Summer STEM Challenge Camp
Sample Challenge - Earthquake Resistant Tower

Materials List

• Newspaper - 3 full pieces (2 pages, connected at the fold)
• Masking Tape - 1 meter

Challenge
Using only the materials listed, create a tower that is as tall as possible and will withstand moderate to severe shaking.

Testing

1. Place the finished tower on a cookie sheet. You may not tape the tower to the cookie sheet. It must be free-standing.
2. Measure from the cookie sheet to the highest part of the tower in centimeters. This is the height of the tower.
3. Shake the cookie sheet two centimeters side to side one time each second. This is a score of 10.
4. Slowly increase the frequency (how many back-and-forth shakes in 10 seconds) until the tower falls. The score is the last number of shakes in 10 seconds the tower was able to withstand without falling.
5. Add the height in centimeters to the maximum frequency before falling. This is the score.

Redesign and Retest
Start with fresh materials. Build and test another tower. Was it better?
Continue making and testing designs until you have the best version you can design.

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