This clear and concise definition comes from the U.S. Department of Education: "Communication focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. The field of communication promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication."
- Do ONE of the following:
- For one day, keep a log in which you describe your communication activities. Keep
track of the time and different ways you spend communicating, such as talking person-to-person,
listening to teachers or the radio, watching television, reading books and other
print media, and communicating online. Discuss with your counselor what your log
reveals about the importance of communication in your life. Think of ways to improve
your communication skills.
- For three days, keep a journal of your listening experiences. Identify one example
of each of the following, and discuss with your counselor when you have listened
to:
- Obtain information
- A persuasive argument
- Appreciate or enjoy something
- Understand someone's feelings
- In a small-group setting, meet with other Scouts or with friends. Have them share
personal stories about significant events in their lives that affected them in some
way. Take note of how each Scout participates in the group discussion and how effective
each one is in telling his story. Report what you have learned to your counselor
about the differences you observed in effective communication.
- List as many ways as you can think of to communicate with others (face-to-face,
by telephone, letter, e-mail, fax). For each type of communication, discuss with
your counselor an instance when that method might not be appropriate or effective.
- Do ONE of the following:
- Think of a creative way to describe yourself using, for example, a collage, short
story or autobiography, drawing or series of photographs, or a song or skit. Using
the aid you created, make a presentation to your counselor about yourself.
- Choose a concept, product, or service in which you have great confidence. Build
a sales plan based on its good points. Try to persuade the counselor to agree with,
use, or buy your concept, product, or service. After your sales talk, discuss with
your counselor how persuasive you were.
- Write a five-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a group.
- Interview someone you know fairly well, like, or respect because of his or her position,
talent, career, or life experiences. Listen actively to learn as much as you can
about the person. Then prepare and deliver to your counselor an introduction of
the person as though this person were to be a guest speaker, and include reasons
why the audience would want to hear this person speak. Show how you would call to
invite this person to speak.
- Attend a public meeting (city council, school board, debate) approved by your counselor
where several points of view are given on a single issue. Practice active listening
skills and take careful notes of each point of view. Present an objective report
that includes all points of view that were expressed, and share this with your counselor.
- With your counselor's approval, develop a plan to teach a skill or inform someone
about something. Prepare teaching aids for your plan. Carry out your plan. With
your counselor, determine whether the person has learned what you intended.
- Do ONE of the following:
- Write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to express your opinion
or share information on any subject you choose. Send your message by fax, e-mail,
or regular mail.
- Create a Web page for your Scout troop, school, or other organization. Include at
least one article and one photograph or illustration, and one link to some other
Web page that would be helpful to someone who visits the Web page you have created.
It is not necessary to post your Web page to the Internet, but if you decide to
do so, you must first share it with your parents and counselor and get their permission.
- Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier, or other printed
material for your Scout troop, class at school, or other group. Include at least
one article and one photograph or illustration.
- Plan a troop court of honor or campfire program. Have the patrol leaders' council
approve it, then write the script and prepare the program. Serve as master of ceremonies.
- Learn about opportunities in the field of communication. Choose one career in which
you are interested and discuss with your counselor the major responsibilities of
that position and the qualifications, education, and preparation it requires.
Resources
Scouting Literature
Journalism, Public Speaking, Radio, and Theater merit badge pamphlets
Books
- Ali, Moi. Effective Public Relations. DK Publishing, 2001.
- Buehler, Ezra. Building the Contest Oration. Wilson, 1965.
- Dine, Jeremiah. How to Build a Twenty-Minute Home Page. Yahoo! Internet Life, 1997.
- Dragisic, Patricia. How to Write a Letter. Franklin Watts, 1998.
- Feldman, Tony. An Introduction to Digital Media. Rutledge, 1997.
- Haegele, Katie. E-Advertising and E-Marketing: Online Opportunities. Rosen Publishing Group, 2001.
- Johnson, Marlys H. Careers in the Movies. Rosen Publishing Group, 2001.
- Johnson, Neil. National Geographic Photography Guide for Kids. National Geographic Society, 2001.
- Jones, Bob. Oratory. CDE, 1992.
- Mierau, Christiana. Accept No Substitutes! The History of American Advertising. Lerner, 2000.
- Otfinoski, Steven. Speaking Up, Speaking Out: A Kid's Guide to Making Speeches, Oral Reports and Conversation. Millbrook Press, 1996
- Schrier, William. Contest Oratory. Scarecrow Press, 1971.
- Zoltan, Melanie Barton. Kid's Guide to Getting Published. Cameo Books, 2001
Organizations and Web Sites
Animation Factory
Web site: http://www.animationfactory.com
Visit this site for easy-to-use animations that can be used to decorate your Web page.
Broadcast Education Association
1771 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-2891 Toll-free telephone: 888-380-7222
Web site: http://www.beaweb.org
The BEA provides a Directory of Colleges and Universities that outlines degrees in broadcasting and electronic media. In addition, you will find information on scholarships for college students, industry positions through state broadcast associations, convention and exhibit information, and related scholarly journals.
Communication Ring/Rhetoric Resources
Web site: http://www.rhetorical.info
A communication ring site is a group of communication sites that are linked together. You can go from one communication site to the next with ease. It offers links to sites such as professional organizations (like the NCA), references, project, link collections, hubs, and discussions.
Cool Archive
Web site: http://www.coolarchive.com
This service provides a large collection of free clip art for Web sites, including backgrounds, bullets, bars, icons, and more.
HTML Writers Guild
Web site: http://www.hwg.org
This beginner-friendly site offers free Web development training, including online courses taught by professional developers.
National Communication Association
1765 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: 202-464-4622
Fax: 202-464-4600
Web site: http://www.natcom.org
The NCA Web site provides information to help students in their search for a communication program at any level of study. Links are provided to communication departments at most colleges and universities across the country.
Tucows Software Library
Web site: http://www.tucows.com
This site has all the tools you need to build your own Web page. Its library includes freeware and shareware HTML editors, image editors, and much more.
Web Monkey
Web site: http://www.webmonkey.com
This site includes a how-to library, quick references, and articles on Web development for creators of various skill levels, from beginners to "masters."