1. Explain what public health is. Explain how Escherichia colt (E. coli), tetanus, AIDS, encephalitis, salmonellosis, and Lyme disease are contracted. Then, pick any four of the following diseases and explain how each one is contracted: gonorrhea, West Nile virus, botulism, influenza, syphilis, hepatitis, emphysema, meningitis, herpes, lead poisoning. For all 10 diseases, explain the type or form of the disease (viral, bacterial, environmental, toxin), any possible vectors for transmission, ways to help prevent the spread of infection, and available treatments.

2. Do the following:

a. Explain the meaning of immunization.

b. Name five diseases against which a young child should be immunized and two diseases against which everyone should be reimmunized periodically.

c. Using the diseases you chose for requirement 1, discuss the diseases for which there is currently no treatment or immunization.

3. Discuss the importance of safe drinking water in terms of the spread of disease. Then, demonstrate two ways for making water safe to drink that can be used while at camp. In your demonstration, explain how dishes and utensils should be washed, dried, and kept sanitary at home and in camp.

4. Explain what a vector is and how insects and rodents can be controlled in your home, in your community, and at camp. Tell why this is important. In your discussion, explain which vectors can be easily controlled by individuals and which ones require long-term, collective action.

5. With your parent's and counselor's approval, do ONE of the following:

a. Visit a municipal wastewater treatment facility OR a solid-waste management operation in your community. Describe how the facility safely treats and disposes of sewage or solid waste. Describe how sewage and solid waste should be disposed of under wilderness camping conditions.

b. Arrange to meet with the food service manager of a food service facility (such as a restaurant or school cafeteria) and visit this establishment. Observe food preparation, handling, and storage, and learn how the facility keeps foods from becoming contaminated. Find out what conditions allow microorganisms to multiply in food and how conditions can be controlled to help prevent the growth and dissemination of microorganisms. Learn how microorganisms in food can be killed. Discuss what you learned with your counselor.

6. Do the following:

a. Describe the health dangers from air, water, and noise pollution.

b. Describe health dangers from tobacco use and alcohol and drug abuse.

7. With your parent's and counselor's approval, visit your city, county, or state public health agency. Discuss how the agency addresses the concerns raised in requirements 1 through 6 and how the services provided by this agency affect your family. Then do the following:

a. Compare the four leading causes of mortality (death) in your community for any of the past five years with the four leading causes of morbidity (incidence of disease) in your community. Explain how the public health agency you visited is trying to reduce the mortality and morbidity rates of these leading causes of illness and death.

b. Explain the role of the health agency you visited related to the outbreak of diseases.

c. Discuss the kinds of public assistance the agency is able to provide in case of disasters such as floods, storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other acts of destruction. Your discussion can include the cleanup necessary after a disaster occurs.

8. Pick a profession in the public health sector that interests you. Find out the education, training, and experience required to work in this profession. Discuss what you learn with your counselor.

1. Do the following:

a. Find an article on the use or conservation of energy. Discuss with your counselor what in the article was interesting to you, the questions it raises, and what ideas it addresses that you do not understand.

b. After you have completed requirements 2 through 8, revisit the article you found for requirement la. Explain to your counselor what you have learned in completing the requirements that helps you better understand the article.

2. Show you understand energy forms and conversions by doing the following:

a. Explain how THREE of the following devices use energy, and explain their energy conversions: toaster, greenhouse, lightbulb, bow drill, nuclear reactor, sweat lodge.

b. Construct a system that makes at least two energy conversions and explain this to your counselor.

3. Show you understand energy efficiency by explaining to your counselor a common example of a situation where energy moves through a system to produce a useful result. Do the following:

a. Identify the parts of the system that are affected by the energy movement.

b. Name the system's primary source of energy.

c. Identify the useful outcomes of the system.

d. Identify the energy losses of the system.

4. Conduct an energy audit of your home. Keep a 14 day log that records what you and your family did to reduce energy use. Include the following in your report and, after the 14 day period, discuss what you have learned with your counselor.

a. List the types of energy used in your home such as electricity, wood, oil, liquid petroleum, and natural gas, and tell how each is delivered and measured, and the current cost; OR record the transportation fuel used, miles driven, miles per gallon, and trips using your family car or another vehicle.

b. Describe ways you and your family can use energy resources more wisely. In preparing your discussion, consider the energy required for the things you do and use on a daily basis (cooking, showering, using lights, driving, watching TV, using the computer). Explain how you can change your energy use through reuse and recycling.

5. In a notebook, identify and describe five examples of energy waste in your school or community. Suggest in each case possible ways to reduce this waste. Describe the idea of trade offs in energy use. In your response, do the following:

a. Explain how the changes you suggest would lower costs, reduce pollution, or otherwise improve your community.

b. Explain what changes to routines, habits, or convenience are necessary to reduce energy waste. Tell why people might resist the changes you suggest.

6. Prepare pie charts showing the following information, and explain to your counselor the important ideas each chart reveals. Tell where you got your information. Explain how cost affects the use of a nonrenewable energy resource and makes alternatives practical.

a. The energy resources that supply the United States with most of its energy

b. The share of energy resources used by the United States that comes from other countries

c. The proportion of energy resources used by homes, businesses, industry, and transportation

d. The fuels used to generate America's electricity

e. The world's known and estimated primary energy resource reserves

7. Tell what is being done to make FIVE of the following energy systems produce more usable energy. In your explanation, describe the technology, cost, environmental impacts, and safety concerns.

·         Biomass digesters or waste to energy plants

·         Cogeneration plants

·         Fossil fuel power plants

·         Fuel cells

·         Geothermal power plants

·         Nuclear power plants

·         Solar power systems

·         Tidal energy, wave energy, or ocean thermal energy conversion devices

·         Wind turbines

8. Find out what opportunities are available for a career in energy. Choose one position that interests you and describe the education and training required.

Source: 2007 Boy Scout Requirements (33215)