May Dual Language STEAM Night: Earthquake Explorers in Chinese and English

Shake, Rattle, and Build!

Our May Dual Language STEAM Night was one to remember! Hosted at the CFI Bridgeport Robotics Center, the event welcomed young students and their families to explore the science of earthquakes and engineering, all through the languages of Chinese and English.

Families worked together to build earthquake simulators from LEGO and learned how engineers design buildings that can survive seismic activity. Along the way, students discovered that even a small change in building shape or size could make a big difference in how a structure performs during an earthquake.

How Our LEGO Earthquake Simulator Works

This month, students got a closer look at how the simulator operates. We use a special crank tool to mimic the shaking motion of an earthquake.

When the students activate their robot's code, the motor turns the crank, moving the LEGO base plate. The more your robot moves the crank, the stronger the “quake.” Students tested different shaking levels to simulate real earthquake magnitudes and observe how their buildings responded.

This was a great way to understand how amplitude and frequency affect a building’s stability. It also gave students a chance to try hands-on mechanics in addition to robotics.

Challenge Accepted: Build to Survive

By the end of the night, we gave everyone a special challenge: Can you build the tallest building possible that still survives the strongest earthquake?

Teams adjusted their designs and competed in friendly tests to see who could balance height with stability. Some went tall and narrow, while others focused on wide bases and clever shapes. No matter what fell or stood, the learning was real, and so was the laughter.

Ask Your Future Engineer

These are some of the questions we explored. Ask your child how they answered!

Q: What causes earthquakes?

A: Moving tectonic plates beneath Earth’s surface.

Q: What does the earthquake simulator show us?

A: How buildings react when the ground shakes.

Q: Why are short buildings usually better at surviving quakes?

A: They are more stable and have a lower center of gravity.

Q: What design changes helped your building stay up?

A: A wider base, strong connections, and balancing height.

Thank You to Our Team

A huge thank you to our Youth Leadership Team, Jaydem, Raymon, Christian, Luke, and Isaias, who helped students test their structures and solve tricky building problems throughout the night.

Special thanks to our teachers, Mr. Tim He and Ms. Ren Li, for leading this session and helping make science and engineering exciting for every student in both Chinese and English.

Help Us Keep This Program Free

CFI is proud to offer free dual language STEAM nights to families. Programs like this rely on community support to continue and grow.

If you believe in bilingual education, hands-on learning, and access for all, please consider donating to help us continue these amazing nights.

🔗 Donate today at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/empower-young-innovators-through-language-steam

Your support helps us provide materials, training, translation, and more for future events. Every dollar helps a child learn something new and exciting.

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