Science
Do four of these clauses. If you complete a further four
clauses, you may have another badge.
1. Find out where some of the ingredients used to make
sweets come from. Then find some pictures of the plants that
ingredients such as rice, sugar or cocoa are made from, and pictures
of the countries where these plants grow. Design a game to test
people’s knowledge of sweets and try it out on your Patrol.
2. Make two types of sweet and explain some of the science
involved in the cooking process. For example, what temperature did
you heat the sugar to, and why? What happened when you dissolved
ingredients? Were there any acid and alkali reactions? Put together
a chart or book to record your findings and share this with your
Patrol or Leader.
3. Make two different kinds of healthy sweet, using
ingredients like carob (a healthy alternative to cocoa powder) or
fruit. Do a taste test with your Patrol comparing these sweets to
ones they might normally eat. Explain why the sweets you made are
healthier for you. Don’t forget to check for allergies before the
testing!
4. Look at a few different articles of clothing and find
out what they are made from. Are they man-made or natural fibres?
Test their properties – for example, use a magnifying glass to look
at the fibres and how they are woven together. Find out how strong
they are and what happens when you wash them. Explain why these
properties are important for different types of clothing. Record
your findings and share them with an interested adult.
5. Make some felt or another type of material. Explain what
the material is made from and the science involved in the process.
6. Design and make a device that can be used to measure a
distance of 500m.
7. Do a nature survey of the plants and creatures you find
at home, around your meeting place, or in a local park or nature
reserve. Record your findings and tell your Patrol or an interested
adult what you found.
8. Find out what foods different types of animals and birds
eat, and then make a bird or animal feeder. Test how successful the
feeder is by keeping a record of the creatures that come to visit it
and how often they come.
9. Find out about different habitats and the sorts of
animals you might find living there. Design and make a bird or
animal box. Explain where the best place to put it would be, and
why. Did it work?
10. Design and make your own weather recording equipment.
Use this to record the weather over two weeks. Compare your findings
to weather forecasts (from TV, radio, newspapers or the Internet)
that covered the same time period. Present your own weather results
to your Patrol.
11. Find out about any famous scientists from your area –
past or present. Are there any places or events close by that can be
linked to science, like museums, industry, nature reserves, or
science festivals? Produce a ‘science map’ of the area and mark
where these places or people can be found.
12. Ask your Leaders, family or friends what jobs they do.
Choose three of these and explain what science is used in this work
– forces, senses, movement, special materials or equipment and so
on. Then discuss what science you use when doing one of your
hobbies.
13. Follow the news over two weeks and record the number of
articles and stories linked to science. Write your own article (for
a newspaper, magazine, radio or TV story or the Internet) about
something to do with science that you think would make interesting
news.
14. Design and make a hot air balloon that will transport
an egg up into the air and back down again without breaking it. Work
out the safest way to get the balloon to rise. Show the rest of your
Patrol how you made the balloon, and explain to them how it works.
15. Build a machine that can transport a small item such as
a tennis ball over a distance of ten metres.
