Computers

From MeritBadgeDotOrg

Computers Merit Badge requirement resources include the Merit Badge Worksheet

,
lesson video links, and cross-references to related Merit Badges and Boy Scout Awards.
Computers is a fun Merit badge for a new Scout. ◄ Prev - Next ►

This is the Boy Scout Computers Merit Badge
Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts can earn the Cub Scout Computers Belt Loop & Pin

Computers requires prior counselor approval for requirement(s) 6e, 7c, 7d.

Computers Merit Badge

	Field of study:	Physical Science
	Status:	Elective	BSA Advancement ID:	036
	Created:	1967	Requirements Revision:	2006
	Discontinued:	N/A	Pamphlet Revision:	2008

1 Computers Requirements
2 Notes
3 Requirement resources
4 Related awards
5 See also
6 External links

Computers Requirements

Discuss with your counselor the tips for online safety.
Explain how the invention of the computer has affected society, science, and technology. In your explanation, give a short history of the computer.
Do the following:
a. Explain four different uses of computers.
b. Describe three ways you and your family could use a personal computer other than for games and recreation.
Explain to your counselor the following:
a. The major parts of a computer system
b. How the types of files used to store text, sound, pictures, and video are stored in a computer's memory
Do the following:
a. Explain what a program is and how it is developed.
b. Give three examples of programming languages, and describe their uses.
c. Name four software packages you or your family could use, and explain how you would use them.
d. Discuss ways you can help protect a computer from viruses and how to keep secure information that has been saved on a computer.
e. Describe how computers are linked to form the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Do THREE of the following:
a. Use a database manager to create a troop roster that includes the name, rank, patrol, and telephone number of each Scout. Show your counselor that you can sort the register by each of the following categories: rank, patrol, and alphabetically by name.
b. Use a spreadsheet program to develop a food budget for a patrol weekend campout.
c. Use a word processor to write a letter to the parents of your troop's Scouts inviting them to a court of honor. Use the program's mail merge feature to make a personalized copy of the letter for each family.
d. Use a computer graphics program to design and draw a campsite plan for your troop, OR design a flyer for an upcoming troop event.
e. Using a software package of your choice, develop a short presentation about a topic that has been approved by your counselor. For your presentation create at least 10 slides.
f. Using an Internet search engine, find ideas about how to conduct a troop court of honor or campfire program. Print out a copy of the ideas from at least three different Web sites. Share what you found with your counselor, and explain how you used the search engine to find this information.
g. Using a digital camera, take a picture of a troop activity. Transfer the picture file to a computer and use photographic software to make it small enough to send easily as an e-mail attachment. Then, using a computer connected to the Internet (with your parent's permission), send an e-mail to someone you know. In your message, include the photograph as an attachment. Verify that the person received your e-mail and was able to view the attachment.
h. Describe two computer chip-based devices, and explain how they are "smarter" because of the chip and its program.
Do ONE of the following:
a. Visit a business or an industrial plant that uses computers. Observe what tasks the computers accomplish, and be prepared to discuss what you have learned.
b. Using a software package of your choice for computer aided design (CAD), create an engineering-style drawing of a simple object. Include the top, bottom, and at least one side view and the dimensions.
c. Use a general purpose programming language to write a simple program application of your choice, subject to approval by your counselor.
d. Design a Web page for your troop, patrol, school, or place of worship. You need not post the page to a Web site. However, if you decide to do so, you will first need to get your parent's permission and your counselor's approval, as well as permission from the host site.
For each of the following categories, discuss several related terms: input and output devices, storage media, memory, processors and coprocessors, modems or network cards, networks, World Wide Web and Internet, electronic mail, Wi-Fi.
Explain the following to your counselor:
a. Why it is not permissible to accept a free copy of a copyrighted computer game or program from a friend
b. The restrictions and limitations of downloading music from the Internet
c. Why copyright laws exist
Pick two career opportunities in the computer field that interest you. Find out what education, training, and experience those positions require. Report what you learn to your counselor.

The official source for the information shown in this article or section is:
Boy Scout Requirements, 2009 Edition (BSA Supply No. 33216)

The text of these requirements is locked and can only be edited by an Administrator.
Please make a note of any errors in the requirements on this article's Talk Page

Notes

A Free Workbook is Available!

with the maps, charts, links, and checklists you need!
There is also a printable requirements page.

Merit Badge & Rank Workbooks
Webelos Activity & Rank Workbooks
Cub Scout Belt Loop Workbooks

Per the BSA: "You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject." Pamphlets (books) are at local Scout Shops and online at ScoutStuff.org.
"Get a signed Merit Badge application from your Scoutmaster." An online, printable Word doc file version is available.

Requirement resources

Many of the requirements can be satisfied using Free (often called "Freeware") and Open Source software programs.
1. How to Keep Children Safe Online From McAfee Protection
2. A Timeline of the History of the Computer - A History of the IEEE Computer Society - Computer History - Computer History Museum - The Virtual Museum of Computing - Historic Computer Images - CHAC History Pages - The History of Computers - Encarta: History of Computers
3a. Uses of Computers
3b. Uses of Personal Computers
4a. Parts of a Personal Computer - Computer hardware
4b. File Formats - Wotsit.org
5a. Computer Programs
5b. Programming Languages - A Complete List of Programming Languages
5c. Software Applications
5d. Computer Virus
5e. Internet - How Internet Infrastructure Works

Lesson Videos: Internet Explorer

6. OpenOffice.org is a freeware office suite that includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and database programs. It can opening and savesave to Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint files.

Google Docs contains basic spreadsheet, word processor and presentation software. It imports Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint formatted files. Requires only a web browser and a (free) Google account.

6a. See the sample duty roster table in the Camping Worksheet Req. 4b.
6b. See the sample food list & cost table in the Cooking Worksheet Req. 3c & 5b.

Microsoft Excel - Many great tutorials on using Excel.

Lesson Video: Create a Budget in an Excel Spreadsheet

6c. Mail Merge Lesson Video: Mail Merge Word and Excel

Microsoft Word - Great Microsoft Word tutorials.

Mail Merge in MS Word - Great mail merge tutorial.

6e. The Citizenship in the Community #8 public presentation...of your community
could be given as a Communications #3 five-minute speech
using the techniques from Photography #4b to produce a picture story
and Art #1 to tell a story with...pictures
which could be developed into the Computers #6e short presentation.

Microsoft PowerPoint - Great Microsoft PowerPoint tutorials.

Lesson Videos: PowerPoint Presentation Basics - PowerPoint Presentation - More PowerPoint

Cub Scout: Communicating Belt Loop & Pin - Webelos: Communicator - Merit Badges: Public Speaking - Communications
Speeches & Presentations: How to Choose a topic - How to Write a Speech - How to Give a Speech - Ideas from eHow
Lesson Videos: ExpertVillage: Giving a Speech - Public Speaking Tips - Public Speaking - Eye Contact - Hand Gestures - Props

6f. Court of Honor samples and links to a number of other sites.

Here are Campfire songs, skits, and cheers.

Lesson Videos: How to Use Google

6g. Irfanview is free (no cost) to download and use (though not Open Source).

Paint.net is a free image editing and photo manipulation program for Windows PCs. It supports layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of powerful tools.

Picasa is free photo organization and editing tool from Google that can help you make web pages, slide shows and share your photos. A similar application for the Macintosh is iPhoto.

For those looking for more advanced photo editing software (or those using Linux) there's The G.I.M.P.. It is a good choice for those who can't use or afford Adobe Photoshop.

Microsoft Outlook great email tutorials.

Lesson Videos: Outlook Email

6h. Sample Computer chip based devices: Cell Phone - MP3 Player - DVD Players - Cars - Palm OS Devices
7b. Sketchup is a "3D modeling software tool that’s easy to learn, simple to use, and lets you place your models in Google Earth".

QCad A free trial copy of QCad is available for downloading. The trial copy does have certain limitations (such as terminating after 10 minutes of use) but should suffice for this requirement and give a scout the chance to try a CAD program.

7d. NVU - free html editor with WYSIWYG capability for building web pages. Also, Linux users can use Quanta Plus (which is also open source, and similar to NVU.)

HTML Programming - great tutorials.

Notepad++ - A more stable free HTML editor also with WYSIWYG and a spacebar HTML tag entry

8. Glossary of Computer Terms - Online Dictionary of Computing
9b. DRM Information on music copyright protection.
10. Computer Science Career Guide