Astronomy Merit Badge

[Joan Dunham]

The Astronomy Merit badge requirements, new version, just issued this summer (July? August? I don't see a date on the book) has two minor wording problems in requirements #1 and #5b. I tried to find an address or person to contact with suggested corrections, but I haven't found one. Where do we send merit badge corrections?

I just completed 11 pages of worksheets to help in completing the requirements. I'd be happy to send them to anyone who asks. I'd attach it to this message, but I don't see how.

[PaulSWolf]

See the information on this page for who to write to:

http://usscouts.org/mb/proposals.html

As for the date, its at the botom of the last page that contains the requirements (2004)

[slowman]

Joan Dunham

>I just completed 11 pages of worksheets to help in completing the requirements. I'd be happy to send them to anyone who asks. I'd attach it to this message, but I don't see how.

I would like to get a copy as my son is working on this and any additional info would help

[wagionvigil]

You have to cut and paste it to the thread

[leichtman]

The Astronomy Merit badge requirements, new version, just issued this summer (July? August? I don't see a date on the book) has two minor wording problems in requirements #1 and #5b. I tried to find an address or person to contact with suggested corrections, but I haven't found one. Where do we send merit badge corrections?

I just completed 11 pages of worksheets to help in completing the requirements. I'd be happy to send them to anyone who asks. I'd attach it to this message, but I don't see how.

My son is completing astronomy I would like to see completed sheets as a guide - if you could attach to me that would be great
shortycpa@hotmail.com

[ynotquilt]

We are beginning to have a difficult time getting the "pre-requesites" for the Astronomy merit badge done for summer camp due to the "lovely" cloudcover lately. We're working (or rather wanting to work)on #6 where you have to observe the planets and where they are in relation to the stars. Any suggestions? Or will we have to settle for a partial and hope to be able to see enough later in the summer to complete it here at home?

[SoopaScouta]

Late post, but I went into summer camp with nothing prepared for Astronomy since it was a last-minute sign up. I finished the badge during camp. The requirement that says to observe the stars for four months... my counselor and the summer camp director found a way around the four-month thing somehow. This was my favorite badge of the ones I've gotten so far.

[riverwalk]

Well at least it's been a neat year for observing the skies.

[msnellgr]

Late post, but I went into summer camp with nothing prepared for Astronomy since it was a last-minute sign up. I finished the badge during camp. The requirement that says to observe the stars for four months... my counselor and the summer camp director found a way around the four-month thing somehow. This was my favorite badge of the ones I've gotten so far.

I've taught the astronomy merit badge at our council's winter camp for the past 4 years, and I too use discretion for some requirements.

I don't now of a 4 month requirement, but there is one in which the scout sketches the movement of a planet by observing it at the same time and location over a 4 week period.

In the past I've "fudged" a little and provided star maps at 7 day intervals that the scout copies and explains to me individually.

I fudged, because I think it is important to recognize the progress the scout is making.

I felt comfortable using my discretion on this(for the sake of time), since it did not specifically say to observe "in the sky" like one of the other requirements does. Also, many Astronomy merit badge requirements are already learned in school by most scouts that are over 13 or 14.

Also, I only give the credit on the "fudged' requirements if the scout knows the constellations and stars and have the knowledge to complete all the other requirements. Usually 11 and 12 year old scouts can't yet grasp those concepts, so I only give them credit for what they can do, (ie lunar map, diagram of telescopes, etc).

[msnellgr]

[quote="msnellgr
I've taught the astronomy merit badge at our council's winter camp for the past 4 years, and I too use discretion for some requirements...[/quote]

In that last post, I said that I've done this in the past. With the old requirements, the astronomy MB (with what I consider justifiable discretion) could be earned in 5 or 6 hours in a winter/summer camp environment.

However, one of the new requirements (5b) seems to require the scout to "update your chart monthly..." it will take 12 months to complete the badge. I think it used to be a minimum of 4 weeks to earn it, with minimal fudging.

Is it true, that astronomy MB now takes a minimum of 12 months to complete?

[turkeyhunter_1]

Joan Could you please send me a copy of the info that you put together for Astonimy Merit Badge. Our troop has a merit badge class befor each meeting (optional for those that want it) Most badges last 2 months. I thought that Astronimy would be a good one to do. Class for a month and look at the sky once a month for the rest of the year. please send it to michael.r.stockelman@cummins.com

[summertop]

Hmmm....

We have a planetarium here. They offer an Astronomy Merit Badge Class where the instructor is a MBC. My kids (not my scouts) went to the class. It was a one night class. When they came home the had a fully signed blue card.

I wonder what the instructor did for the requirements that stipulate multiple nights of observations. I wonder if they used their "star field".

[scoutaholic]

The Clarke Planetarium in Salt Lake teaches the Merit Badge about once a month. It takes 2-3 hours on a Saturday Morning. I attended the class with my sons, and was pleased with the way they had organized it.

Parts of the MB were covered with a worksheet that the scout could fill in by finding information in the lobby displays. The rest was done in the Star Theatre, some by lecture, some by observation of the stars. Much of the lecture and star observation was also included in the worksheets, which were checked at the end of class by planetarium staff / MBC. The part where they had to recognize/point out constellations, they had the boys do that with adults they were with, so the whole theater wasn't trying to do it with the limited staff all at once.

One nice part about doing this at the planetarium is that they can set the date/time on their computer, and you can observe the stars at any time of any night. Tracking movements and phases of the moon for a week took just a few minutes. Tracking the movements of a planet in relation to the stars was also fairly quick. And we didn't have to worry about cloud cover.

I don't know about programs at other planetariums, but this one costs $8/boy and $4/leader. You have to reserve your spot months in advance, because the classes fill up fast. (Maybe not quite so bad in the winter, but I was on a waiting list 2-months before the July class).

[AquilaNegra2]

I've taught the astronomy merit badge at our council's winter camp for the past 4 years, and I too use discretion for some requirements..

In that last post, I said that I've done this in the past. With the old requirements, the astronomy MB (with what I consider justifiable discretion) could be earned in 5 or 6 hours in a winter/summer camp environment. However, one of the new requirements (5b) seems to require the scout to "update your chart monthly..." it will take 12 months to complete the badge. I think it used to be a minimum of 4 weeks to earn it, with minimal fudging.

Is it true, that astronomy MB now takes a minimum of 12 months to complete?

My sons received a partial at summer camp over this same requirement. The wording is confusing.

b. 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. Update your chart monthly to show whether each planet will be visible during the early morning or in the evening sky.

It's easy enough to find the information required by using the web. The requirements SEEM to mean that it's a 12-month badge???? Can someone who has counseled this badge please weigh in on it?

[Quailman]

I've not counseled it, but I would use the word "will" in "will be visible" to allow for a chart that predicts when to watch for the planets, instead of tracking when they were seen.

I would interpret the requirement to be "put together a 12-month timeline with bars starting when each planet becomes visible in the evening, extending to when it no longer is visible in the evening sky. Then add indicators at the beginning of each month to show whether each planet is visible in the evening, in the morning, or not at all." Someone else should be able to take the completed chart on troop campouts to know what to watch for during the next year.

And to answer summertop's question about how multiple night observations could be completed in one night at a planetarium - that's what planetariums do. They simulate the night sky at any desired time so you can make the observations without waiting and without risking poor visibility due to clouds or rain.

...and I don't think anyone would accuse me of adding to the requirements if I asked the kids to list the five most visible planets in the sky. There's one that's visible all the time if you just look down.