures that won’t fall over. Let’s test some ideas.”

Build Structures

• Give learners materials to build a simple structure on a small plate
• Challenge them to make it at least 3 stories tall (marshmallow or LEGO levels)

Earthquake Simulation

• Place the structure carefully on the Jell-O
• Gently shake the tray side to side — simulate seismic waves!
• Try different speeds and directions of shaking
• Observe: Does the building fall? Lean? Stay up?

Optional:

• Have them redesign and try again — this models engineering design thinking

Reflect and Compare

• “What helped your building stay up?”
• “What made it fall over?”
• “What could real builders do to make buildings safer?”

Wrap-Up Concepts

• Earthquakes shake the ground — and buildings can break!
• Engineers use strong bases, triangles, and flexible materials to help buildings survive earthquakes
• Earthquakes usually happen at plate boundaries, especially transform boundaries like the San Andreas Fault

Examples of Explorations