Chemistry Merit Badge Revision

Abstract

T h e B o y Scouts o f America recently have revised t h e i r chemistry m e r i t badge requirements ( I ) . In a previous article in this J o u r n a l (2) we shared o u r r o u n d r o b i n schedule for teaching t h i s m e r i t badge as a project for service organizations. We have updated our program with the new requirements a n d w i s h t o share it with y o u now.T h e requirements have been modernized t o deal more directly w i t h current topics such as pollution, waste disposal, a n d biochemistry. T h e requirements also have been revised t o be safer a n d to limit waste disposal problems. The oroeram s t i l l i s verv m u c h a hands-on e x~e r i e n c e introd;cLg t h e t o t h e m a n y facets df chemistry Career choices in chemistry are given as w e l l as outlines for proper educational paths t o take. These requirements s t i l l are a u~l i c a b l e t o d o i n g as ~r o i e c t s f o r non-scout . . --groups. T h e n e w r o u n d r o b i n schedule i s available u p o n request.' T h i s new schedule has been used successfully with the help o f t h e Gamma Delta Chapter o f Alpha C h i Sigma. O u r program i s set u p for t w o three-hour sessions. Stations dealing with each requirement are set u p in separate roomsllabs. There are a minimum o f t w o instructors Der station. O u r undergraduate chemistry majors are used as instructors for the scouts. Faculty members supervise a l l activities. All reagents a n d equipment are prepared ahead o f time a n d are ready for use. Scouts rotate f r o m station to station with 20 min allotted to each station. At each station the s w u t s receive a "minilecture" explaining the chemistry involved w i t h the requirement a n d perform the necessary experiments andlor answer questions. Some requirements are finished in one day. Some requirements have w o r k t h a t m u s t be done a t home between sessions. W h e n a scout successfully completes a l l requirements h i s m e r i t badge card i s signed. The scout t h e n presents the signed card to h i s scoutmaster t o receive h i s badge.O u r program i s in i t s 1 0 t h year with a n increasing dem a n d of scouts wishinz to take our wurse. We are deased w i t h the n e w requirements a n d are comfortable &th o u r new schedule.