In this architecture and engineering activity, students will be tasked with using a particular number of index cards (we used 20, but you can change the number to adapt to challenges and grade levels) to form a construction that will withstand an earthquake without the use of tape or glue.  Students will need to figure out how to connect the cards and what shapes might create a more stable foundation.  In addition to engineering, this project also incorporates physics and math and builds resilience and problem-solving skills.  As they build their structures and test them on the shake tables, the structures will fall and students will need to build again and work on their understanding of all of these skills.  Science can be incorporated through an exploration of the forces that change our landscapes (both natural and human-made).

Additional challenges could be specifying a particular height or built within a shorter time limit. or material that we were using.