Mammal study merit badge lesson outline by Nicole Neilson 2010

Welcome to mammal study! Break the ice because we are cool. Intro yourself and go around and have each boy to an into (roll). Today and tomorrow we are going to be talking building, writing, learning, and other fun stuff about mammals. Obey the scout law while in my class.

• Talk about classification and how to remember it. Kings Play Chess On Fine Grain Sand = Kingdom Phylum, Class Order Family Genus Species. Ask what the difference between a mammal and a bird are. Why are they different? Is a platypus a bird or a mammal? why is it not a bird? what is a mammal? talk about scientific names and how they aren't that scary and it's just the genus and the species. Like puma concolor is the scientific name of a mountain lion. Classify three mammals through all the steps. where do mammals fit in?
• Explain the meaning of "animal" "invertibrate" "vertibrate" and "mammal" Name three characteristics that distinguish mammals from all other animals. (no eggs/live birth, milk, feed and raise young, fur/hair, warm blooded) animal = a multi-cellular organism of the kingdom Animalia, differing from plants in certain typical characteristics such as capacity for locomotion, non-photosynthetic metabolism, pronounced response to stimuli, restricted growth, and fixed bodily structure. Or basically something that cannot make its own food to survive. Invertebrate is an organism without a backbone. Vertebrate has a backbone. Mammal is and animal with fur, warm blood, milk, live birth. 
• Talk about animal tracks. Build a bait and tracking pit. I would always get birdseed or fish guts from the fishing class. 
• talk about food chains and where mammals fit in.

Day 2

• Welcome, roll call, announcements.
• Check on bait and tracking pit. talk about it. What came or didn't come and why.
• Go back to teaching spot and do requirement 3. write a simple life history on a mammal. I had the requirements on a poster for reference and a binder with some info and examples in sheet protectors they would take out. 
• requirement 5 I would make pot gut feeders. pinecones, peanut butter and bird seed. It is messy so have paper towels on hand. Make just like the birdfeeders people make in preschool. 
• review and ask why it may be a good idea to know about mammals? vet, zoo keeper, safari guide, 8th grade science, etc, just list jobs.
• Nature jeopardy game or animal game where you go from animal signal to animal signal by the signs. 
• Hope this helps if you are a sub in my class or a future nature staff member. Long live the nature wolves! awooooo!