Soil and Water Conservation requirements



EARTH SCIENCE END-OF-YEAR PROJECT

Pick one of these projects. You must fulfill each requirement by selecting one of the options for each number and completing it. It will be helpful to have an adult help you with your project. If you work with a partner, each student must submit his/her own final answers. Grades will be assigned in accordance with the quality of work. This is a “summative assessment.” All projects are due by 5/20/16.

There are helpful resources available for each project at the following website.

Find your project, scroll down to the end of the requirements, and then click on the resources. You can

also find information at your local library and on the internet. If you use the internet, be sure to always include the key word KIDS when you search for information. That way, you will not get stuff that is above your ability level….after all, you have not yet gone to college, so therefore, do not try to read things that are written on an adult level.

The answers you give should be complete, and can be hand-written or typed. However, you may not cut and paste. If you want to use an internet resource, it is best to print that resource, and then put it in your own words. If you cut and paste, it is plagiarism. Not only is this academic dishonesty, it is likely that you don’t really know what it means. If you put it in your own words, I won’t take off for spelling or grammar mistakes. I will be happy that you told me what you know in your own words. You are a 6th grader….I want a 6th grader’s take on the subject. If you cut and paste information, it is easy for a teacher to spot. Also, I will not give you credit for that item.

***************************************NOTE***************************************

If you are a Boy Scout, ask your scoutmaster if you can apply for the badge with the same requirements given for your final Earth Science project. If you are a Girl Scout, please ask your leader if any of these requirements apply to your badges. You can print your project and take it to your leader for advice.

If you are not a Boy Scout, you will still be responsible for completing the requirements for ONE of the following badges. It is your school assignment, with grateful appreciation to the Boy Scouts for defining it.

| |

|Soil and Water Conservation requirements Here is the workbook…free |[pic] |

| | |

|Do the following: |

|a. Tell what soil is. Tell how it is formed. |

|b. Describe three kinds of soil. Tell how they are different. |

|c. Name the three main plant nutrients in fertile soil. Tell how they can be put back when used up. |

|Do the following: |

|a. Define soil erosion. |

|b. Tell why soil conservation is important. Tell how it affects you. |

|c. Name three kinds of soil erosion. Describe each. |

|d. Take pictures of or draw two kinds of soil erosion. |

|Do the following: |

|a. Tell what is meant by "conservation practices". |

|b. Describe the effect of three kinds of erosion-control practices. |

|c. Take pictures of or draw three kinds of erosion-control practices. |

|Do the following: |

|a. Explain what a watershed is. |

|b. Outline the smallest watershed that you can find on a contour map. |

|c. Outline, as far as the map will allow, the next larger watershed which also has the smaller one in it. |

|d. Explain what a river basin is. Tell why all people living in a river basin should be concerned about land and water use in the basin. |

|Do the following: |

|a. Make a drawing to show the hydrologic cycle. |

|b. Demonstrate at least two of the following actions of water in relation to the soil: percolation, capillary action, precipitation, evaporation, transpiration. |

|c. Explain how removal of vegetation will affect the way water runs off a watershed. |

|d. Tell how uses of forest, range, and farmland affect usable water supply. |

|e. Explain how industrial use affects water supply. |

|Do the following: |

|a. Tell what is meant by water pollution. |

|b. Describe common sources of water pollution and explain the effects of each. |

|c. Tell what is meant by "primary water treatment," "secondary waste treatment," and "biochemical oxygen demand." |

|d. Make a drawing showing the principles of complete waste treatment. |

| |

| |

|Do TWO of the following: |

|a. Make a trip to two of the following places. Write a report of more than 500 words about the soil and water and energy conservation practices you saw. |

|1. An agricultural experiment. |

|2. A managed forest or a woodlot, range, or pasture. |

|3. A wildlife refuge or a fish or game management area. |

|4. A conservation-managed farm or ranch. |

|5. A managed watershed. |

|6. A waste-treatment plant. |

|7. A public drinking water treatment plant. |

|8. An industry water-use installation. |

|9. A desalinization plant. |

|b. Plant 100 trees, bushes and/or vines for a good purpose. |

|c. Seed an area of at least one-fifth acre for some worthwhile conservation purposes, using suitable grasses or legumes alone or in a mixture. |

|d. Study a soil survey report. Describe the things in it. Using tracing paper and pen, trace over any of the soil maps, and outline an area with three or more different kinds of soil. List each kind of soil by full name|

|and map symbol. |

|e. Make a list of places in your neighborhood, camps, school ground, or park having erosion, sedimentation, or pollution problems. Describe how these could be corrected through individual or group action. |

|f. Carry out any other soil and water conservation project approved by your merit badge counselor. |

|Environmental Science merit badge requirements |[pic] |

|Make a timeline of the history of environmental science in America. Identify the contribution made by the Boy Scouts of America to environmental science. Include dates, names of people or organizations, and important |

|events. |

|Define the following terms: population, community, ecosystem, biosphere, symbiosis, niche, habitat, conservation, threatened species, endangered species, extinction, pollution prevention, brownfield, ozone, watershed, |

|airshed, nonpoint source, hybrid vehicle, fuel cell. |

|Do ONE activity in EACH of the following categories (using the activities in this {the merit badge} pamphlet as the basis for planning and carrying out your projects): |

|a. Ecology |

|1. Conduct an experiment to find out how living things respond to changes in their environments. Discuss your observations with your counselor. |

|2. Conduct an experiment illustrating the greenhouse effect. Keep a journal of your data and observations. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor. |

|3. Discuss what is an ecosystem. Tell how it is maintained in nature and how it survives. |

|b. Air Pollution |

|1. Perform an experiment to test for particulates that contribute to air pollution. Discuss your findings with your counselor. |

|2. Record the trips taken, mileage, and fuel consumption of a family car for seven days, and calculate how many miles per gallon the car gets. Determine whether any trips could have been combined ("chained") rather than|

|taken out and back. Using the idea of trip chaining, determine how many miles and gallons of gas could have been saved in those seven days. |

|3. Explain what is acid rain. In your explanation, tell how it affects plants and the environment and the steps society can take to help reduce its effects. |

|c. Water Pollution |

|1. Conduct an experiment to show how living things react to thermal pollution. Discuss your observations with your counselor. |

|2. Conduct an experiment to identify the methods that could be used to mediate (reduce) the effects of an oil spill on waterfowl. Discuss your results with your counselor. |

|3. Describe the impact of a waterborne pollutant on an aquatic community. Write a 100-word report on how that pollutant affected aquatic life, what the effect was, and whether the effect is linked to biomagnification. |

|d. Land Pollution |

|1. Conduct an experiment to illustrate soil erosion by water. Take photographs or make a drawing of the soil before and after your experiment, and make a poster showing your results. Present your poster to your patrol |

|or troop. |

|2. Perform an experiment to determine the effect of an oil spill on land. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor. |

|3. Photograph an area affected by erosion. Share your photographs with your counselor and discuss why the area has eroded and what might be done to help alleviate the erosion. |

|e. Endangered Species |

|1. Do research on one endangered species found in your state. Find out what its natural habitat is, why it is endangered, what is being done to preserve it, and how many individual organisms are left in the wild. |

|Prepare a 100-word report about the organism, including a drawing. Present your report to your patrol or troop. |

|2. Do research on one species that was endangered or threatened but which has now recovered. Find out how the organism recovered, and what its new status is. Write a 100-word report on the species and discuss it with |

|your counselor. |

| |

| |

| |

| |

|3. With your parent's and counselor's approval, work with a natural resource professional to identify two projects that have been approved to improve the habitat for a threatened or endangered species in your area. |

|Visit the site of one of these projects and report on what you saw. |

|f. Pollution Prevention, Resource Recovery, and Conservation |

|1. Look around your home and determine 10 ways your family can help reduce pollution. Practice at least two of these methods for seven days and discuss with your counselor what you have learned. |

|2. Determine 10 ways to conserve resources or use resources more efficiently in your home, at school, or at camp. Practice at least two of these methods for seven days and discuss with your counselor what you have |

|learned. |

|3. Perform an experiment on packaging materials to find out which ones are biodegradable. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor. |

|f. Pollination |

|1. Using photographs or illustrations, point out the differences between a drone and a worker bee. Discuss the stages of bee development (eggs, larvae, pupae). Explain the pollination process, and what propolis is and |

|how it is used by honey bees. Tell how bees make honey and beeswax, and how both are harvested. Explain the part played in the life of the hive by the queen, the drones, and the workers. |

|2. Present to your counselor a one-page report on how and why honey bees are used in pollinating food crops. In your report, discuss the problems faced by the bee population today, and the impact to humanity if there |

|were no pollinators. Share your report with your troop or patrol, your class at school, or another group approved by your counselor. |

|3. Hive a swarm OR divide at least one colony of honey bees. Explain how a hive is constructed. |

|Choose two outdoor study areas that are very different from one another (e.g., hilltop vs. bottom of a hill; field vs. forest; swamp vs. dry land). For BOTH study areas, do ONE of the following: |

|a. Mark off a plot of 4 square yards in each study area, and count the number of species found there. Estimate how much space is occupied by each plant species and the type and number of nonplant species you find. Write|

|a report that adequately discusses the biodiversity and population density of these study areas. Discuss your report with your counselor. |

|b. Make at least three visits to each of the two study areas (for a total of six visits), staying for at least 20 minutes each time, to observe the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. Space each visit far |

|enough apart that there are readily apparent differences in the observations. Keep a journal that includes the differences you observe. Then, write a short report that adequately addresses your observations, including |

|how the differences of the study areas might relate to the differences noted, and discuss this with your counselor. |

|Using the construction project provided or a plan you create on your own, identify the items that would need to be included in an environmental impact statement for the project planned. |

|Find out about three career opportunities in environmental science. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this |

|profession might interest you. |

| |

|Oceanography merit badge|[pic] |

|requirements | |

|Name four branches of oceanography. Describe at least five reasons why it is important for people to learn about the oceans. |

|Define salinity, temperature, and density, and describe how these important properties of seawater are measured by the physical oceanographer. Discuss the circulation and currents of the ocean. Describe the effects of |

|the oceans on weather and climate. |

|Describe the characteristics of ocean waves. Point out the differences among the storm surge, tsunami, tidal wave, and tidal bore. Explain the difference between sea, swell, and surf. Explain how breakers are formed. |

|Draw a cross-section of underwater topography. Show what is meant by: |

|a. Continental shelf |

|b. Continental slope |

|c. Abyssal plain |

|Name and put on your drawing the following: seamount, guyot, rift valley, canyon, trench, and oceanic ridge. Compare the depths in the oceans with the heights of mountains on land. |

|List the main salts, gases, and nutrients in sea water. Describe some important properties of water. Tell how the animals and plants of the ocean affect the chemical composition of seawater. Explain how differences in |

|evaporation and precipitation affect the salt content of the oceans. |

|Describe some of the biologically important properties of seawater. Define benthos, nekton, and plankton. Name some of the plants and animals that make up each of these groups. Describe the place and importance of |

|phytoplankton in the oceanic food chain. |

|Do ONE of the following: |

|a. Make a plankton net. Tow the net by a dock, wade with it, hold it in a current, or tow it from a rowboat.* Do this for about 20 minutes. Save the sample. Examine it under a microscope or high-power glass. Identify |

|the three most common types of plankton in the sample. |

|May be done in lakes or streams. |

|b. Make a series of models (clay or plaster and wood) of a volcanic island. Show the growth of an atoll from a fringing reef through a barrier reef. Describe the Darwinian theory of coral reef formation. |

|c. Measure the water temperature at the surface, midwater, and bottom of a body of water four times daily for five consecutive days. You may measure depth with a rock tied to a line. Make a Secchi disk to measure |

|turbidity (how much suspended sedimentation is in the water). Measure the air temperature. Note the cloud cover and roughness of the water. Show your findings (air and water temperature, turbidity) on a graph. Tell how |

|the water temperature changes with air temperature. |

|d. Make a model showing the inshore sediment movement by littoral currents, tidal movement, and wave action. Include such formations as high and low waterlines, low tide terrace, berm, and coastal cliffs. Show how the |

|offshore bars are built up and torn down. |

|e. Make a wave generator. Show reflection and refraction of waves. Show how groins, jetties, and breakwaters affect these patterns. |

|f. Track and monitor satellite images available on the Internet for a specific location for three weeks. Describe what you have learned to your counselor. |

|Do ONE of the following: |

|a. Write a 500-word report on a book about oceanography approved by your counselor. |

|b. Visit one of the following: |

|1. Oceanographic research ship |

|2. Oceanographic institute, marine laboratory, or marine aquarium |

|Write a 500-word report about your visit. |

|c. Explain in a five minute prepared video "Why Oceanography Is Important" or describe "Career Opportunities in Oceanography." (Before making your speech, show your speech outline to your counselor for approval.) |

|Describe four methods that marine scientists use to investigate the ocean, underlying geology, and organisms living in the water. |

|Weather merit badge |[pic] |

|requirements | |

|Define meteorology. Explain what weather is and what climate is. Discuss how the weather affects farmers, sailors, aviators, and the outdoor construction industry. Tell why weather forecasts are important to each of |

|these groups. |

|Name five dangerous weather-related conditions. Give the safety rules for each when outdoors and explain the difference between a severe weather watch and a warning. Discuss the safety rules with your family. |

|Explain the difference between high and low pressure systems in the atmosphere. Tell which is related to good and to poor weather. Draw cross sections of a cold front and a warm front, showing the location and movements|

|of the cold and warm air, the frontal slope, the location and types of clouds associated with each type of front, and the location of precipitation. |

|Tell what causes wind, why it rains, and how lightning and hail are formed. |

|Identify and describe clouds in the low, middle, and upper levels of the atmosphere. Relate these to specific types of weather. |

|Draw a diagram of the water cycle and label its major processes. Explain the water cycle to your counselor. |

|Identify some human activities that can alter the environment, and describe how they affect the climate and people. |

|Describe how the tilt of Earth's axis helps determine the climate of a region near the equator, near the poles, and across the area in between. |

|Do ONE of the following: |

|a. Make one of the following instruments: wind vane, anemometer, rain gauge, hygrometer. Keep a daily weather log for one week using information from this instrument as well as from other sources such as local radio and|

|television stations, NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, and Internet sources (with your parent's permission). Record the following information at the same time every day: wind direction and speed, temperature, |

|precipitation, and types of clouds. Be sure to make a note of any morning dew or frost. In the log, also list the weather forecasts from radio or television at the same time each day and show how the weather really |

|turned out. |

|b. Visit a National Weather Service office or talk with a local radio or television weathercaster, private meteorologist, local agricultural extension service officer, or university meteorology instructor. Find out what|

|type of weather is most dangerous or damaging to your community. Determine how severe weather and flood warnings reach the homes in your community. |

|Do ONE of the following: |

|a. Give a talk of at least five minutes to a group (such as your unit or a Cub Scout pack) explaining the outdoor safety rules in the event of lightning, flash floods, and tornadoes. Before your talk, share your outline|

|with your counselor for approval. |

|b. Read several articles about acid rain and give a prepared talk of at least five minutes to a group (such as your unit or a Cub Scout pack) about the articles. Before your talk, share your outline with your counselor |

|for approval. |

|Find out about a weather-related career opportunity that interests you. Discuss with and explain to your counselor what training and education are required for such a position, and the responsibilities required of such |

|a position.  |

|Geology merit badge |[pic] |

|requirements | |

|Define geology. Discuss how geologists learn about rock formations. In geology, explain why the study of the present is important to understanding the past. |

|Pick three resources that can be extracted or mined from Earth for commercial use. Discuss with your counselor how each product is discovered and processed. |

|Review a geologic map of your area or an area selected by your counselor, and discuss the different rock types and estimated ages of rocks represented. Determine whether the rocks are horizontal, folded, or faulted, and|

|explain how you arrived at your conclusion. |

|Do ONE of the following: |

|a. With your parent's and counselor's approval, visit with a geologist, land use planner, or civil engineer. Discuss this professional's work and the tools required in this line of work. Learn about a project that this |

|person is now working on, and ask to see reports and maps created for this project. Discuss with your counselor what you have learned. |

|b. Find out about three career opportunities available in geology. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for the profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this |

|profession might interest you. |

|Complete ONE of the options listed below A, B, C, or D. |

|a. Surface and Sedimentary Processes Option |

|1. Conduct an experiment approved by your counselor that demonstrates how sediments settle from suspension in water. Explain to your counselor what the exercise shows and why it is important. |

|2. Using topographical maps provided by your counselor, plot the stream gradients (different elevations divided by distance) for four different stream types (straight, meandering, dendritic, trellis). Explain which ones|

|flow fastest and why, and which ones will carry larger grains of sediment and why. |

|3. On a stream diagram, show areas where you will ,find the following features: cut bank, fill bank, point bar, medial channel bars, lake delta. Describe the relative sediment grain size found in each feature. |

|4. Conduct an experiment approved by your counselor that shows how some sedimentary material carried by water may be too small for you to see without a magnifier. |

|5. Visit a nearby stream. Find clues that show the direction of water flow, even if the water is missing. Record your observations in a notebook, and sketch those clues you observe. Discuss your observations with your |

|counselor. |

|b. Energy Resources Option |

|1. List the top five Earth resources used to generate electricity in the United States. |

|2. Discuss source rock, trap, and reservoir rock - the three components necessary for the occurrence of oil and gas underground. |

|3. Explain how each of the following items is used in subsurface exploration to locate oil or gas: reflection seismic, electric well logs, stratigraphic correlation, offshore platform, geologic map, subsurface structure|

|map, subsurface isopach map, and core samples and cutting samples. |

|4. Using at least 20 data points provided by your counselor, create a subsurface structure map and use it to explain how subsurface geology maps are used to find oil, gas, or coal resources. |

|5. Do ONE of the following activities: |

|a. a.Make a display or presentation showing how oil and gas or coal is found, extracted, and processed. You may use maps, books, articles from periodicals, and research found on the Internet (with your parent's |

|permission). Share the display with your counselor or a small group (such as your class at school) in a five minute presentation. |

|b. With your parent's and counselor's permission and assistance, arrange for a visit to an operating drilling rig. While there, talk with a geologist and ask to see what the geologist does onsite. Ask to see cutting |

|samples taken at the site. |

|c. Mineral Resources Option |

|1. Define rock. Discuss the three classes of rocks including their origin and characteristics. |

|2. Define mineral. Discuss the origin of minerals and their chemical composition and identification properties, including hardness, specific gravity, color, streak, cleavage, luster, and crystal form. |

|3. Do ONE of the following: |

|a. Collect 10 different rocks or minerals. Record in a notebook where you obtained (found, bought, traded) each one. Label each specimen, identify its class and origin, determine its chemical composition, and list its |

|physical properties. Share your collection with your counselor. |

|b. With your counselor's assistance, identify 15 different rocks and minerals. List the name of each specimen, tell whether it is a rock or mineral, and give the name of its class (if it is a rock) or list its |

|identifying physical properties (if it is a mineral). |

|4. List three of the most common road building materials used in your area. Explain how each material is produced and how each is used in road building. |

|5. Do ONE of the following activities: |

|a. With your parent's and counselor's approval, visit an active mining site, quarry, or sand and gravel pit. Tell your counselor what you learned about the resources extracted from this location and how these resources |

|are used by society. |

|b. With your counselor, choose two examples of rocks and two examples of minerals. Discuss the mining of these materials and describe how each is used by society. |

|c. With your parent's and counselor's approval, visit the office of a civil engineer and learn how geology is used in construction. Discuss what you learned with your counselor. |

|d. Earth History Option |

|1. Create a chart showing suggested geological eras and periods. Determine which period the rocks in your region might have been formed. |

|2. Explain to your counselor the processes of burial and fossilization, and discuss the concept of extinction. |

|3. Explain to your counselor how fossils provide information about ancient life, environment, climate, and geography. Discuss the following terms and explain how animals from each habitat obtain food: benthonic, |

|pelagic, littoral, lacustrine, open marine, brackish, fluvial, eolian, protected reef. |

|4. 4.Collect 10 different fossil plants or animals OR (with your counselor's assistance) identify 15 different fossil plants or animals. Record in a notebook where you obtained (found, bought, traded) each one. Classify|

|each specimen to the best of your ability, and explain how each one might have survived and obtained food. Tell what else you can learn from these fossils. |

|5. Do ONE of the following: |

|a. Visit a science museum or the geology department of a local university that has fossils on display. With your parent's and counselor's approval, before you go, make an appointment with a curator or guide who can show|

|you how the fossils are preserved and prepared for display. |

|b. Visit a structure in your area that was built using fossiliferous rocks. Determine what kind of rock was used and tell your counselor the kinds of fossil evidence you found there. |

|c. Visit a rock outcrop that contains fossils. Determine what kind of rock contains the fossils, and tell your counselor the kinds of fossil evidence you found at the outcrop. |

|d. Prepare a display or presentation on your state fossil. Include an image of the fossil, the age of the fossil, and its classification. You may use maps, books, articles from periodicals, and research found on the |

|Internet (with your parent's permission). Share the display with your counselor or a small group (such as your class at school). If your state does not have a state fossil, you may select a state fossil from a |

|neighboring state. |

|Astronomy merit badge requirements |[pic] |

| |

|Do the following: |

|a. Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you may encounter while participating in astronomy activities, and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these hazards. |

|b. Explain first aid for injuries or illnesses such as heat and cold reactions, dehydration, bites and stings, and damage to your eyes that could occur during observation. |

|c. Describe the proper clothing and other precautions for safely making observations at night and in cold weather. Then explain how to safely observe the Sun, objects near the Sun, and the Moon. |

|Explain what light pollution is and how it and air pollution affect astronomy. |

|With the aid of diagrams (or real telescopes if available), do each of the following: |

|a. Explain why binoculars and telescopes are important astronomical tools. Demonstrate or explain how these tools are used. |

|b. Describe the similarities and differences of several types of astronomical telescopes, including at least one that observes light beyond the visible part of the spectrum (i.e., radio, X-ray, ultraviolet, or |

|infrared). |

|c. Explain the purposes of at least three instruments used with astronomical telescopes. |

|d. Describe the proper care and storage of telescopes and binoculars both at home and in the field. |

|Do the following: |

|a. Identify in the sky at least 10 constellations, at least four of which are in the zodiac. |

|b. Identify at least eight conspicuous stars, five of which are of magnitude 1 or brighter. |

|c. Make two sketches of the Big Dipper. In one sketch, show the Big Dipper’s orientation in the early evening sky. In another sketch, show its position several hours later. In both sketches, show the North Star and the |

|horizon. Record the date and time each sketch was made. |

|d. Explain what we see when we look at the Milky Way. |

|Do the following: |

|a. List the names of the five most visible planets. Explain which ones can appear in phases similar to lunar phases and which ones cannot, and explain why. |

|b. Using the Internet (with your parent’s permission) and other resources, find out when each of the five most visible planets that you identified in requirement 5a will be observable in the evening sky during the next |

|12 months, then compile this information in the form of a chart or table. |

|c. Describe the motion of the planets across the sky. |

|d. Observe a planet and describe what you saw. |

|Do the following: |

|a. Sketch the face of the Moon and indicate at least five seas and five craters. Label these landmarks. |

|b. Sketch the phase and the daily position of the Moon, at the same hour and place, for four days in a row. Include landmarks on the horizon such as hills, trees, and buildings. Explain the changes you observe. |

|c. List the factors that keep the Moon in orbit around Earth. |

|d. With the aid of diagrams, explain the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and the Moon at the times of lunar and solar eclipses, and at the times of new, first-quarter, full, and last-quarter phases of the Moon. |

|Do the following: |

|a. Describe the composition of the Sun, its relationship to other stars, and some effects of its radiation on Earth’s weather and communications. |

|b. Define sunspots and describe some of the effects they may have on solar radiation. |

|c. Identify at least one red star, one blue star, and one yellow star (other than the Sun). Explain the meaning of these colors. |

|With your counselor’s approval and guidance, do ONE of the following: |

|a. Visit a planetarium or astronomical observatory. Submit a written report, a scrapbook, or a video presentation afterward to your counselor that includes the following information: |

|1. Activities occurring there |

|2. Exhibits and displays you saw |

|3. Telescopes and other instruments being used |

|4. Celestial objects you observed |

|b. Plan and participate in a three-hour observation session that includes using binoculars or a telescope. List the celestial objects you want to observe, and find each on a star chart or in a guidebook. Prepare an |

|observing log or notebook. Show your plan, charts, and log or notebook to your counselor before making your observations. Review your log or notebook with your counselor afterward. |

|c. Plan and host a star party for your Scout troop or other group such as your class at school. Use binoculars or a telescope to show and explain celestial objects to the group. |

|d. Help an astronomy club in your community hold a star party that is open to the public. |

|e. Personally take a series of photographs or digital images of the movement of the Moon, a planet, an asteroid, meteor, or a comet. In your visual display, label each image and include the date and time it was taken. |

|Show all positions on a star chart or map. Show your display at school or at a troop meeting. Explain the changes you observed. |

|Find out about three career opportunities in astronomy. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might|

|interest you. |

|Energy merit badge |[pic] |

|requirements | |

|Do the following: |

|a. Find an article on the use or conservation of energy. Discuss with your counselor what in the article was interesting to you, the questions it raises, and what ideas it addresses that you do not understand. |

|b. After you have completed requirements 2 through 8, revisit the article you found for requirement la. Explain to your counselor what you have learned in completing the requirements that helps you better understand the|

|article. |

|Show you understand energy forms and conversions by doing the following: |

|a. Explain how THREE of the following devices use energy, and explain their energy conversions: toaster, greenhouse, lightbulb, bow drill, cell phone, nuclear reactor, sweat lodge. |

|b. Construct a system that makes at least two energy conversions and explain this to your counselor. |

|Show you understand energy efficiency by explaining to your counselor a common example of a situation where energy moves through a system to produce a useful result. Do the following: |

|a. Identify the parts of the system that are affected by the energy movement. |

|b. Name the system's primary source of energy. |

|c. Identify the useful outcomes of the system. |

|d. Identify the energy losses of the system. |

|Conduct an energy audit of your home. Keep a 14 day log that records what you and your family did to reduce energy use. Include the following in your report and, after the 14 day period, discuss what you have learned |

|with your counselor. |

|a. List the types of energy used in your home such as electricity, wood, oil, liquid petroleum, and natural gas, and tell how each is delivered and measured, and the current cost; OR record the transportation fuel used,|

|miles driven, miles per gallon, and trips using your family car or another vehicle. |

|b. Describe ways you and your family can use energy resources more wisely. In preparing your discussion, consider the energy required for the things you do and use on a daily basis (cooking, showering, using lights, |

|driving, watching TV, using the computer). Explain what is meant by sustainable energy sources. Explain how you can change your energy use through reuse and recycling. |

|In a notebook, identify and describe five examples of energy waste in your school or community. Suggest in each case possible ways to reduce this waste. Describe the idea of trade offs in energy use. In your response, |

|do the following: |

|a. Explain how the changes you suggest would lower costs, reduce pollution, or otherwise improve your community. |

|b. Explain what changes to routines, habits, or convenience are necessary to reduce energy waste. Tell why people might resist the changes you suggest. |

|Prepare pie charts showing the following information, and explain to your counselor the important ideas each chart reveals. Tell where you got your information. Explain how cost affects the use of a nonrenewable energy |

|resource and makes alternatives practical. |

|a. The energy resources that supply the United States with most of its energy |

|b. The share of energy resources used by the United States that comes from other countries |

|c. The proportion of energy resources used by homes, businesses, industry, and transportation |

|d. The fuels used to generate America's electricity |

|e. The world's known and estimated primary energy resource reserves |

|Tell what is being done to make FIVE of the following energy systems produce more usable energy. In your explanation, describe the technology, cost, environmental impacts, and safety concerns. |

|Biomass digesters or waste to energy plants |

|Cogeneration plants |

|Fossil fuel power plants |

|Fuel cells |

|Geothermal power plants |

|Nuclear power plants |

|Solar power systems |

|Tidal energy, wave energy, or ocean thermal energy conversion devices |

|Wind turbines |

| | | |

|Sustainability merit|[pic] |

|badge requirements | |

|Before starting work on any other requirements for this merit badge, write in your own words the meaning of sustainability. Explain how you think conservation and stewardship of our natural resources relate to |

|sustainability. Have a family meeting, and ask family members to write down what they think sustainability means. Be sure to take notes. You will need this information again for requirement 5. |

|Do the following: |

|Water. Do A AND either B OR C. |

|A. Develop and implement a plan that attempts to reduce your family's water usage. As a family, discuss water usage. To aid in your discussion, if past water bills are available, you may choose to examine a few. As a |

|family, choose three ways to help reduce water consumption. Implement those ideas for one month. share what you learn with your counselor, and tell how you think your plan affected your family's water usage |

|B. Using a diagram you have created, explain to your counselor how your household gets its clean water from a natural source and what happens with the water after you use it. Include water that goes down the kitchen, |

|bathroom, and laundry drains, and any runoff from watering the yard or washing the car. Tell two ways to preserve your family’s access to clean water in the future. |

|C. Discuss with your counselor two areas in the world that have been affected by drought over the last three years. For each area, identify a water conservation practice (successful or unsuccessful) that has been used. |

|Tell whether the practice was effective and why. Discuss what water conservation practice you would have tried and why. |

|Food. Do A AND either B OR C. |

|A. Develop and implement a plan that attempts to reduce your household food waste. Establish a baseline and then track and record your results for two weeks. Report your results to your family and counselor. |

|B. Discuss with your counselor the ways individuals, families, and communities can create their own food sources (potted plants, family garden, rooftop garden, neighborhood or community garden). Tell how this plan might|

|contribute to a more sustainable way of life if practiced globally. |

|C. Discuss with your counselor factors that limit the availability of food and food production in different regions of the world. Tell three ways these factors influence the sustainability of worldwide food supplies. |

|Community. Do A AND either B OR C. |

|A. Draw a rough sketch depicting how you would design a sustainable community. Share your sketch with your counselor, and explain how the housing, work locations, shops, schools, and transportation systems affect |

|energy, pollution, natural resources, and the economy of the community. |

|B. With your parent’s permission and your counselor’s approval, interview a local architect, engineer, contractor, or building materials supplier. Find out the factors that are considered when using sustainable |

|materials in renovating or building a home. Share what you learn with your counselor. |

|C. Review a current housing needs assessment for your town, city, county, or state. Discuss with your counselor how birth and death rates affect sufficient housing, and how a lack of housing—or too much housing—can |

|influence the sustainability of a local or global area. |

|Energy. Do A AND either B OR C. |

|A. Learn about the sustainability of different energy sources, including fossil fuels, solar, wind, nuclear, hydropower, and geothermal. Find out how the production and consumption of each of these energy sources |

|affects the environment and what the term “carbon footprint” means. Discuss what you learn with your counselor, and explain how you think your family can reduce its carbon footprint. |

|B. Develop and implement a plan that attempts to reduce consumption for one of your family’s household utilities. Examine your family’s bills for that utility reflecting usage for three months (past or current). As a |

|family, choose three ways to help reduce consumption and be a better steward of this resource. Implement those ideas for one month. Share what you learn with your counselor, and tell how your plan affected your family’s|

|usage. |

|C. Evaluate your family’s fuel and transportation usage. Review your family’s transportation-related bills (gasoline, diesel, electric, public transportation, etc.) reflecting usage for three months (past or current). |

|As a family, choose three ways to help reduce consumption and be a better steward of this resource. Implement those ideas for one month. Share what you learn with your counselor, and tell how your plan affected your |

|family’s transportation habits. |

|Stuff. Do A AND either B OR C. |

|A. Keep a log of the “stuff” your family purchases (excluding food items) for two weeks. In your log, categorize each purchase as an essential need (such as soap) or a desirable want (such as a DVD). Share what you |

|learn with your counselor. |

|B. Plan a project that involves the participation of your family to identify the “stuff” your family no longer needs. Complete your project by donating, repurposing, or recycling these items. |

|C. Discuss with your counselor how having too much “stuff” affects you, your family, and your community. Include the following: the financial impact, time spent, maintenance, health, storage, and waste. Include in your |

|discussion the practices that can be used to avoid accumulating too much “stuff.” |

|Do the following: |

|a. Explain to your counselor how the planetary life-support systems (soil, climate, freshwater, atmospheric, nutrient, oceanic, ecosystems, and species) support life on Earth and interact with one another. |

|b. Tell how the harvesting or production of raw materials (by extraction or recycling), along with distribution of the resulting products, consumption, and disposal/repurposing, influences current and future |

|sustainability thinking and planning. |

|Explore TWO of the following categories. Have a discussion with your family about the two you select. In your discussion, include your observations, and best and worst practices. Share what you learn with your |

|counselor. |

|a. Plastic waste. Discuss the impact plastic waste has on the environment (land, water, air). Learn about the number system for plastic recyclables, and determine which plastics are more commonly recycled. Find out what|

|the trash vortex is and how it was formed. |

|b. Electronic waste. Choose three electronic devices in your household. Find out the average lifespan of each, what happens to these devices once they pass their useful life, and whether they can be recycled in whole or|

|part. Discuss the impact of electronic waste on the environment. |

|c. Food waste. Learn about the value of composting and how to start a compost pile. Start a compost pile appropriate for your living situation. Tell what can be done with the compost when it is ready for use. |

|d. Species decline. Explain the term species (plant or animal) decline. Discuss the human activities that contribute to species decline, what can be done to help reverse the decline, and its impact on a sustainable |

|environment. |

|e. World population. Learn how the world’s population affects the sustainability of Earth. Discuss three human activities that may contribute to putting Earth at risk, now and in the future. |

|f. Climate change. Find a world map that shows the pattern of temperature change for a period of at least 100 years. Share this map with your counselor, and discuss three factors that scientists believe affect the |

|global weather and temperature. |

|Do the following: |

|a. After completing requirements 1 through 4, have a family meeting. Discuss what your family has learned about what it means to be a sustainable citizen. Talk about the behavioral changes and life choices your family |

|can make to live more sustainably. Share what you learn with your counselor. |

|b. Discuss with your counselor how living by the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your daily life helps promote sustainability and good stewardship. |

|Learn about career opportunities in the sustainability field. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required. Discuss what you have learned with your counselor and explain why this career might |

|interest you. |

|Engineering merit badge requirements |[pic] |

|Select a manufactured item in your home (such as a toy or an appliance) and, under adult supervision and with the approval of your counselor, investigate how and why it works as it does. Find out what sort of |

|engineering activities were needed to create it. Discuss with your counselor what you learned and how you got the information. |

|Select an engineering achievement that has had a major impact on society. Using resources such as the Internet (with your parent's permission), books, and magazines, find out about the engineers who made this |

|engineering feat possible, the special obstacles they had to overcome, and how this achievement has influenced the world today. Tell your counselor what you learned. |

|Explain the work of six types of engineers. Pick two of the six and explain how their work is related. |

|Visit with an engineer (who may be your counselor or parent) and do the following: |

|a. Discuss the work this engineer does and the tools the engineer uses. |

|b. Discuss with the engineer a current project and the engineer’s particular role in it. |

|c. Find out how the engineer’s work is done and how results are achieved. |

|d. Ask to see the reports that the engineer writes concerning the project. |

|e. Discuss with your counselor what you learned about engineering from this visit. |

|Do ONE of the following: |

|a. Use the systems engineering approach to make step-by-step plans for your next campout. List alternative ideas for such items as program schedule, campsites, transportation, and costs. Tell why you made the choices |

|you did and what improvements were made. |

|b. Make an original design for a piece of patrol equipment. Use the systems engineering approach to help you decide how it should work and look. Draw plans for it. Show the plans to your counselor, explain why you |

|designed it the way you did, and explain how you would make it. |

|Do TWO of the following: |

|a. Transforming motion. Using common material or a construction set, make a simple model that will demonstrate motion. Explain how the model uses basic mechanical concepts like levers and inclined planes to demonstrate |

|motion. Describe an example where this mechanism is used in a real product. |

|b. Using electricity. Make a list of 10 electrical appliances in your home. Find out approximately how much electricity each uses in one month. Learn how to find out the amount and cost of electricity used in your home |

|during periods of light and heavy use. List five ways to conserve electricity. |

|c. Understanding electronics. Using an electronic device such as a mobile telephone or portable digital media player, find out how sound travels from one location to another. Explain how the device was designed for ease|

|of use, function, and durability. |

|d. Using materials. Do experiments to show the differences in strength and heat conductivity in wood, metal, and plastic. Discuss with your counselor what you have learned. |

|e. Converting energy. Do an experiment to show how mechanical, heat, chemical, solar, and/or electrical energy may be converted from one or more types of energy to another. Explain your results. Describe to your |

|counselor what energy is and how energy is converted and used in your surroundings. |

|f. Moving people. Find out the different ways people in your community get to work. Make a study of traffic flow (number of vehicles and relative speed) in both heavy and light traffic periods. Discuss with your |

|counselor what might be improved to make it easier for people in your community to get where they need to go. |

|g. Building an engineering project. Enter a project in a science or engineering fair or similar competition. (This requirement may be met by participation on an engineering competition project team.) Discuss with your |

|counselor what your project demonstrates, the kinds of questions visitors to the fair asked you about it, and how well were you able to answer their questions. |

|Explain what it means to be a registered Professional Engineer (PE). Name the types of engineering work for which registration is most important? |

|Study the Engineer's Code of Ethics. Explain how it is like the Scout Oath and Scout Law. |

|Find out about three career opportunities in engineering. Pick one and research the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession |

|might interest you. |

|Space Exploration merit badge requirements |[pic] |

|Tell the purpose of space exploration and include the following: |

|a. Historical reasons |

|b. Immediate goals in terms of specific knowledge |

|c. Benefits related to Earth resources, technology, and new products. |

|d. International relations and cooperation |

|Design a collector's card, with a picture on the front and information on the back, about your favorite space pioneer. Share your card and discuss four other space pioneers with your counselor. |

|Build, launch, and recover a model rocket.* Make a second launch to accomplish a specific objective. (Rocket must be built to meet the safety code of the National Association of Rocketry. See the "Model Rocketry" |

|chapter of the Space Exploration merit badge pamphlet.) Identify and explain the following rocket parts: |

|a. Body tube |

|b. Engine mount |

|c. Fins |

|d. Igniter |

|e. Launch lug |

|f. Nose cone |

|g. Payload |

|h. Recovery system |

|i. Rocket engine |

|Discuss and demonstrate each of the following: |

|a. The law of action-reaction. |

|b. How rocket engines work |

|c. How satellites stay in orbit |

|d. How satellite pictures of Earth and pictures of other planets are made and transmitted. |

|Do TWO of the following: |

|a. Discuss with your counselor a robotic space exploration mission and a historic crewed mission. Tell about each mission's major discoveries, its importance, and what was learned from it about the planets, moons, or |

|regions of space explored. |

|b. Using magazine photographs, news clippings, and electronic articles (such as from the Internet), make a scrapbook about a current planetary mission. |

|c. Design a robotic mission to another planet or moon that will return samples of its surface to Earth. Name the planet or moon your spacecraft will visit. Show how your design will cope with the conditions of the |

|planet's or moon's environment. |

|Describe the purpose and operation of ONE of the following: |

|a. Space shuttle or any other crewed orbital vehicle, whether government owned (U.S. or foreign) or commercial |

|b. International Space Station |

|Design an inhabited base located within our solar system, such as Titan, asteroids, or other locations that humans might want to explore in person. Make drawings or a model of your base. In your design, consider and |

|plan for the following: |

|a. Source of energy |

|b. How it will be constructed |

|c. Life-support system |

|d. Purpose and function |

|Discuss with your counselor two possible careers in space exploration that interest you. Find out the qualifications, education, and preparation required and discuss the major responsibilities of those positions. |

|* If local laws prohibit the launching of model rockets, do the following activity: Make a model of a NASA rocket. Explain the functions of the parts. Give the history of the rocket. |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download