Introduction
Explain to the students that the class will explore some of the choices that engineers have when designing buildings with tsunamis in mind and make some conclusions as to what shapes and materials make the most tsunami-resistant buildings.
To help them begin to understand the importance of structure and material, discuss with students the 2004 tsunami, which hit the shores of Northeast Sumatra, Indonesia. The material of most of the destroyed houses were made of wood, and some were actually made of paper. A house constructed of weak material, such as wood or paper, probably will not survive the great forces of a tsunami. So, what can engineers do so that a building or structure is able to survive a tsunami? (Possible ideas: Build it out of stronger material; build it on stilts.) What might be some disadvantages of these types of the new houses? (Possible ideas: More costly and difficult to construct, look different than usual buildings.)
Voting: Have the class vote yes or no on the following question: Can engineers prevent tsunamis? Answer: No. Tsunamis are natural events caused by earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes, over which people have no control. Since we cannot control or prevent tsunamis, engineers help us predict and survive them.