WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.-- A North Carolina students is learning about the science behind earthquakes, and the engineering it takes to protect buildings from their force.
After weeks of preparation, Wiley Middle School students are testing their carefully constructed buildings against an earthquake.
"We had straws, pins, paper clips, string and a piece of cardboard for the base,” said student Janaiya McIlwaine.
The buildings had to be two stories high, and stand the weight of a sandbag on each story to make sure they were structurally sound while they were being tested.
"The buildings aren't always really reinforced, so they collapse really quick,” said student Robert Vlad.
"We learned about what goes into a building to keep it standing, what goes into the different levels of the building -- because it's not just the bottom floor you have to worry about, it's also the top,” said teacher Betty Jo Moore.
They also learned about the two types of waves, primary and secondary, that earthquakes produce.
"The S wave goes side to side and the P wave goes up and down, and we tested each of those waves to see if the building could withstand them,” McIlwaine said.
As part of the project, students were able to analyze actual security video that captured when an earthquake was happening inside a building.
"It's mind blowing!" McIlwaine exclaimed.
A mind-blowing experience learning about one of nature's most shocking disasters.
The school is also part of Stanford University's Quake Catcher Network.
It links seismographic activity in Winston-Salem to the university for scientists to track and analyze.