An engineer designs buildings for a town where earthquakes happen. She tells the town her design cannot stop earthquakes from happening. What can her design do instead?

A river town can build a flood wall along the whole river or raise its houses up on stilts. The town has a small budget and needs the work finished before the rainy season. Which solution fits better?

A coastal town wants to protect people from a tsunami. It can install warning sirens with marked routes to high ground, or build a very tall sea wall. The town has little money. Which solution fits better?

A steep bare hillside above a road slides during heavy rain. Workers can plant grass and shrubs on the slope or set up a barrier fence beside the road. Which one holds the soil in place on the slope?

A town sits near a volcano, and people there cannot stop an eruption. Which solution best reduces the impact of volcanic activity on the town?

Engineers can build and test a small model of a flood wall to find problems before they build the real wall.

A solution that meets all of the criteria can still be turned down because it breaks a constraint, such as costing more money than the town has.

Two building designs are tested for a place where earthquakes happen. One frame can bend a little when the ground shakes, and the other is stiff and cannot bend. Which design better reduces earthquake damage?

After heavy rain, water stands in a city's streets. The city can add more storm drains or cover its parks with pavement. Which solution better reduces flooding in the streets?

A town planning a flood wall says the wall must be finished within one year. What is this time limit an example of?

Falling rock keeps blocking a mountain road. The town can put up a rock-slide barrier fence or move the road to another valley, which would take many years. The road must be usable this year. Which fits better?

Two groups of students design different flood solutions for the same town. Why should the town compare both designs before choosing one?

Which design solution helps reduce damage from flooding in a town near a river?

A tornado shelter is designed mainly to protect people from strong winds and flying debris.

Which solution is best for making shelves safer during an earthquake?

A flood solution works well in one town. Why might it be a poor choice for a different town?

Which design can help homes in a flood-prone area?

Wildfire alerts sent to phones and radios can reduce the impact of a wildfire by telling people to leave early.

Which solution can slow the spread of a wildfire near a community?

What is the main purpose of a sea wall along a coast?