Troop 325 Merit Badge Midway
Engineering
Merit Badge - Prerequisites
Counselor: Brandon
Thomas
Hello, and thanks for
considering the Engineering merit badge.
In order to make the most
of our time, you will prepare several items before the Midway.
These are indicated in the table below.
You may click
here to download a worksheet to help you out. They are covered in your merit badge
handbook, and I've provided some links to help you.
Engineering Merit
Badge Requirements
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Requirement |
Do at |
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1) Select some
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. |
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2) 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. |
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3) Explain the
work of six types of engineers. Pick two of the six and explain how their
work is related. |
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4) Visit with
an engineer (who may be your counselor or parent) and do the following: |
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a) Discuss the
work this engineer does and the tools the engineer uses. |
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b) Discuss with
the engineer a current project and the engineer's particular role in it. |
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c) Find out how
the engineer's work is done and how results are achieved. |
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d) Ask to see
the reports that the engineer writes concerning the project. |
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e) Discuss with
your counselor what you learned about engineering from this visit. |
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5) Do ONE of the
following: |
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a) Use the
engineering-systems approach to make step by step plans for your next
campout. List alternative ideas on such items as program schedule, campsites,
transportation, and costs. Tell why you made the choices you did and what
improvements were made. |
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b) Make an
original design for a piece of patrol equipment. Use the engineering-systems
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. |
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6) Do TWO of the
following: |
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a) Transforming motion. Using common
materials 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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7) Explain what
it means for an engineer to be a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.). Name
the types of engineering work for which registration most important? |
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8) Study the
Engineer's Code of Ethics. Explain how this is like the Scout Oath and Scout
Law. |
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9) 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. |
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I'm available to work with
you before the Midway, so don't hesitate to call if I can help out.
Brandon Thomas
(408)
374-5713