Nature Merit Badge Lesson Plan by Nicole Neilson 2010 at Aspen Ridge

• Nature is taught on Tues./Wed. at 10 and on Thurs./Fri. at 8:30 and 2.
• Day 1- You need pie tins, sand plaster casts, paper strips, water and a flower press (2 boards)
• General announcements (polar bear, astronomy night, 4 o'clock in the morning hike to double top) and welcome to nature! Break the ice because we are cool. Intro yourself and go around and have the boys do an intro (roll) like have them say their names and favorite something. Today and tomorrow we are going to be talking, building things, learning about plants, dirt fish, birds and mammals, going on a nature walk, and some other fun stuff. If they are late they must sing a song and stay after to catch up with the rest of the class. Please participate, if you don't you may get a partial. No climbing trees, beating each other up, littering or swearing. Obey the scout law and oath while in my class. 
• Why are plants important to animals and animals to plants? Req. 1 and 2  Name three ways each. What do plants need to survive? (Dirt, light, water, air or co2, fertilizer)Co2 animals breathe out, Fertilizer = crap. What do animals need to survive? (oxygen, food, shelter, belonging, water) we eat plants and they produce oxygen. So you see we can't live without them and they can't live without animals (us).
• NATURE WALKS Req 4g Identify 15 species of wild plants and collect and label either 6 different plant seeds or 12 different plant leaves. The latter as campsite work. No picking plants on the trail or in the classrooms unless I am there and I say it is ok. so for the nature walk go out to the nwp and teach them about each plant just like carter challenge. If I ever remember to get two boards and a belt to make a press show them how to do it. or using a book and paper towels. Have them pick one or two flowers and help. Talk about what a plant/flower press does. (it dries it flat so you can preserve it).
• Mammals Req. 4b identify 3 mammals and make plaster casts o prints. Use pie tins, sand, casts of prints, paper strips, and plaster of Paris. Split boys up into groups depending on how many people you have. Each group will get the materials. Pour sand into the pie tin, about 1.5 in. go around and make a print in each one. Tell what animal it came from. Have them put paper strip in a circle. Mix up plaster of  Paris and pour in each print. Have them put it off to the side or in my box depending on how much room/stuff I have. Mammals are warm-blooded and can carry rabies. The only way to tell if it had rabies it to catch it if it bit you . If an animal bites you wash the bite with plenty of soap and water to remove the saliva and get a band-aid. then go tot the doctors. Rabies shots are not fun so get the animal. If you cant then call the authorities so they can catch it so it doesn't bite anyone else. Rabies can kill you. 
• Reptiles and Amphibians - Req. 4c  This is just extra so they don't have to do all the requirements for it cause I already have the five requirements for 4. Identify venomous snakes that live in the area (diamond back rattler and blue bellied boa) non-venomous snakes (rubber boa and garter snake) and a reptile (turtles) and an amphibian (salamander, frog, toad) maybe even talk about how to treat a venomous snakebite. They like fall and night and most of them hibernate. Snakes are coldblooded so they can't carry rabies. All snakes will bite if they feel threatened. If it is a non-venomous snake just do normal first aid, wash and band aid. If it is however venomous have the victim lie down and rest keep the bite lower than the rest of the body and keep them calm. Put a constricting band a few inches above the bite. Treat for shock and get medical help. If you know what kind of snake it was tell the doctor. 
• If it is not the time to leave yet- talk or if it is a lot of time start next days stuff like the food chain or leave no trace. It is better if there is only 10 minutes left to talk for 5 then let them out early. 
• Day 2 you need pie plates, Rocks wood nails, milk carton, bird seed, fish poster, hammer, scissors. 
• Roll/General Announcements- Welcome back. Collect campsite plant collections. Mark it off. Look at casts they made and talk about them.
• Food Chain Req.3 Start to talk about food chains. Play game, number them off, 1=plant 2= herbivore 3=carnivore 4= decompose r have them in groups one each. Take away one and talk about what would happen if one disappeared. 
• Fish Req. 4e Identify two species of fish and food that is eaten by them in the wild. fish poster. refer to page 51 of the Nature merit badge book. 
• Rocks Req 4h just like geology! Identify different soil layers (topsoil, bedrock, older layers, igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) Identify five types of rocks in the area (likestone, granite, basalt, copper, cantstone, etc.) See if they can name a few or guess what they are. 
• Birds Req.4a  Identify 8 species of birds. Build a bird feeder, bird house or bird bath using pie plates, rocks wood nails, milk cartons, or whatever. Talk about special bird adaptations like their beaks. 
• Whatever time is left do leave no trace- refer to page 25 of the merit badge book. Then play a review game like jeopardy nature style.