Give each scout a compass. Instruct the scouts to hold the compass face up in the palm of one hand. Turn the compass until the needle points to the N for north or the degree marked 360 on the compass face. Instruct the scouts that N or 360 degrees marks "magnetic" north, or the north pole of the Earth's magnetic field.
Ask the scouts to turn to face in the "west" direction based on the direction of magnetic north. Turn the compass until the need again points at the N or 360 degrees on the compass face. Repeat for "south" and for "east."
Instruct each scout to turn to face "north" according to the compass. Ask each scout to identify an object to his "south," to his "west" and to his "east" by using the compass to identify the directions after locating magnetic north.
Play a scavenger hunt style game using the compass after instruction is completed and all scouts understand how to use the compass. Make a list of objects and their location relative to a central point in the scout camp. Challenge the scouts to find hidden objects by following instructions such as "travel 20 feet south and look under the flat rock" or "walk 25 paces east and look behind the oak tree."