Cub Scouts Map & Compass Academics Belt Loop and Pin

2009 requirementsBack to Academics & Sports page

Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts may complete requirements in a family, den, pack, school, or community environment. Tiger Cubs must work with their parents or adult partners. Parents and partners do not earn loops or pins.

Requirements for the Map & Compass Belt Loop

1. Show how to orient a map. Find three landmarks on the map.
2. Explain how a compass works.
3. Draw a map of your neighborhood. Label the streets and plot the route you take to get to a place that you often visit.

Requirements for the Map & Compass Pin

Earn the Map & Compass belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Explain to your den or an adult family member what cartography means.
2. Make a poster showing 10 map symbols and their meaning.
3. Read a book or story about a famous explorer or navigator. Tell your den or family what you learned.
4. Make a simple compass with a magnet and pin.
5. Explain the difference between latitude and longitude and show them on a map or globe.
6. Draw a compass rose for a map. Label north, south, east, and west.
7. Study a blank map of the United States of America. Label your state, and the states that share its boundary lines.
8. In the field, show how to take a compass bearing and how to follow it.
9. Show how to measure distances, using a scale on a map legend.
10. Measure your pace. Then layout a simple compass course for your den to try.
11. Using a road map, determine how many miles it is between two major cities or familiar destinations.
12. Explain what the different map colors can mean on a map.