Stick Method

Before the meeting: 

1. Become familiar with measuring a height from a distance by watching the YouTube video How to Measure a Tree’s Height Using a Stick. ( 3 minutes 26 seconds )  
2. Review the two different stick methods below and determine which you plan to use with your den.  
3. Find an area with tall items to measure such as trees, flagpoles, or tall buildings.  
4. Be sure the area has access to sticks.  The “Use a Partner” stick measurement requires a pencil-sized stick, whereas the “Use your Steps” requires a Cub Scout arm-length stick.   If you do not have an area with sticks, plan to bring them on your own.   
5. Set up measure area.  Both methods need a measurement using a measuring tape.  
   • The “Use a Partner” requires a spot where cub can measure their height.  
   • The “Use your Steps” requires a 100-foot pacing course. In this case, mark 100 feet on the ground.  Mark a starting point and an ending point.   

During the meeting:  

1. Explain how to use the stick method for measuring larger items that you cannot measure with a tape measure such as flag poles, trees, or towers.   When using the stick method, you turn the stick into a unit of measure and use it to estimate the height of objects.   Below are two different ways to use the stick method.  
   

   Using a partner:  

   • This method requires relatively flat ground to get a good estimation.  
   • Using the measuring tape, measure the height of one Cub Scout or other object you want to use as the measurement tool.    Have the Cub Scout (or object), stand next to the item you are estimating (Tree, building, etc.)   Step back and hold a straight stick upright at arm’s length in front of you.   
   • With one eye closed, sight (look) over the stick so that the top of the stick appears to be touching the top of the Cub Scout’s head (or the top of the object).    
   • Place your thumbnail on the stick where the stick appears to be touching the base of the item you are measuring (base of the tree). The base of the item or your thumbnail to the top of the stick is now your unit of measure.  Keep your thumbnail in place.  
   • Move the stick up the estimated item and count how many times this measurement goes up the item.   Record that number by writing it down.    
   • Multiply the number of “sticks high” by the height of the Cub Scouts that stood next to the item (or the object) from step 1.   This will tell you the approximate height of the item measured (tree) 

   Using your steps: (More challenging mathematically)  

   • This method requires relatively flat ground to get a good estimation. 
   • Set up a 100-foot course on flat ground.   
   • Cub Scouts need to determine the length of the Cub Scout’s steps.   Cub Scouts walk at a normal speed from one end of the course to the other, counting steps as they go.   Have Cub Scouts write down that number.  Divide the number of steps into 100, and you will figure out the length of one step.   Example:  If it took you 50 steps to go 100 feet, 100 divided by 50 is 2, so your step length is 2 feet.    Have Cub Scouts write down that number and circle it.  They will use it later.  
   • Find a stick the length of your arm. Hold your arm out straight with the stick pointing straight up (90-degree angle to your outstretched arm).  Your arm is parallel to the ground and the stick is perpendicular to the ground.  
   • Walk backward from the object you are measuring, until you see the tip of the stick line up with the top of the object (aka tree). Your feet are now at approximately the same distance from the tree as it is high. 
   • Set down your stick.  Count your steps as you walk towards the building.  If you lost count, no worries, go back to your stick and try again.  Write down the number of steps it took from the stick to the object.  
   • Multiply the number of steps you took by the length of your steps (which was calculated and circled during the 100-foot count).  
   • This number will tell you the approximate height of the item measured (tree) 
2. Demonstrate one of the methods Cub Scouts watch.   
3. Guide Cub Scouts as they try the method on their own.