Welcome F
eaturing an amazing new material to fix your Scouting kit, fascinating tricks that will baffle your brain, practical ideas for the Raspberry Pi, crazy science experiments, out-of-this-world HighAltitude Ballooning, and a guide to getting involved in JOTA–JOTI, this issue of Get Active! is full of cool, mad and occasionally messy activities. The aim is to showcase science and technology in Scouting, and we hope the ideas contained in these pages will help you bring these elements to your programme. So why not conduct some super science experiments to work towards badges, organise a ‘tech camp’ or even take on an astronautics project with your section? These activities are a great opportunity to have fun while learning about the properties of materials, how our bodies work, our planet and its atmosphere, new technologies and much more. Who knows, you might just inspire one of your Scouts to become an engineer, a scientist or even an astronaut…
Matthew Jones, Editor
matthew.jones@scouts.org.uk
The national magazine of The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford, London E4 7QW Tel: 0845 300 1818 Get in touch at scouting.magazine@scouts.org.uk. Read Get Active! and Scouting online at scouts.org.uk/magazine Please note that the views expressed by members and contributors in the magazine are not necessarily those of The Scout Association. Get Active! Editors Lee Griffiths, Matthew Jones, Antonia Kanczula and Vicky Milnes Content Advisers Ashleigh Grimes, Sally Hilton, Jess Kelly, Michael Regan and Kevin Yeates With thanks to... Dave Akerman, Andrew Anderson, Tracie Baker, Jim Banks, Sarah Bellis, Bent & Bongs ESU, 237th Birmingham (1st Castle Bromwich) Scouts, Joly Braime, James Daniel, George Faram, Suki Ferguson, 1st Goring Heath Cubs, Jon Harris, 5th Hucknall Scouts, 1st Menai Bridge Cubs, 3rd North Weald Cubs, Gordon Robinson, Debs Sharp Cover illustration Hassan Torossian ISSN 0036 – 9489 © 2013 The Scout Association Registered Charity Numbers: 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland)
Get Active! is produced by Immediate Media Branded Content, 9th Floor, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN ADVERTISING Media Sales Manager Tom Parker Email: tom.parker@immediate.co.uk Tel: 0117 314 8781 110,004 average circulation of Scouting from 1 Jan–31 Dec 2012 © Immediate Media Branded Content. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material. In the event of any material being used inadvertently, or where it proved impossible to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgement will be made in a future issue.
Contents Create… 4 7 9
16
…Sugru solutions Check out the self-setting rubber ideal for Scout fixes Create a tribal headdress Beavers and Cubs will love this cultural project Make animal mash-ups 20th Century Fox will get your creative juices flowing
Discover… 10 …mind games Our top 10 tricks will have your Group’s brains boggling 13 Learn how lizards live Design a reptile habitat with Pets at Home’s tips 14 …Raspberry Pi We revisit this small yet mighty machine 15 Make your own scrapheap creations Use unwanted items to build innovative inventions
Learn… 16 …about cells With this fun and educational egg experiment Rapid recipe 18 Make tasty tofu skewers on camp 19 Record vital numbers Get your Group thinking about emergency contacts 20 …more egg experiments Enjoy four more egg-based activities 21 Teach the ‘stop, drop and roll’ Chubb shows you how to address this safety essential 22 Go pond dipping Cubs will learn all about local pond life with SeaWorld 22 Make things, do stuff Nesta is inspiring everyone to get technical! 24 Tackle contour lines Ordnance Survey introduces this map-reading must 24 Embark on a nature trail Catalogue all the marvellous minibeasts in your area 25 Transform your HQ B&Q’s handy suggestions will help
Explore… 26 …infinity and beyond One Group tries its hand at High-Altitude Ballooning 30 …on air and online Join in all the fun of JOTA–JOTI this October
PEFC/16-33-795
This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please remove any gifts, samples or wrapping and dispose of it at your local collection point.
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We are proud to say Get Active! is PEFC certified. For more information go to pefc.co.uk. Promoting sustainable forest management.
GET ACTIVE! 3
… e t a Cre …Sugru solutions This innovative self-setting rubber is a new material for fixing, modifying and improving your kit Suitable for Scouts+ Sugru is a self-setting rubber that can be shaped by hand. It sticks to most surfaces and cures to form a tough, flexible material that is both waterproof and resistant at temperatures from -50°C to 180°C. It could have innumerable uses in Scouting – as Assistant Scout Leader Euan Forrest put it: ‘I can think of at least a dozen things in our quartermaster’s store that could be fixed with this stuff!’
Leader view
Bent and Bongs ESU, an Explorer Unit from Greater Manchester West, got hold of a batch of Sugru to try it out and it wasn’t long before they found a multitude of uses for it, as leader Sarah Bellis explains: ‘Sugru is so versatile that it was harder to work out what we couldn’t use it for! It’s easy to use; all you do is cut open the packet and knead the Sugru for 30 seconds with your fingers. Then mould it into whatever shape you want, and leave it to cure for about 24 hours. It’s then heatproof, waterproof and ready to go. Our Explorers spent time thinking about Sugru fixes and “hacks” that would be of most benefit to the Unit. Here are our top five…’
4 GET ACTIVE!
What will Scouts learn?
Using Sugru to repair, modify and improve products is a practical exercise that also explores topics like sustainability and ergonomics. You could also use a range of ‘fixes’ as experiments to investigate Sugru’s material properties – like hardness, density, resistivity and adhesion. Encourage Scouts to think of potential uses in fields such as engineering, medicine, sports, electronics and telecommunications.
August/September 2013
3 Sugru Scout fixes
1
Heatproofing the Unit’s camp stove
Ian Walsh, the Unit’s fires expert, decided to heatproof the handles on their trusty but rusty camp stove. It’s a vital piece of equipment for nights away, but had a tendency to get very hot. Ian made Sugru handles for the doors and vents. Even after the stove had been lit for an hour, the Sugru was still keeping the heat at bay, allowing Ian to get cooking without burning his fingers.
2
Repairing boots
Ian also used Sugru to fix the seams of a well-used pair of hiking boots. Sugru was an ideal material for the job, as it bonds to both fabric and leather, and remains waterproof but flexible when cured.
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3
Improving kit
When cooking on expeditions, Will Jordan, the Unit’s expedition chef, always takes the pan holder off his Trangia to stop it getting hot, but it's a small bit of kit and easy to misplace. Thankfully, some cleverly placed bright yellow Sugru means he’ll never lose it in the grass again!
4
Making custom grips for tools
TRIED AND TESTED
‘My Scout leader once said to me, “A reef knot is a Scout’s best friend” – he obviously didn’t know about Sugru!’ Adam Jordan, Assistant Explorer Scout Leader
Javan Knowles, the Unit’s wood management expert, realised that Sugru would make a great grip for his axes and saws. If you’ve used an axe for any period of time you’ll know that blisters are inevitable. Javan used Sugru to craft custommoulded grips for his favourite tools. Blisters are now a thing of the past and his tools are unique.
GET ACTIVE! 5
Create…
TRIED AND TESTED
‘I can’t believe no-one has thought of it before!’ Ian, 17, Explorer
Pictures: xxxxxxxx xxxxx
Thinking up exciting new Sugru Scout fixes is all part of the fun
More ideas?
5
Modifying a Dixie
Adam Jordan, Assistant Scout Leader, wanted to see whether the addition of Sugru would prevent the handle on his Dixie from getting hot when it was used over the fire. After adding a Sugru grip to the handle, he made a big batch of his famous Dixie hot chocolate. The Sugru grip didn’t even get warm, and the hot chocolate was delicious. The Sugru grip also made lifting the full (and somewhat heavy) Dixie off the fire far safer, thanks to its non-slip properties.
Try some of the following: • Customise headphones • Add shock-proof bumpers to mobile phones, GPS devices or other sensitive equipment • Replace zip pulls on clothing • ‘Beaverproof’ or ‘Cubproof’ a delicate piece of kit, such as a digital camera • Fix a camping mattress or tent • Seal rope ends (the bright colours make it useful for knotting practice too!) • Customise the fit of your boots to make hiking more comfortable • Make ergonomic grips for trekking poles • Fashion Scout-friendly grips for bushcraft knives and other tools • Replace missing or broken knobs and dials on Scouting kit • Add non-slip feet to HQ furniture • Make woggles
What can Scouts earn?
Sugru can be used to maintain and repair Scouting equipment. Why not conduct an audit of your Group’s storeroom and fix old bits of kit as part of the Quartermaster Activity Badges?
More info Sugru can be purchased online at sugru.com, and it is also available nationwide in more than 300 B&Q stores. It is not a toy and we don’t recommend using it with Beavers or Cubs.
6 GET ACTIVE!
August/September 2013
Badge
Create a tribal headdress Use simple craft materials to make a piece of Native American-inspired headwear Suitable for Beavers and Cubs Your Beavers and Cubs will have seen this iconic piece of Native American clothing in many of their favourite books and films, but they probably don’t realise how easy it is to make their own. This activity can go towards earning both the Beaver Creative Activity Badge and Cub Artist Activity Badge, both of which are sponsored by Hobbycraft. You could also use it as an introduction to the fascinating culture of Native Americans.
What to do:
What you’ll need:
s Foam sheet s Furry fabric s PVA glue s Feathers (in a variety of sizes) s Striped chenille stems and pom-poms s Ribbon
1 Cut a strip of foam sheet 30cm long and 4cm
wide. Cut out a semi-circle shape about 15cm in diameter from the furry fabric. 2 Find the middle of the foam strip and, with an overlap, glue the fur to the back. Allow to dry. 3 Glue the smaller feathers to the curved edge of the fur and allow to dry. 4 Glue a chenille stem to the top and bottom edge of the foam strip and add pom-poms in-between to decorate. 5 Position the large feathers so that they sit evenly at the top of the headdress. Glue them in place to the back of the fur. 6 Carefully cut a slit at each end of the foam. Thread a length of ribbon through both slits to form an adjustable headband. 7 To wear the headdress, position it on a Cub or Beaver’s forehead and tie the ribbon in a bow. Use different colours and products such as acrylic gems to personalise your headdress.
More info !LL OF THESE ITEMS ARE CHEAPLY AVAILABLE IN (OBBYCRAFT STORES 4AKE THIS LIST INTO YOUR LOCAL STORE WHERE A MEMBER OF STAFF WILL HELP YOU LOCATE THE ITEMS (OBBYCRAFT HAS CREATED A SERIES OF ACTIVITY PACKS FOR THE "EAVER #REATIVE AND #UB !RTIST !CTIVITY "ADGES INCLUDING A #ULTURES OF THE 7ORLD !CTIVITY 0ACK 6ISIT scouts.org.uk/hobbycraft FOR MORE INFO
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GET ACTIVE! 7
Make animal mash-ups
Pack
Create fun fairytale creatures with this activity, inspired by Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Suitable for Beavers and Cubs To celebrate the release of fantasy adventure Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, 20th Century Fox has designed a new activity pack for Beavers and Cubs. The pack guides them through everything needed to invent fantastical characters for their very own children’s film. Based on the best-selling series by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, continues the epic journey to fulfil his destiny. He teams up with his demigod friends to retrieve the Golden Fleece, which has the power to save their home and training ground, Camp Half-Blood.
What you’ll need:
s Pictures of people, animals and dinosaurs collected from magazines, adverts, comics etc s A whiteboard, if available s One piece of A4 paper for each Beaver/Cub and a piece of A3 paper per group s Pencils and pens
What to do: s Explain that many children’s films combine different creatures to make new fantastical characters. s Stick the pictures you have collected around your meeting place for inspiration. s Split your section into groups of three. Give each a sheet of A3 paper and three sheets of A4. Ask them to fold the A3 into three sections, portrait-style.
s One member of each group will design the animal’s head on the top third of their folded paper. It can be an existing creature or person, or a completely new creation. s The next member of the group will draw the animal’s torso, and the third will design its bottom half. s When it’s not their turn, the other two members of the group
can design an animal mash-up of their own on their piece of A4 paper. s Each group should finish with an animal mash-up that they have done together, and a design of their own each. s If you have time, ask each group to make a story out of their four characters. Who is the hero? Who is the villain? What world would their characters inhabit?
NOW? DID YOUrsK have used
Storytelle to think up this method nturies. The r ce fo rs te ac ar , ch ted centaurs Greeks crea es were the lv ha p to se who eir en, while th e bodies of m ere thos w es lv ha bottom of horses.
Grover, Percy and Annabeth put their lives on the line to save their home, Camp Half-Blood
More info 0ERCY *ACKSON 3EA OF -ONSTERS IS RELEASED IN CINEMAS NATIONWIDE IN $ AND $ ON !UGUST Š 2013 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved
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GET ACTIVE! 9
…mind games
Can your Scouts baffle their brains with our 10 perspective-skewing stunts? Suitable for all
1 Aristotle illusion
What you’ll need: Marbles, dried peas or just your nose What to do: Ask your Scouts to cross their fingers and touch a small round object like a marble or a dried pea – it feels like touching two peas. This also works if they touch their nose. This is an example of what is called perceptual disjunction, which happens because our brains don’t account for the fact that the fingers are crossed. Because the pea (or nose) touches the outside of both fingers at the same time, the brain interprets it as two separate objects.
two 2 The boxes trick
What you’ll need: Two cardboard boxes – one large, one small – and two identical objects of the same weight, eg bricks What to do: Put a brick in each box and check the boxes are the same weight. Then ask a Scout to lift them and tell you which is heavier. The vast majority of people will say that the smaller box is heavier, even though it isn’t, and will continue to maintain that it is, even after looking inside both boxes and lifting them several times. This is an example of incorrect perceptual weight judgement.
Which is
10 GET ACTIVE!
heavier?
August/September 2013
credit 3 Curved card confusion
4 Japanese illusion
5 Chalkboard illusion
sign 6 The of six
What you’ll need: A blindfold and a credit card or library card What to do: Blindfold a Scout and, using a credit card, move it back and forth in a straight line along the pad of their index finger – it should feel straight. Now, repeatedly but slowly rotate the card in a see-sawing motion on their finger. They should now think that the card feels curved. This will work even if they do it to themselves. This is an illusion of proprioception.
What you’ll need: A chalkboard, chalk and a pair of earplugs or noisecancelling headphones What to do: Ask a Scout to write something on the chalkboard using the chalk, then rub it out and write it again wearing earplugs (or, better still, noise-cancelling headphones). They should notice that the board feels much smoother when they can’t hear the chalk squeaking across its surface. This is an example of a cross-modal interaction, because what we feel is strongly affected by what we hear.
What you’ll need: Two hands What to do: Ask your Scouts to hold their arms out in front of them, cross them and rotate their hands so that their palms are facing. Then they should clasp their fingers together and bring the hands up between their arms, exposing the knuckles. Now ask them to move a specific finger. It’s tricky, and might take a few attempts to get it right.
What you’ll need: A desk or table and a chair What to do: Ask a Scout to sit at the desk or table and to lift their right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with their leg. Now, while doing this with their foot, ask them to try to draw a number six in the air with their right hand, starting at the top. Often their foot will change direction. With practice, it is possible to overcome this tendency, much in the same way many have overcome the classic ‘pat your head and rub your stomach’ challenge.
Can you keep your g? foot circlin scouts.org.uk/magazine
For more sit illusions, vi Shop.com WorldMagic wards and work to ner rtai a Scout Ente Activity Badge
GET ACTIVE! 11
Discover… Pinocchio 7 The effect
8 Motion after-effects
9 Magic elbow
10 Change blindness
What you’ll need: Two chairs and a blindfold What to do: Place the chairs one in front of the other, both facing in the same direction. One Scout should put the blindfold on and sit in the rear chair, facing the back of the Scout sitting in front. Then ask the blindfolded Scout to reach around and put their finger on (not up!) the nose of the other Scout. At the same time, ask them to place their other hand on their own nose and to begin gently stroking both noses in a downwards motion. After about a minute, more than 50% of subjects say their noses feel incredibly long – hence the Pinocchio effect.
What you’ll need: A chair and an electric toothbrush What to do: Ask a Scout to close their eyes and touch the end of their nose. Then ask another Scout to turn on the toothbrush and place it in the crook of the first Scout’s arm at the end of the bicep. The vibrations stimulate muscles in the biceps that would normally be activated by the elbow straightening. However, because the fingers are still giving tactile information that they are touching the nose, the brain thinks that the nose is moving away from the face.
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What you’ll need: A large circle of paper, string and a push pin What to do: Cut a spiral from a large circle of paper, then hang it from the ceiling so it spins constantly. Ask your Scouts to stare at the moving spiral for a few minutes and then to quickly look down at the back of their hands. They will appear to move in the opposite direction to the spiral. This is called motion after-effect. It works because the visual neurons that fire in response to the motion get fatigued. When we look at something else, these neurons fail to fire and our brains interpret that as movement in the opposite direction. Do your eyes deceive you?
What you’ll need: Two images of almost identical scenes, but with one minor detail altered. Google ‘change blindness’ for some excellent examples that you can print out. What to do: Show your Scouts two scenes that are identical in all but one feature, interspersed with a brief blank screen, and they will almost certainly fail to notice the change. This is known as change blindness, which occurs because usually we have to be paying attention to a change to notice it. The brief blank screen acts as a mask that prevents the change from attracting attention.
What will Scouts learn? These mind-melting tricks show just how easily our brains and sensory organs can be fooled. Why not use them as a means to encourage your Group to discuss how our brains work and what it would be like to be deprived of our senses?
GET ACTIVE! 12
Badge
Learn how lizards live
Pets at Home shares its reptile know-how to help your Group become experts Suitable for all For those who fancy a more unusual pet, lizards are a great option. If your Beavers and Cubs want to own one of these scaly creatures, they will need to know how to care for it properly. Luckily Pets at Home is here to help with this fun habitat-designing activity.
What to do: 1 Distribute your photocopies to the Group and go through the rules
with your young people. 2 Ensure each of them has a selection of pencils and crayons and some paper. 3 Ask them to spend 20 minutes designing their very own reptile tank. What extra features will they put in it? How will they feed their lizard? How will they keep it from getting bored? 4 Display the drawings on the noticeboard at your HQ or send them to corporatepartnerships@scouts.org.uk for us to admire.
What you’ll need: s Pencils and crayons s Sheets of plain paper s A photocopy of the top lizard tips (below left) for each Scout
Top lizard tips
To keep your scaly sidekick happy you’ll need to observe the following: s You'll need to provide surroundings that mimic your lizard’s natural environment to make them feel truly at home, so thoroughly research your species of lizard before buying. s Most lizards enjoy climbing and perching, so decorate your pet’s new home with large roots, branches and plants. s Your lizard’s habitat will usually need to be heated and thermostatically controlled, to keep it at just the right temperature all year round. s Lizards may not seem to move around very much, but they can shift at speed when they want to, so make sure your tank or vivarium has a secure door or lid. s Lizard diets vary depending on which species you own, most feed on insects, such as crickets and locusts. s You should also give your lizard the appropriate supplements, all of which are available from petsathome.com
Chamele on s c a n change their co lour in 20 se conds!
More info 6ISIT scouts.org.uk/petsathome FOR MORE ACTIVITIES THAT HIGHLIGHT RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP )F YOU NEED ADVICE ABOUT CARING FOR YOUR PET EXPERTS ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL 0ETS AT (OME STORES n VISIT petsathome.com TO lND YOUR NEAREST OUTLET
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GET ACTIVE! 13
Discover more…
…Raspberry Pi We revisit this small yet mighty machine to see how one Group has been getting on Suitable for all 1st Goring Heath Cub Pack hitched their RasPi up to pressure mats for real fun and games
Remind me what it is…
Pictures: 1st Goring Heath Cubs, CC/ Jwrodgers
Leader view
Jon Harris, Assistant Cub Scout Leader, 1st Goring Heath ‘Over the years our Cubs and Beavers have had lots of fun with pressure mats and infra-red beams that trigger an alarm when someone crosses them, so when I heard about the Pi I saw an opportunity. ‘I constructed a “daughter card” add-on for the Pi so it could connect to peripherals such as sirens, flasher units and homemade pressure mats. It was then easy to write simple computer programs in the Python programming language to activate flashers, sirens or lights that responded to pressure on the mats, timers, or text entered on a keyboard. ‘So far we have devoted two meetings to the Pi. I programmed a series of simple games, based on the Cubs’ ideas, which were great fun and showed that devices like the pressure mats are computer inputs, similar to a keyboard. We played Pi basketball, balls and buckets, and a “Simon Says”-style game called “Raspberry Pi says”. The Cubs had to jump on and off pressure mats, following a sequence generated at random by the Pi. ‘Games that test co-ordination, speed and dexterity are easy to code and these attributes can be blended with strategic elements. Codes can be deciphered and entered on a keyboard to shut down an alarm, for example. Computer-literate Scouts or Explorers could even programme the Pi to tweet or send a text message to leaders when they reach a waypoint on a hike. The possibilities are endless! ‘The total cost of the kit was between £50 and £100. Although this is a big outlay for a Scouting activity, you get a fully functional computer into the bargain; and it’s a piece of kit that can be re-used for many different things.’
More info Jon’s project guide can take you through all of the steps required to make your own daughter card and peripherals, including pressure mats. Head to noosum-foosum.com. The site also features ready-togo codes for five fun games.
14 GET ACTIVE!
The RasPi is a small computer that uses chip technology to make computing accessible. Check out Get Active! December/ January 2013 to learn more.
What will Scouts learn?
RasPi activities teach Cubs and Scouts about the practical applications of computer code.
What can Scouts earn?
Writing RasPi programs would merit an Information Technology Activity Badge, while pursuing a longerterm project could help work towards the Scientist Badge.
TRIED AND TESTED
‘It’s an amazing device and every Pack should get one!’ Josh, 9, Cub
Badge
Make your own scrapheap creations Waste not, want not by turning household rubbish into useful innovations and fun toys Suitable for Scouts Recycling isn’t just a load of old rubbish. With a bit of thought, most of our old, broken or simply unwanted stuff can be reused. E.ON wants to show Scouts how they can minimise the amount that they throw away and make something useful at the same time.
What to do: 1 Ask your Scouts to bring in rubbish and unwanted
items from home. They should consult a responsible adult about the items that are safe to bring in, ie no sharp items, needles or household drugs.
2 Split them into groups and ask them to sort the
items into three piles: those that can be reused, such as clothes, non-perishable food and wood, in pile one; those that need to be recycled, such as plastic bottles, card, cereal boxes, in pile two, and those that can’t be reused or recycled in pile three.
What you’ll need: s Several bags of household rubbish s Information about your local recycling options s Rubber gloves s Assortment of stationery and craft items
3 Study local recycling options for redistributing the items you have placed in pile one.
4 Using craft materials and your imagination,
turn your throwaway pieces (in pile two) into something wonderful.
Why not try…
…making a waterwheel using margarine tubs, milk bottles, cardboard tubing and spindles. If made properly it will be able to propel a toy car up a hill.
More info
E.ON’s Scout Global Conservation Badge resources contain more fantastic activities and tips on energy conservation and living an eco-friendly lifestyle. Head to scouts.org.uk/eon to find out more.
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GET ACTIVE! 15
Cubs get to grips with ‘rubber eggs’
…about cells Suitable for Cubs+ All living things are made up of cells, each of which is a dynamic, living little factory. It is the smallest living unit that can carry out the basic functions of life: growth, metabolism and reproduction. Every cell is surrounded by a thin skin, called a membrane. The membrane gives the cell shape and lets certain substances like oxygen and food pass through, but not others. It also lets waste material out again. The cells in our bodies absorb elements from the foods we eat to help us grow.
So what have cells and eggs got in common?
Some scientists have identified eggs as the largest example of a single cell. Most cells are tiny, and can only be seen under a microscope, but a chicken’s egg is a cell that you can hold in your hand. More importantly, the egg membrane has many similarities to a cell membrane, as some substances, like water, can pass through it.
16 GET ACTIVE!
What will Scouts learn?
The ‘rubber egg’ is a physical example of a chemical reaction occurring, as the acidic vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell to break it down. The egg’s properties illustrate some of the core functions of a cell. This is a great way to learn about living organisms and work towards the badge requirements of the Cub Scientist Activity Badge.
August/September 2013
Pictures: xxxxxxxx xxxxx
Make a mess and learn something new with this fun ‘rubber egg’ experiment
Rubber egg experiment What you’ll need:
• Eggs • Empty jam jars with lids, clear plastic beakers or food containers • Spirit vinegar or malt vinegar • Water • A bottle of cola
1
Carefully place the eggs in jars. Fill the jars with vinegar and put the lids on.
3
Check on your eggs. The eggshells will have completely dissolved, leaving behind squishy ‘rubber eggs’.
5
See how strong the membranes are by squeezing some of the eggs until they burst; do this over a bucket or plastic sheet. Careful, it’ll be messy! Remember to save some eggs for the next step.
SAFETY FIRST! your
e in Ensure no-on ’t to eggs; don ic rg le al ; Group is ed ok they’re unco eat them as s d an h your h always was , ng raw eggs li d an after h gs eg e and keep th l times. covered at al
2
Little bubbles should start to form on the eggshells. This means that a chemical reaction has begun. Leave the eggs until your next meeting.
4
Remove the eggs and carefully rinse them in water. Compare their size to a normal egg – are they bigger? What do they look and feel like?
6
Put one of your eggs in a jar of water and another in a jar of cola. The egg in water will swell as it absorbs water through the membrane, while the egg in cola will shrivel as water leaves the egg. If you put the wrinkly egg in a new jar of water, it will swell up again.
Why does the egg swell in water and shrivel in cola?
The egg membrane is semi-permeable so small molecules can pass through it. Water molecules move through the membrane to enter or leave the egg, making it swell or shrivel depending on the concentration of the liquid. This is called osmosis. Substances try to attain the same concentration on either side of the membrane by moving through it from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. Once the concentration is equal on both sides, the substance has achieved equilibrium. scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 17
Learn…
…about HeLa cells Teach Scouts the story of Henrietta Lacks
subsequently became one of the most important tools in modern medicine. However, neither Henrietta nor her family were recognised for her contribution to medical research. After many years this injustice was partly recognised and the Henrietta Lacks Foundation was set up to help people who made important contributions to science without personal benefit. Henrietta’s story raises important questions about medical ethics, the rights of individuals and racial prejudice. Why not find out more about this as part of Black History Month this October?
BLACKY HISTORH MONT
! This October
Picture: Science Photo Library
Cells are a vital part of medical research. One strand of cells in particular has helped to develop research in fields including gene mapping, in vitro fertilisation (IVF), curing cancer and HIV/Aids treatment. These cells are known as HeLa cells and they have a fascinating history. They were originally taken from a patient called Henrietta Lacks (pictured) in 1951, a poor African-American woman who was treated for cancer in a US hospital. Before her death, doctors removed cancer cells from her body without her consent and used them to start a laboratory cell line, which
18 GET ACTIVE!
August/September 2013
Record vital numbers Make sure your Cubs are prepared for every emergency with this activity from National Grid
Badge
What you’ll need: s Pens s Paper
Suitable for Beavers+ For National Grid, the largest utility provider in the UK, safety is key. Practical activities like this one help to raise awareness among young people. Get them to create a list of emergency contacts including their dentist, doctor and a trusted neighbour; then talk about when they might need to call the numbers and where to keep the list.
What to do:
1 Ask the Cubs which telephone numbers would be
useful in their list. Talk about what situations might arise whereby they would need to call them. 2 Ask them to complete the below list before the following meeting. Are there any numbers for people or services that they would like to add to this?
Emergency details Police Fire and rescue service Ambulance service Coastguard Mountain Rescue National Gas Emergency Service (to report a gas leak)
Other useful contacts Local police station Gas safe engineer
(to check your gas appliances)
Electricity supplier (to report a power cut)
Water services supplier (to report a water leak)
P P TtaIils TOac t de
Cont er, to report wat d electrcity an e gas faults ar rded usually reco ed to on stickers fix ers. met boilers and
Doctor Dentist Vet Family member Trusted neighbour More info !DAPT THIS ACTIVITY FOR YOUNGER 3COUTS BY FOCUSING ON HOW TO CALL IN AN EMERGENCY 'O TO scouts.org.uk/nationalgrid FOR ACTIVITY IDEAS TO SUPPORT THE #UB 3COUT (OME 3AFETY !CTIVITY "ADGE
scouts.org.uk/magazine
GET ACTIVE! 19
Learn more…
…with our eggstra experiments If your Group enjoyed the ̒rubber egg’ experiment on page 17, they’ll love getting to grips with these four cracking ideas! Suitable for all (experiments can be adapted for younger sections)
Floating eggs
Fresh eggs sink in water, while older eggs float. Why? Freshly-laid eggs contain a small air pocket at one end. As air slowly passes through the semi-permeable eggshell, the air pocket gets bigger and bigger until the egg rises to the surface. However if you add salt to the water to increase its density, any egg will float. What you’ll need: Eggs • Bowls • Salt
Unbreakable egg
Hold an egg between your fingertips and squeeze from both ends. It won’t break – because an egg’s shape is very strong, even though the shell is quite brittle. An egg is essentially two domes joined together; the load is distributed down through the sides of the egg. What you’ll need: Eggs
20 GET ACTIVE!
Walking on eggshells
This impressive experiment works on the same principle. Spread a bin bag on the floor and place two or three boxes of a dozen eggs side by side. Make sure all the eggs are unbroken and pointy end up. Ask a Scout to remove their shoes and socks and step carefully up onto the eggs, keeping their feet flat. It should be possible to stand on the eggs without breaking them. This is because the weight is shared across numerous eggs. Each egg’s strong shape distributes the load to its strongest points at the top and bottom, while the egg boxes are also inherently strong in compression. They further protect the eggs and help to distribute some of the load. What you’ll need: Bin bags • Boxes of 12 eggs
‘Magic egg’ and jar
Peel a hard-boiled egg and place it on top of a glass jar. Light two matches, drop them inside the jar and quickly place the egg back on top. The burning matches heat up the air inside the jar and the air expands, causing the egg to jump or bobble as the hot air escapes.
When the matches go out, the egg settles into the neck of the jar, forming a seal. As the air inside the jar cools, it reduces in volume and so the pressure inside the jar drops. Since the air pressure outside the bottle is now greater than air pressure inside the jar, the egg is pushed into the jar. What you’ll need: Hard-boiled egg • Glass jar • Matches August/September 2013
Badge
Teach the ‘stop, drop and roll’ Try this simple activity from Chubb to increase fire safety awareness Suitable for Beavers+ Chubb aims to raise young people’s awareness of the best ways to prevent fires and what to do if a fire breaks out. Its ‘prevent, detect, contain and escape’ approach to safety includes this technique to extinguish flames on a person’s hair or clothes.
What you’ll need: s A rug or a fire blanket
What to do:
1 Explain and demonstrate the ‘stop, drop and roll’ technique, detailed below.
STOP
The fire victim must stop still and cease any movement that could fan the flames.
DROP
They must drop to the ground, lying down if possible, covering their face with their hands to avoid facial injury.
2 Ask your Scouts to split up into teams of three.
One person is the victim who should pretend that their clothes and hair are on fire, one person is their friend and the other is a passer-by.
SAFETY FIRSisTbu!rned,
If the victim medical iate seek immed ll 999 for the attention; ca rvices. If se emergency ne on fire, eo m so e se you to stop, em th e ag encour other sm to ll ro drop and . es am the fl
ROLL
They must roll on the ground and try to put out the fire by depriving it of oxygen. If a rug is nearby, they can roll the rug around themselves to help extinguish the flame. If a fire blanket is at hand, use it to extinguish the fire.
3 The Scouts should act out each part, making sure
that the fire is extinguished and medical assistance is called for. Get them to take turns so each Scout has a go at all three roles.
More info Head to scouts.org.uk/chubb for other ideas to support the Scout Fire Safety Activity Badge.
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Badge
Go pond dipping Teach your Group about local pond life and what can be done to protect it Suitable for Cubs SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment want to equip young people with the knowledge and passion to conserve the world around them. They practice what they preach too, operating one of the world’s most respected programmes to rescue ill and injured marine animals.
What you’ll need:
s Nets s Bowls or trays s Copies of the ‘Pond dipping identification sheet’ downloaded from scouts.org.uk/seaworld
What to do:
1Â Find a suitable pond and ask Cubs to draw their nets gently through the water, specifically by weeds, the edges and the bottom.
2 Encourage them to check their finds regularly and tip any creatures into a collection tray or bowl. White containers will help them see their minibeasts more clearly. 3 Hand out the ‘Pond dipping identification sheet’ and ask the Cubs to tick off all the bugs they’ve found. Discuss with Cubs the threats that face these creatures.
IRST! SAFETY Fha ve the
Ensure you d ratio recommende ung of adults to yo tivity is ac people for th ave Cubs and never le near ed unsupervis er. open wat
More info 6ISIT scouts.org.uk/seaworld TO DOWNLOAD THE #UB 'LOBAL #ONSERVATION "ADGE !CTIVITY 0ACK AND ,EADERS .OTES
22 GET ACTIVE!
August/September 2013
Tackle contour lines
Badge
Master this crucial navigation skill with Ordnance Survey Suitable for Scouts Contour lines are the brown lines drawn on a map connecting points of equal elevation. These lines allow us to depict the 3D landscape on a two-dimensional map. Contour lines can be at either 10m or 5m (for flat and lowland areas) intervals.
What you’ll need: s Ordnance Survey map s A3 paper s Pencil s Ruler
What to do:
Pick a hill or elevated area on a map. Check the contour line interval heights and count the number of lines to work out the height of the elevated area. Draw your chosen hill or mountain on to A3 paper, bearing in mind that the closer together the lines are, the steeper the elevation. Then make the physical representation of the hill from thick card (or polystyrene tiles), cutting out the relevant land shapes to build the model upwards (pictured right).
More info Ordnance Survey’s activity packs for both the Cub and Scout Navigator Activity Badges are available at scouts.org.uk/ordnancesurvey.
Embark on a nature trail
Badge
Your Beavers can enjoy cataloguing the great outdoors with this activity from Pom-Bear Suitable for Beavers If your Beavers are looking for outdoor adventure and fun, as well as an activity to count towards their Pom-Bear Adventure Activity Badge, why not try this nature adventure trail? All you need is a sheet of paper and a pen for each Beaver. Before setting off, sit your Beavers down in small groups of four or five and ask them to think about what they might find on their nature trail and where they think these animals and insects will hide. Once these lists are completed, you’re ready to go. After your nature trail, ask your Beavers to share the animals and insects that they have spotted with the rest of the section. Which is the most unusual? Where did they find it and how many other Beavers spotted it?
More info This great activity counts as one of the three needed to complete the Pom-Bear Adventure Activity Badge requirements. To find more exciting activities, head to scouts.org.uk/pombear where you can download the full pack.
24 GET ACTIVE!
August/September 2013
Transform your HQ
Badge
Follow B&Q’s handy tips and download their DIY activity pack to makeover your meeting place. Suitable for Cubs+ The summer holidays are a great time to give your Scout meeting place a little love. Thankfully you don’t need to spend much time or money to make a difference; a quick clear up and some subtle design changes can breathe new life into your HQ. Plus young people will enjoy pitching in with their inventive ideas and skills.
What to do: 1 Use vibrant paint colours to liven up a wall or two inside your HQ –
or let your imagination run wild and create a mural or graffiti wall outside. B&Q’s DIY badge resources contain a step-by-step guide on prepping and painting. 2 Make some tiny tweaks: Rehang pictures and showcase your awards! Get new lighting, replace door and cupboard handles, or change the layout. You’ll be surprised what a big difference giving a little bit of love can make! 3 Create some extra space and get organised by placing essentials like magazines, paperwork and books in clear storage boxes. You could even have a go at making your own. 4 You know all those small, but vital, Scout essentials that you’re forever losing like screwdrivers and paracord? Create a ‘Scout drawer’ for them; you could colour code and theme each drawer so you’ll never misplace them again. 5 Don’t forget to give your outdoor area some attention! A quick clean and tidy means more space for your Group to get stuck into exciting activities. Is there room to grow veggies and herbs in bags or pots? Or maybe you can set up a compost bin!
More info A quick visit to B&Q should arm you with everything you need to carry out your makeover; check out their new Colours range, which includes paint and interiors pieces. And to find out more about B&Q, including their DIY badge resources and sponsorship of Scout Community Week, visit scouts.org.uk/bandq.
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…infinity and beyond 5th Hucknall Scouts captured spectacular images from the edge of space with an ambitious High-Altitude Ballooning project Suitable for Scouts+
High-Altitude Ballooning (HAB) is the practice of launching unmanned latex weather balloons, usually filled with helium, to explore the edge of space. A payload – which is usually an insulated box containing a GPS, radio, camera or other sensors, allowing enthusiasts to track it and obtain stills or footage – and a small parachute is attached to the balloon, which can ascend to altitudes in excess of 30km. When the balloon is launched, it rises until the decreasing air pressure at high altitude causes the balloon to burst as the gas inside expands. Gravity pulls the payload back to Earth and the parachute opens, ensuring a controlled descent. Throughout the flight, GPS relays the balloon’s position, while data can be transmitted over a radio link to the ground. In the UK, permission to launch a balloon must be obtained from the Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk). It is vital to prioritise safety at all times, as flights involve transmitting in radio bands and travelling through airspace, which are used by professionals as well as amateurs. To minimise hazards, payloads should be as light as possible. Once you’ve informed the CAA of your intended launch day, they will issue a Notice to Airmen, but it is important to contact local air traffic control immediately before launch. To further ensure safety, prediction software helps ensure that payloads land away from inaccessible or potentially dangerous areas.
26 GET ACTIVE!
T K OU CHEnC eo at id v ̕ ts all Scou
5th Huck /ofyakwq tinyurl.com age with p is or scan th p on the Layar ap hone your Smartp
August/September 2013
Troop mascot Simon the frog is dispatched on a mission to the edge of space
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GET ACTIVE! 27
Explore…
…infinity and beyond
5th Hucknall Scout Group get ready for their intrepid HAB adventure
Leader view
Andrew Anderson, Scout Leader, 5th Hucknall Scouts, Nottingham ‘We wanted to send our Troop mascot into space and capture some footage to make a short film. This project would require lightweight GPS, camera and radio equipment, a high-altitude weather balloon and helium. We managed to raise some of the equipment cost through sponsorship, and then contacted Dave Akerman, an experienced HAB enthusiast. He agreed to get involved, lending us his valuable expertise, as well as his equipment. Dave even came all the way from Newbury to Nottingham to help us. ‘The Scouts put the payload together, which was a polystyrene box containing the camera, transmitting aerial and tracker module. We also attached our Troop mascot, Simon the frog. Dave helped us plan a launch date, get the necessary permission, check weather predictions and select a launch site that would ensure our payload didn’t end up in the sea. Keeping a watch on the weather was also vital, since changes can delay your launch. If this happens, you need to seek CAA permission for a revised date. ‘With the trackers tested and Dave’s car packed with tracking equipment, we met at the launch site. This was a farmer’s field, whose owners, Vicky and Philip Moss, had kindly given us permission to use it. Scouts helped Dave prepare the payload and inflate the balloon from a helium canister. He calculated the lift required, expecting the balloon to burst at an altitude of around 29 to 30km. We called local air traffic control to notify them of our launch and got the OK to proceed.
28 GET ACTIVE!
What will Scouts learn?
HAB lets Scouts explore the edge of space relatively cheaply. It involves planning, designing and building electronic circuits, some radio and GPS theory and offers the possibility of reaching altitudes of more than 30km, at temperatures of -50°C. Including a camera or other sensors in a payload can teach data analysis, practical photography and video editing skills.
August/September 2013
The Group documented their project and tu rned the footage in to short music vi a deo
Success! Simon the frog reaches impressive new heights
The helium balloon can ascend to heights in excess of 30km
‘We tracked the balloon signals, driving in a chase car and our Scout minibus to the anticipated landing site. The balloon went higher and higher, comfortably beating the predicted altitude and eventually reaching an impressive 35,504m (116,483 ft), putting it 36th in the UK HAB record table. The flight path went as expected, the balloon travelling from Hayes Farm in Hucknall to Gainsborough in Lincolnshire in the space of about two and a half hours. We successfully recovered the parachute and payload to find that we had captured some excellent footage, better than we’d ever imagined possible. The Scouts all thought it was really cool! ‘The Scouts then edited the film to make a music video, which we entered into the Bang! Short Film Festival (bangshortfilmfestival.com). Our film was shortlisted in two categories, showcasing young filmmakers, of which we were extremely proud.’
More info
What can Scouts earn?
An HAB project is just one way of achieving the Astronautics Activity Badge, which is sponsored by our partners, the UK Space Agency. For more ideas and space-themed activities, look out for the UK Space Agency’s Activity Pack, coming soon: scouts.org.uk/ ukspaceagency.
If you’d like to find out more about HAB, read the UK High Altitude Society (UKHAS) beginners’ guide and their safety guidelines, which can be found at ukhas.org.uk. The Amateur Radio HighAltitude Ballooning website at arhab.org is also a useful resource, while the #highaltitude Internet Relay Chat group is a great place to contact balloon enthusiasts and get advice. The best first step is to read up on current projects, contact an enthusiast and then ask if your Scouts can attend a balloon launch to help out.
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Explore more…
Interact with Scouts around the world by participating in JOTA–JOTI
…on air and online
Get involved in the Jamboree On The Air and the Jamboree On The Internet this October Suitable for all
This year’s JOTA–JOTI takes place on 19 and 20 October, when thousands of Scouts from all over the world will chat over amateur radio and the internet. Here’s how to get involved:
1
Save the date
2
Get equipment ready
Pictures: Victor Ortega/World Scout Bureau
Organise a ‘tech camp’ or other local event during the weekend of 19 and 20 October. You could also invite other Groups in your District.
For a JOTA station, you’ll need the help of a licensed radio amateur with the essential knowledge and equipment. Then it’s a case of setting up a radio station, calling ‘CQ Jamboree’ on the official Scout frequencies, and answering any Scouts who reply to your call. For a JOTI Station, you need an internet connection or a small computer network. Try Internet Relay Chat (IRC), which can be easily installed on almost any computer – check out the quick-start guide at joti.org/en/tutorial/. You could
30 GET ACTIVE!
also use a microphone to chat to other Scouts, digital cameras to send snapshots of participants, or a webcam to set up a live video feed.
3
Register your station
Whether you’ll be participating in JOTA, JOTI or both, you should register your participation at jotajoti.org. It’s not mandatory but is highly recommended, as it gives you access to really useful tools.
4
Participation in JOTA–JOTI is a great way to work towards the Communicator Activity Badge and the Global Challenge Award. In addition, an official JOTA– JOTI badge is produced every year, which can be purchased for your Scouts from scouts.org.uk/shop.
Say ‘hello!’
From any time after midnight on Saturday morning you can start chatting to Scouts around the globe. If you need troubleshooting advice, get help via the JOTA–JOTI Facebook groups and from the official Twitter account @JOTAJOTI.
5
What can Scouts earn?
Tell us how you get on
Email details to jota@scouts. org.uk or joti@scouts.org.uk. JOTAJOTI is organised by a network of volunteers – please thank anyone who helps you along the way.
More info To find out more about JOTA, visit radioscouting.org.uk. For information on JOTI, visit joti.org. Check for local JOTA–JOTI events in your District, County or Region. Gilwell Park Scout Activity Centre also operates a JOTA–JOTI station over the weekend. Find out more at gb2gp.org.uk.
August/September 2013