OR NEW VERSION of earning IPP's:

• Do the one REQUIRED activity (or Sill Builder)
• Do ONE activity of your choice for each of the THREE categories (LEARN, DO, SHARE)
• Design and do ONE activity of YOUR OWN
• Create a short REFLECTION after you've completed all of the activities

NEW: IPP Breakdown Sheet
Look up individual items to see which steps it fulfills on a related IPP!

Page Two IPP Requirements

All About Birds
 

    Skill Builders

1. Have you ever wondered how birds fly? Find out about the mechanics of flight. Compare the anatomy and flight patterns of birds with the design, construction, and aerodynamics of airplanes or gliders.

2.      Birds can be identified by size, shape, color, flight patterns, vocalizations ("bird calls"), and behavior. Field marks or distinctive features of the bird such as a stripe over the eye, bars on the wing, or a bright rump patch are often used for identification purposes. Differences between male and female birds are often very dramatic. Observe and make notes about five birds in your communit

y. Use a field guide to identify each bird.

3.      Birders learn to identify birds by sound as well as sight. This is especially helpful when a bird is hidden in dense foliage or perched high in a tree. Birds are usually most vocal early in the morning and at dusk. Learn to identify five birds by their songs or call notes.

4.      Birds have fascinating life histories. Many travel great distances in yearly cycles of migration. Do a detailed study of 3 different types of birds: for example, a song-bird, a bird of prey, and a waterfowl. Include in your study vocalizations, flight patterns, nesting and feeding habits, and threats to survival. Take notes and/or draw a map tracing its migration route.

5.      Set up a bird-feeding station. Attract a variety of bids by providing different types of food, feeders, and watering devices. A trash-can lid on a post or a flowerpot saucer on the ground can be used to hold water. List and describe the birds that come to the feeding station. Note diet preferences.

6.      In addition to watching birds, many enjoyable hours may be spent capturing birds artistically. Visit an art museum, natural history museum, or wildlife art gallery in which paintings or other depictions of birds are on display, or look at illustrations of birds in field guides. Next, create an original work of art, such as a woodcarving, drawing, or painting, or take a series of photographs of birds.

Technology

1.      Most birds are watched from a distance. Practice using binoculars, an important tool for birders, until you become comfortable locating perched birds and birds in flight. Visit a store that carries binoculars. Compare the features - such as weight, design, and magnification - of several pairs of binoculars. Find out the meaning of center focusing, alignment, and field of view.

2.      Specially designed traps or mist nets are used to capture birds for banding. A captured bird is identified for age, sex, and physical condition. The bird is carefully fitted with a numbered leg band and released. Find out the name of a professional who bands birds' legs to learn about migratory routes, etc., or visit a wildlife refuge or nature center to learn about banding birds.

3.    there are approximately 800 - 900 species of birds that have been seen in North America. Serious birders keep a diary or life list of birds. Design a life list data-base or use a commercial birding software program to keep track of each species of bird you see. Record the name of the bird, date and location seen, and any other data such as the weather conditions, names of birding companions, and whether this is a rare sighting. 

4.     Serious environmental problems such as the use of pesticides and loss of habitat have been responsible for nearly destroying a variety of species, including the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, whopping crane, and California condor. Find out through research or at a bird sanctuary/habitat how captive-breeding programs have helped to restore the populations of these endangered species.

5.      A spotting scope and tripod enable the serious birder to observe birds at a greater distance. A spotting scope is an excellent tool for watching waterfowl and nesting or perched birds. Find a person who is willing to teach you to use a spotting scope in the field. Use it to focus in on at least five species of birds.

 Service Projects

1.    Loss of wildlife habitat, competition with non-native birds, and pesticides have threatened many birds. Work with a local Audubon chapter or other wildlife protection group to help restore an endangered bird species in your unit
.

2.      Introduce a group of younger Girl Scouts to birding by taking them on an early morning or late afternoon bird walk or bird-watch. Share your knowledge about ways to identify birds and how to use binoculars and field guides. Make a list of the birds seen by the group.

3.      Ornithology is the branch of zoology dealing with birds. Amateur birders have contributed to this field for many years by participating in organized bird surveys designed to count numbers of individual birds or species. Join with your local Audubon chapter or bird club to participate in a bird count or survey. Keep track of the birds you have seen.

4.      Birds need food, water, nesting places, perches, and places to hide. Develop a guide or poster with planting and feeding information for local property owners.

5.     Volunteer at a local zoo or nature center that offers opportunit

ies to work directly with birds as an assistant keeper or indirectly by educating the public about birds.

       Career Exploration

1.      Birds suffer injuries from being shot, poisoned, flying into buildings or radio towers, or even being hit by cars. Licensed wildlife rehabilitators work with animals to nurse them back to health and return them to the wild. Find out where the nearest wildlife rehabilitator might be found. Interview her about her work. If possible, work with her to restore a bird to health.

2.      Veterinarians work with sick and injured animals, including birds. Visit a local veterinarian and ask about the education and experience you would need to become a veterinarian.

3.      Investigate which colleges offer programs in ornithology, wildlife biology, wildlife management, or related fields of study. What are the admission requirements? Basic course requirements?

4.      Spend several hours shadowing an ornithologist, naturalist, or wildlife biologist at a nature center, zoo, or wildlife refuge. Learn about the training needed, hiring process, and tasks of the job.

5.     Find a local artist or wood-carver who specialized in birds. Arrange to observe her at work. Ask questions about who commissions and displays her work, what her training was, and her artistic techniques.

American Patriotism

Architecture & Environmental Design

          Skill Builders

1.   Find out about the types of drawings architects make. Select a room or space and draw it architecturally, showing all the details, such as windows, stairways, closets, etc.

2.   Freehand drawing translates mental images into pictures. Create three drawings of architectural spaces - a building from the outside, the interior of a room, and a view of the exterior as seen from the inside of a building. You may use pencil, pen, or a colored medium. Consider why these three different perspectives would be important to an architect. Share your sketches with someone.

3.   Architectural models are an important way to translate designs into three-dimensional form. They show others how a proposed building will look. Make a model of an existing structure or one of your own design. you may use materials from home such as cardboard, lumber, or wooden sticks, or you may want to use a commercially packaged model that you purchase in a store.

4.   Study your neighborhood to determine the predominant architectural styles. Compare these styles with some common architectural styles found in other parts of the country. Look at magazines, books, paintings, or illustrations of architecture for help. Do these styles reflect an adaptation to environmental conditions, locally available building materials, or cultural or spiritual beliefs?

Technology

1.   Because of scientific advances in construction materials, some homes and buildings now have features that are technological marvels.
      Windows, for example, can turn from crystal clear to frosted with the flick of a switch. Explore three innovations that are currently being tested in the construction of buildings. Next, make a list of the benefits (Lower cost, superior strengths, etc) and the drawbacks (higher cost, negative environmental impact, etc) of each item.

2.  In architecture, there is a growing concern about how construction practices affect the indoor air quality of buildings and impact upon the environment. Many products used in the construction of homes and office buildings may emit toxic gases for years, or may be obtained by means that are destructive to the land or produce toxic waste. Go to the library or call your local association of architects to find out how architects are using materials and designs to make buildings "environmentally friendly." Which materials would you use to design your own home if you were an architect?

3. Find out about computer drafting or drawing programs. Design something using one of these programs.

4. Design and build a small structure such as a birdhouse. Make sure your design has a real purpose, and monitor how it is used.

5. Landscape architects design outdoor unit
s - from plantings around office buildings and homes, to ski unit
s and golf courses. Investigate the technology that has become available in the last 10 years to facilitate the work of landscape architects.

Service Projects

1. The purpose of an environmental impact statement is to determine the effect a construction project will have on the environment before anything is built. You can determine the real impact a recent local construction project has had in your communit

y by analyzing changes it has caused in three of the following:

• Pedestrian or car traffic

• Noise or pollution levels

• Public transportation usage

• Available affordable housing

• Number or diversity of plants and animals

• Frequency of flooding

• Energy demands

Make sure you record your observations over a period of two to four weeks. How would you improve the design of the project? Share your findings with your troop, group, friends or family.

2. Identify a home repair or renovation that your family or a neighbor needs. Draw the existing conditions, then design a solution in a series of architectural drawings or sketches.

3. Take a group of younger girls on an exploration of some public spaces, such as parks and playgrounds, in their neighborhood. Help them translate their ideas for redesigning one of these sites with a crayon or pencil sketch.

4. Architects take many things into consideration when they plan their designs, including accessibility for people with disabilities. Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, all new construction must meet certain accessibility requirements. Find out if you can do an accessibility study for a campsite or program unit
in your council. Or study the accessibility of your school or a public place. Chapter 2 of the Girl Scout publication Focus on Ability: Serving Girls with Special Needs will give you guidelines on how to conduct an accessibility study. Share your results and recommendations for better accessibility with site directors.

Career Exploration

1.  Often, a portfolio is a requirement for admission to a school, for getting a job, or for entering a competition. Assemble a portfolio of your creative work thus far in your life. You may use photographs or other reproductions instead of the actual objects, which may be too large or fragile. You can include items such as a clay pot, a song, a drawing, a rug, or a piece of clothing that you made. Both the final result and the studies, sketches, and thoughts during the design process are worthy of documenting. Start your portfolio with your completed interest project products.

2.  What is a typical day in the life of an architect, urban planner, or environmental designer? Arrange to visit the office of such a professional, or job-shadower. Make notes and drawings about the experience in a journal.

3.  Select an architect to profile: for example, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, Le Corbusier, Eileen Gray, Alvar Aalto, or Mies Van der Rohe. Prepare a presentation for your troop or group on her or his work and life. Use photographs or other visuals to show the architect's work.

4.  Interview an urban planner or environmental designer,. If  possible, arrange for one of them to visit a troop or group meeting. What advice might they offer to young people interested in these fields? What course of study would they recommend? Find out about their unit
s of specialization. For example, some planners work in waste management (garbage) and recycling. An environmental designer might work with a landscape architect or a parks department on improving or conserving a park or wildlife reserve. Ask them about specific tasks they do while on a project, as well as about the skills and training they bring to their jobs.

Artistic Crafts

     Skill Builders

1. Choose your medium. You will probably want to experiment with several types of crafts before you find one that you really enjoy. Choose from among the following crafts: leather work, macramé, crocheting, quilting, decoupage, candle making, metal-work, stained glass design, pottery, ceramics, printmaking, woodcarving, woodworking, jewelry making, flora design, basket weaving, or clothing design. When you have made a choice, do the following steps.

• Become familiar with the craft. Be able to explain the process and describe the tools needed and where you would find them.

• Make a scrapbook with pictures, articles, and samples of this craft.

• Develop at least three different designs, complete one of them.

2.  Clay is a medium that offers many possibilities for expression. From bead making to pottery, you will find a variety of possibilities for using clay creatively. Traditionally, clay work has involved firing (baking) in a kiln. Today, there are many types of clay that can be baked in a regular oven or air-dried. Learn about hand building, or learn to throw clay on a potter's wheel. Make one finished piece.

3.  Make your own woodcarving. Or try your hand at building something with wood - for example, a birdhouse.

4.  Find out some of the places available in your communit

y for crafts instruction: for example, communit

y centers or craft stores. Compare the cost of each course and find out if anyone would be willing to teach your troop or group.

Technology

1.  Choose three of the following crafts and find out about three tools used in each:

• Candle Making

• Stained glass

• Woodcarving

• Leather work

• Pottery making

    Consult artisans, crafts catalogs, and salespersons to determine the benefits and drawbacks of working with these crafts. Some factors to consider are the cost and availability of materials, and the size of the work space and special equipment you would need. Prepare a demonstration of what you learn and share it with your troop or group.

2.    The Internet has sites for crafts organizations, companies, and individuals from all over the world. It is also a place where many crafters exchange ideas and offer suggestions. Develop your own site or visit a group site to exchange information about crafts with others your age.

3.  Stenciling is popular in many countries. In America, it was used in colonial times to decorate walls, floors, furniture, and everyday objects. Find out the ways in which modern technology has changed how stencils are made and used. Experiment with stenciling on paper or cloth and then try a more advanced project, such as stenciling the back of a chair.

4.  Visit a woodworker's shop. Ask for a demonstration of such tools as a jigsaw, a plane, a router, and a finishing sander. Find out what safety precautions must be taken when using these tools.

Service Projects

1. Teach a simple craft to younger girls, making sure that the skills needed are appropriate to the age group.

2.  Make several craft items that you can donate to a nursing home, children's center, or other organization.

3. Contact local craft stores, schools, and communit

y centers to find out about courses, workshops, or seminars,. Put this information in a newsletter, flier, or brochure and distribute it to others.

4. Work with your Girl Scout troop or group to develop your own how-to craft manual. Give copies to your council, local library, or communit

y center.

Career Exploration

1.  Interview someone in your communit

y who earns part or all of her living through her craft. Find out how she got started, what she has learned, some typical aspects of her work, and what advice she would offer to someone just starting out. Or visit a crafts show, exhibit, or sale, and do the following:

•     Find out how many different media are represented in the show or fair.

• After looking at the objects on display, decide which ones you like best and why. Be able to explain the reasons for your preference to your troop or group.

• Talk to one of the artists to find out:
    -  How she got started
    -  What kind of training was required
    -  Whether she has other work that she does in addition to her craft
    -  What are the pitfalls and satisfactions of the artist/craftsperson

2.  There are many career options related to crafts besides being an artisan. These include crafts shop owner, crafts wholesaler, crafts show manager, and designer of crafts displays. Choose a crafts-related career and find out how you would pursue it.

3.  When planning to sell your crafts, it is important to know your market. Interview a crafts store owner or show manger to find out the trends in crafts and craft design in the past 10 years. What does she predict for the next decade? What are the consequences of not knowing the trends in the crafts market? How can a craftsperson keep up with these trends?

4.  Occupational therapists help people with illnesses or disabilities improve their coordination and fine-motor skills. They also design devices to help improve daily living skills. Ask an occupational therapist to explain or demonstrate how crafts activities might be used in her job.

Backpacking

     Skill Builders (the 2 starred Skill Builders are required activities)

  1. Make a list of equipment and clothing needed for a back-packing trip. Add specialized items to this list for the following environments: desert, mountain, and beach. Learn ways to take care of yourself by the use of appropriate clothing, food, and water. To learn ways to reduce the size and weight of the items you carry, talk with an experienced backpacker or read a book about lightweight backpacking. Pages 163 - 164 in Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting will be helpful.

* 2. Get into shape from the ground up. Choose and break in hiking shoes or boots appropriate to terrain you will be hiking on. Learn proper foot care, including what socks to wear. Develop a plan for conditioning your legs and increasing cardiovascular strength to meet the demands of the terrain and altitude. Take a practice hike with your backpack loaded and make any needed adjustments. Learn to spot signs of fatigue and dehydration and what you can do to avoid them. See pages 34, 39, and 159 - 160 in Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting.

  3.  Learn the first-aid treatment for burns, cuts, blisters, sunburn, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, hypothermia, shock, insect stings, ticks, contact with poisonous plants, and a bite by any poisonous animal common to the unit
s where you plan to travel. Assemble a light-weight first-aid kit. Review how you can put a first-aid plan into action. See pages 83-94 in Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting, and complete the activities in each section.

  4.  Learn to use a compass and read a topographical map. Read pages 103 - 111 in Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting or pages 123 - 124 in the Cadette Girl Scout handbook. Then trace out a hiking route on a topographical map. Describe what you would see along the way by visualizing the terrain from the map symbols.

* 5. Put your minimal impact skills to the test by planning and carrying out a backpacking trip of at least two days. Follow Safety-Wise guidelines, obtaining permission for each trip and the unit
where you plan to camp. Submit a written plan that describes the route, emergency procedures, group safety rules, equipment, menus, and names of participants. Develop a plan for building teamwork and sharing leadership among the individuals going on each trip. Before taking the first trip:

•     Be able to explain why a group of four to ten people is most appropriate in a backcountry setting.

• Know ways to avoid and prevent encounters with wildlife when on the trail or when storing food overnight.

• Know how to avoid insect and tick bites.

     Upon your return, evaluate the trip. Make appropriate changes in procedures, teamwork strategies, and gear before your next outing.

Technology

1. Visit an outdoor store to find out about the variety of back-packs and frames available. Learn about the materials and design components of internal and external frame back-packs. Try on a pack that adjust to fit you. Make sure that it includes padded shoulder straps and a hip belt. Compare the kinds of sleeping bags and tents on the market, and ask for recommendations for ones most appropriate for the type of backpacking that you plan to do.

2. Learn about the most common water pollutants in the unit
where you will be hiking. Find out about methods of purifying water on trips to the backcountry, including at least one "high-tech" way. Practice purifying water by using one method.

3. Compare backpacking stoves operated by butane, propane, blended fuel (propane and butane), and gasoline. Compare ease of use, weight of stoves, cooking times, suitability for different altitudes, and recommended temperature range. Arrange to try out at least two different kinds of stoves. Which stove(s) would be best for general use? Which would work best when back-packing at high altitude or in cold weather? See pages 49 - 50 in Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting.

4. Plan the food for at least one backpacking trip. Learn about lightweight foods as well as those that pack best and last without refrigeration. What's the difference between freeze-dried and dehydrated foods? With your group, consider the cost and size per serving, the efficiency of the packaging, and which foods will provide the maximum energy. If needed, repackage food to eliminate excess weight.

5. On the Internet, search for information on backpacking, hiking, or outdoor adventures. Look for Web sites with backcountry weather reports, maps, or information on wilderness unit
s. If possible, use the Web to help plan a trip.

6> Draw your own design for a piece of equipment or clothing that would be useful on a back-packing trip or improve on  a current mode. If possible, construct and use it on a trip.

Service Projects

1. Teach younger girls skills such as campsite selection, safe use of a backpacking stove, equipment selection, proper backcountry hygiene, food selection and repackaging.

2. Join a trail maintenance or campsite cleanup effort.

3. Contact a search and rescue group. Train to become a member of a search and rescue team.

4. Work with an environmental organization to complete such tasks as replacing natural resources, collecting and planting native seeds, and protecting wilderness and park unit
s.

Career Exploration

1. Visit a store that sells camping and backpacking equipment. Learn about job opportunit

ies in this retail business. Ask someone what kinds of skills and experience are necessary for different levels of jobs.

2. Shadow a wildlife biologist, geologist, botanist, or other natural resource professionals for a day. Or interview at least two people who work in outdoor recreation. Find out what they do in their jobs, what challenges they enjoy and don't enjoy. Ask them to trace their career paths for you.

3. Contact by phone or in writing two manufactures of camping of camping and backpacking equipment for information about careers in designing and manufacturing outdoor equipment.

4. Talk with trip leaders or outfitters of various high adventure programs such as backpacking, white-water rafting, or horseback packing. Ask questions about what they must do to plan trios, provide meals, and offer a safe but challenging program. What kinds of training, permits, and insurance are necessary to run an adventure-based business?

5.  Investigate career opportunit

ies related to backpacking such as working with recreational, outdoor, or environmental clubs and organizations.

Build A Better Future
 

     Skill Builders

1. Learn about some of the things engineers must consider when designing amusement park rides, including how electrical circuits are used in bumper cars, what the safest maximum speed for a carousel is, and how many people can ride a roller coaster in an hour. Then, with the guidance of a science teacher, engineer, or mentor, design your own ride. If possible, construct a model. Amusement parks often have kits available for school groups).

2. Study at least two different types of blueprints that are created in the design of a building; floor layout; diagrams of electrical, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit

s, and specifications for fire protection, plumbing, etc.

3. Tour a manufacturing plant. Find out what types of machines are used in the manufacturing process and why, and what measures are taken to improve product safety, productivity, and quality.

4. Compare several brands of one mechanical product. Look for differences in their external design and features. Which brand looks easiest to use and why? Which is the most attractive? Why? Now design your own version of a product, making it both practical and artistically appealing.

5. Select one item that is recyclable, such as paper, plastic, glass, or metal, and find out how it is converted into a new product. Draw a simple diagram of the steps involved. Try to name two or three more products into which this item can be recycled. Where and how is this done? find out if chemicals or heat must be used for the recycling process.

Technology

1. Learn about computer-aided design (CAD) programs. Observe a demonstration of how CAD is used to design items. Then create your own design using CAD. (CAD programs can be found in local industries, high schools, or colleges.)

2. Make a list of 8 - 10 items that did not exist 25 years ago, such as cellular phones or CD players. Find out how three of the items work today and imagine how they might look in the future. Improve upon their function and design.

3. Find out about five devices used to assist people with disabilities, describing how they work and hw they improve the person's life. Hospital rehabilitation departments, rehabilitation centers, or organizations focusing on particular disabilities provide good information. Brainstorm ways in which devices are adapted, or design a device to help someone who has a particular disability perform a function that is difficult for her.

4. Learn about the infrastructure in your communit

y, such as traffic lights or the water system. Make an in-depth investigation of one communit

y. Describe the technology needed to ensure continued safety and efficient service to the public.

5. Investigate how three changes in car design have enhanced safety in the past 10 years.

Service Projects

1. Volunteer at a local science center that highlights technology. Assist in building an exhibit during a special event or act as an exhibit interpreter.

2. Plan or help facilitate an "engineering" activity day with hands-on projects for younger girls. Address at least three different unit
s of engineering. This might be in conjunction with National Engineering Week (February).

3. Spend a day volunteering in construction or in improving the environment through a local group effort. Perhaps you can paint, garden, help with minor repairs, or assist with building something at camp or in your communit

y. Learn to use basic tools of construction, plumbing, or electrical work under the guidance of a skilled and knowledgably mentor. See Safety-Wise for recommended safety precautions.

4. Plan an exhibit of engineering field for your school, council, or communit

y, perhaps for a career day. Invite women engineers to speak and exhibit. Include a design contest or hands-on activities.

Career Exploration

1. Learn about careers in various fields of engineering by using your local library, by writing to engineering societies or to the Junior Engineering Technical Society (under the National Society of Professional Engineers), or by using the Internet to do additional research. Find out the requirements for training for mechanical, electrical, or civil engineers.

2. Shadow an engineer for a day. Ask her what tools she uses in her job. What is most and least satisfying about her job? What challenges does she encounter and how does she overcome them in her work? Present what you have learned in a class discussion or meeting of your troop or group or club. Or invite the engineer to make a presentation.

3. Find out about the engineer's contribution to advancing medical technology in the design of implants, CAT scans, etc.

4. Use a computer simulation program to practice making the kind of decisions engineers make.

Camping

     Skill Builders

1.  Learn how to select a site and a route for a camping trip appropriate to the skills of your troop or group. Determine how your group can minimize its impact on a site by considering the following:

• Time of year and the size of the group.

• Clothing and equipment.

• Food preparation and use of portable cooking stoves.

• Camping and traveling on durable surfaces.

• Proper disposal methods and plans to pack out waste and trash.

• Leaving the site in a natural condition.

2.  Collect 10 recipes for outdoor meals that will minimize food preparation time and the use of cooking fuel. Be careful to select foods that will not spoil. For a three0day6 camping trip, plan a well0balanced menu. Learn the proper procedures for setting up, fueling, and cooking on the stove you will be using. Show how to keep food and cooking supplies safely away from animals.

3.  Develop emergency procedures for a camping trip.. Know what to do in case of fire, flood, and injured or lost campers. Learn the procedures to follow if you become separated from your group. Show that you can set up and recognize international distress signals. Demonstrate how to be prepared for weather emergencies and find out about methods for obtaining water and shelter. Assemble a first-aid kit. Know how to treat for shock, bleeding, sprains, burns, bites, hypothermia, frostbite, sunburn, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.

4.  Demonstrate two ways to build group readiness and spirit for a camping trip. Keep in touch with the feelings that come from living and working together in the outdoors by writing a song or poem, recording your thoughts in a journal, or sharing them with a friend or at a Girl Scouts' Own ceremony.

5.  Plan a trip to challenge your skills. Create maps, plans, and checklists. Backpack, bicycle, ride horseback, canoe, sail, ski cross-country, or find some new, exciting way to get to your campsite (perhaps an extended scavenger hunt or mystery ride).

Technology

1. Learn to use a base plate compass and to read a topographical map. Sketch a map of your neighborhood or camp unit
from field notes you have taken. Measure the length of your pace and show that you can judge distance. Demonstrate your navigational ability by planning and, with an adult, co-leading a hike for a group.

2.  Be prepared for changing weather conditions. Show that you understand the significance of a barometer reading, wind direction and speed, and patterns of weather movements typical of your region. Before leaving, check the current forecast to make sure you have the proper clothing and equipment. Record weather observations for two days before your trip and make your own weather predication. Record the conditions during the trip and compare them with your predication.

3.  Find out about new types of materials and fibers used to create camping equipment. What makes something waterproof? Or lightweight? Heat or cold resistant? Visit a local outdoor store and examine the latest products. Read through catalogs and comparison shop for several items. Find out about the types of insulation in sleeping bags and which is best for you r unit
and the type of trip you are planning.

4. Surf the Internet and find out which camping organizations and clubs are represented in cyber-space. Do a Web search and find sites on camping gear, travel destinations, and safe outdoor practices and minimal impact (for the last topic, see the National Outdoor Leadership School's Web site).

Service Projects

1.  Look into how to make a camping experience more accessible to people with disabilities. Together with your troop leader, you may wish to consult Focus on Ability: Serving Girls with Special Needs. Then, using the assessment tools from the book, determine which of your campsites are most suitable for people with disabilities, and how you can improve any existing conditions at them.

2.  Offer your service to maintain a hiking or nature trail. Or, create a new trail at a local Girl Scout camp or park. Learn the proper ways to cut unwanted growth, control erosion, and divert water off the trail.

3.  Teach camping skills such as selecting proper equipment, meal planning, or pitching a tent, to a group of younger Girl Scouts. Visit their troop meeting, demonstrate the skills, and help them practice.

4.  Volunteer to plan and conduct a weekend compare, a habitat improvement project, or an outdoor skills day. Or collaborate on a camping-related service project with another group.

Career Exploration

1.  Learn about jobs in the outdoors such as lifeguard, camp counselor, camp director, camp administrator, program specialist, site manager, or food services manager in the recreation industry. Interview someone who has one of these jobs and report back to your troop or group on your findings.

2.  Look through several magazines about camping and out-door activities. Use the ideas to make a list of outdoor careers. Find out about the skills, education, and experience needed for three of the careers you listed.

3. Interview someone with a career related to safeguarding the environment. What does it take to be an educator, a lawyer, an engineer, a lobbyist, or a scientist devoted to environmental issues?

4. Come up with an idea to start your own business in the unit
of outdoor recreation. For example, some people have started up outdoor-clothes and equipment catalog businesses or ecotourism companies. What product or service could you sell? What would you do to make sure your business could contribute to preserving the environment and still make money for you.

Car Sense

       Skill Builders

1.      Check the engine oil, automatic transmission fluid, brake fluid, and power steering fluid in several vehicles. Find out how often the following procedures should be done on a vehicle and obtain some cost estimates for each:

·        Change oil and automatic transmission fluid

·        Reline brakes

·        Realign wheels and balance tires

·        Replace belts, steering lines, and hoses

·        Replace damaged or loose parts in exhaust system

·        Replace shock absorbers

2.      With an adult, change the oil and oil filter on a vehicle. Dispose of or recycle the old oil using an ecologically sound method.

3.      Check the tire pressure with a gauge. Observe a tire being changed by an experienced adult. Make a list of the steps taken. With adult supervision, follow the steps you have outlined and change a tire on a car.

4.      Find out what the procedures are in your state for obtaining a learner’s permit and a driver’s license. What driver’s education courses are available? Also find out what’s involved in registering a vehicle. Visit the motor vehicle department and get copies of forms, information and regulations.

5.      Visit a car dealership with an adult and evaluate the costs, options, and availability of two different types of cars, both new and used. Find out about financing: where you can borrow money and at what rates, and the costs of leasing a car.

6.      Read pages 122 – 123 in “A Resource Book for Senior Girl Scouts”. Using the information provided, assemble a vehicle emergency tool kit for the car you will be driving.

7.      Contact different insurance companies and find out what types of coverage are required by your state. Find out how your driving and choice of car affect your insurance rate. Investigate the legal liabilities of a driver who is uninsured or underinsured.

Technology

1.      Find out how an anti-lock braking system (ABS) works and how it differs from traditional braking systems. Find out how ABS affects your driving in emergency situations and inclement weather.

2.      How does the rising number of automobiles on the road affect the environment? Survey an automobile for its energy use. Does it use gas economically or not? Has the engine been tuned recently? Do the tires have the proper inflation? Are the air and oil filters clean? Find out about driving habits that save gas. Talk to a car owner, mechanic, or car dealer about energy conservation in the use and maintenance of cars. What has the auto industry been doing to curtail air pollution and make cars more efficient in their use of gas?

3.      Air bags have recently become a standard safety feature. Locate the air bags in a car. Read the owner’s manual and discover the strengths and limitations of air bags, as well as any dangers. Identify five safety rules to follow when operating a vehicle that has air bags. Share that information with two other drivers.

4.      Form car ignitions to theft detection, cars are becoming more and more computerized. Describe in what ways cars are computerized. What does that mean for mechanics and services? What are the implications for drivers and car owners? Talk with someone who serviced cars before and after computers were installed. Discover the advantages and disadvantages of these changes.

5.      Find information about purchasing a car by browsing through the Internet. Explore purchasing and/or least two vehicles of your choice, used or new. Use the Internet to compare the cost, safety, resale value, size, storage space, and options such as air conditioning, automatic transmission, and anti-lock brakes.

6.      Compute the cost of running a car for a year. Include the cost of gasoline, insurance, registration, parking, taxes, and maintenance. Compare this with the cost of using public transportation. Is the convenience of a car worth the expense?

 Service Projects

1.      Volunteer at a vehicle safety event or workshop emphasizing safety through preventive maintenance. Activities might include inspecting tires, changing wiper blades, and checking car fluids.

2.      Create a car safety campaign focusing on one or more of the following topics: use of safety belts; use of air bags; obscured vision; behavior during and following an accident or breakdown; drunk driving. Display the information in two prominent unit
s of your town, or ask the local newspaper or schools to print the information.

3.      Using the poem “Young and Dumb” on page 123 and the information on pages 47 – 48 in A Resource Book For Senior Girl Scouts, run a discussion group with other teens about driving under the influence. Discuss the severity of the issue and steps you can take to avoid riding with a drunk driver. Role-play what to do if you think your friend is under the influence and is about to drive.

4.      Volunteer with a car-based communit

y service: for example, one that delivers groceries or meals to the homebound or takes library books to isolated communit

ies or schools.

       Career Exploration

1.      Interview a mechanic, car service manager, or car assembler. Find out what factors led to choosing that career, what school training courses, or on-the-job experiences prepared them for this work.

2.      Prepare a cartoon with the theme “Teaching novices to drive”. What skills are most critical to becoming a good driving instructor?

3.      Interview a highway patrol officer or traffic enforcement officer. Ask about traffic laws and the most common violations for the unit
. What steps does one take to become a highway patrol or a traffic enforcement officer? How do they handle motorists who have been stopped for driving while intoxicated or for speed violations? How often do teenagers commit these types of violations? How often are they involved as victims?

4.      Tour an auto design or assembly plant. Discover what goes into the designing and/or assembling of an automobile. Ask about future occupations and trends in the auto industry.

Child Care

 Skill Builders 

1.      Pick a particular developmental level, such as infancy, childhood, or adolescence, and learn about either the physical, emotional, intellectual, or social growth that takes place during that stage.

2.      Learn how to care for children in an emergency situation. Take a course such as fire safety, lifesaving, or baby sitting at your local Girl Scout council, the American Red Cross, or your local fire department. Share your information with at least three friends.

3.      Become familiar with local, state, and federal laws that protect children. Review and clip related articles from newspapers and magazines. Hold a discussion, debate, or lecture on a topic of interest such as children’s television, discipline, sibling rivalry, or fostering creativity. Invite people interested in child are to attend.

4.      What were you like when you were a baby? When you were two, three, or four years old? When you started school? What do you remember about yourself? Talk to people who knew you at different ages. Do they have pictures of you, stories about you, information about your health, where you lived, or who took care of you? Ask yourself, “What are those things in my life that make me the special person I am today?” Record what you find in a story about yourself, a poem, a song, a tape recording, a diary, a play, or a picture.

5.      Keep a file of games, songs, finger plays, and stories that children like. Include such things as recipes for play dough and finger paints. Talk to parents, teachers, day-care workers, or librarians for suggestions. Keep adding to your file and use these ideas when you take care of your own younger brothers or sisters, baby-sit, or do volunteer work with children.

       Technology

1.      Visit a computer store and find out about software and video games for children. Focus on resources for a specific age group. Evaluate the software. Some key questions to consider:

·        Are the graphics exciting for the child?

·        Are the activities fun? Are the activities designed to teach or merely entertain?

·        If the video or software is designed to be educational, is there a better way to learn the subject?

·        Do the images send negative messages?

2.      Visit a store where educational toys and games are sold. What is the educational value of some of the items? Write down the names of two or three items you would recommend for a child of a certain age. Then, observe a child at play in one of the following age groups: birth to two years, three to five years, six to ten years. Do you still agree with the choices you made in the store? If not, adjust your choices to accommodate what you have learned. Based on your findings, make recommendations about age-appropriate toys to a child’s family.

3.      Compare two types of toys that a child might typically use today with similar toys available 20 or more years ago. Have the toys changed because of technological advances?

4.      Familiarize yourself with some toys and games available for children. With that in mind, design your own game or toy for a specific age group. Or modify one already on the market. Present your toy (actual or model) to an adult who spends time with children of that age group. Ask the adult to critique your design.

5.      Create television viewing guidelines for your family or a family with young children. Create a time sheet to monitor the number of viewing hours, a tip sheet suggesting appropriate programs for children of particular ages, and a list of programs to avoid viewing.
 

       Service Projects

1.      Work with a local school, religious center, library, or other site where parents and children gather. Volunteer to organize a child-care event or program. Determine what your responsibilities will be for example, leading activities or registration.

2.      Determine a service you can provide for a local day-care or after-school facility. Arrange a meeting with the director to find out which service or resource is needed. You might organize a toy drive to provide new or slightly used toys and games for the facility, or volunteer to read stories to the children. Determine your goals, and work on a plan for reaching them. Recruit others to help you with the plan.

3.      Become involved in tutoring a student after school. For example, you can devise a “home-work help” program to use at home with a younger sibling. Keep a note-book or log of the skills you are emphasizing and of your student’s progress. Share it with the parents or guardians.

4.      Create a “baby-sitter’s club” with girls in your troop or with friends. Advertise your group’s services in a brochure. Or create a newsletter for the club. The baby-sitter’s newsletter can include such features as do’s and don’ts while baby sitting and first-aid tips. Meet regularly with other baby sitters to exchange ideas and tips.

5.      Where can children in your communit

y play and have fun? Locate the playgrounds and other recreational facilities in your unit
. Find out what ages can use them. Are they safe? What equipment do they provide? Create a recreation guidebook to share in your communit

y.
 

      Career Exploration

1.      Discover how many colleges or agencies in your unit
offer courses for day-care providers. Contact a local child-care referral agency or college and learn what you need to do to become a professional day-care provider. Find out what courses you need to take, if any, for certification. Visit a college that offers day care and talk with the students/child-care providers about their work experiences.

2.      Learn from a child-care provider, teacher, or parent the special needs of caring for a child with a disability. Read the poem “Building Your Character Up with Down’s” on page 67 of the Cadette Girl Scout Handbook. Describe the poet’s relationship with her brother. How has her brother influenced her personal goals?

3.      Invite four professionals who work with children, such as a pediatric dentist, nurse, teacher, psychologist, or pediatrician, to speak at a troop or group meeting about their work. How does each professional help and work with parents and with children? Ask questions about their training and experience.

4.      Interview a mother who works for pay outside the home full-time, one who works for pay outside the home part-time, and one who does not work outside the home. Find out their child-care arrangements. What are the roles played in child-rearing by fathers, grandparents, other family members, and professional child-care workers? What did the mothers tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of each arrangement?

Collecting

     Skill Builders

1. Start a collection. Use your current interests as a starting point or, if you already have a collection going, add to it. Find at least five items that are of interest. If you love a particular sport, for example, you might collect the caps, posters, or pennants of your favorite teams.

2. Find a way to use or display your collection. Colored beads or shells, for example, could be laid out artistically or made into beautiful jewelry. Postcards can be arranged to make a colorful collage. You could photograph your collection. Describe your collection to a group of younger girls. Or display your project at your school or at a troop or group meeting.

3. Read catalogs, magazines, and books on collecting to expand your knowledge. Visit stores, garage sales, street fairs, and collectors conventions in your unit
.

4. Search through closets at home or your attic for interesting objects. Decide on a theme and put together a display showcasing your wares.

5. What do you do if your collection has grown too large? Why not donate all or part of it to a museum, library, school, or communit

y center? Photograph and list all the items. Write a brief description of each item.

6. Begin a collection of Girl Scout memorabilia: for example, pins, badges, guides, uniforms, and photographs. Did you know that the U.S. postal Service has issued three Girl Scout commemorative stamps? See if you can find them. You may also want to write to GSUSA, and obtain information about the National Historic Preservation Center.

Technology

1. Some collections must be stored under special conditions. in order to preserve early Girl Scout documents, for example, the archivist at the Girl Scout's' National Historic Preservation Center must keep them in a specially designed, temperature-controlled room. Does your collection need special treatment? Develop a storage system to properly preserve your  collection.

2. Some collections start by accident. You find  fascinating stone on a camping trip and later learn that it is a rare mineral. On your next outing you keep an eye out for other fins. Although many archaeologist have made major discoveries in much the same way, they now have new technology to assist them. Find out how computers, satellites, magnetic imaging, and sound waves are helping the modern "Indiana Joans".

3. Find out some ways objects are dated: for example, carbon-dating for fossil remains. Experts must sift through different types of clues - it's like trying to solve a mystery. What is needed to date your collectibles?

4. Find out the methods used to detect forgeries, fakes, or imitations of valuable items.

Service Projects

1. Organize a flew market for your troop or group. This could be a money-earning project. You can sell items collected and donated  by you and your fellow troop members.

2. Some of the things accumulated over the years may benefit someone else. Clothes that no longer fit could go to a homeless shelter, old magazines to a library, and outgrown games and toys to children in a hospital. Take an inventory of your possessions and arrange to give some of them away.

3. Offer to help your local council catalog and preserve Girl Scout artifacts.

4. Volunteer your services at a local museum, historical society, or other center that has a collection. Find out how the collections are built and maintained.

5. Start a collectors' club for younger girls. Show them your collection and take them to exhibits in museums or elsewhere, if possible. Help them as a group to begin a collection.

Career Exploration

1. With your friends, brainstorm a list of professions in which people collect things or care for collectibles. Select one profession to learn more about, or a professional to shadow.

2. Work with an antiques store owner or flea market dealer for several hours. Ask her what makes something an antique and how the value of antique furniture, jewelry, artwork, and other items are appraised. Find out about her educational background and unit
of expertise.

3. Curators arrange art exhibits for museums. Arrange to meet with or interview a curator or find out how she goes about acquiring artwork.

4. Libraries must continually add to their collections of books. Interview a librarian to find out how she decides on which books to add to a collection. How does she keep track of all the books in the collection? How are valuable books and manuscripts preserved?

Computers in Everyday Life
 

Conflict Resolution

     Skill Builders

1. Read and do the activities on pages 76-81 in the Cadette Girl Scout Handbook, or read pages 79-85 in A Resource Book for Senior Girl Scouts and identify five techniques for resolving conflict. Give examples of how three of these techniques are used in the "real world".

2. Keep a journal for two weeks and record all of your conflicts with other people Note how you handled each conflict and whether or not it was resolved. Do you see a pattern? For example, did you use confrontation, avoidance, or compromise? What other techniques might you try in the future?

3. With  a group of four to six people, carry out the following active listening exercises. Have participants take turns as group facilitators, recorders, and observers.

• Have two people simultaneously talk about a topic for three minutes, without regard to what the other person is saying.
  Question for participants: What does it feel like to talk to someone who isn't' listening?

• Have one participant spend three minutes talking about something important to her while another participant disagrees or responds negatively.
  Question for participants: If someone else negative or disagrees with you, what do you do? What are three other ways to change the direction of the conversation?

• For three minutes, have one participant try to convince another of a particular point of view. While one is talking, have the other participant close her eyes or turn her back to demonstrate her lack of interest.
  Question for participants: What role does body language play in active listening?

4. Respecting the values of other people improves relationships and communication. Read "Your Values" on pages 56-57 of the Cadette Girl Scout Handbook, or read "Values and Conflict" on page 81 of A Resource Book for Senior Girl Scouts. Rate the values on the chart below according to their importance in your life. Compare your outcomes with those of a friend:

5. In the world of competitive sports, fair play is the ideal. Yet cursing at, shoving, and bullying opponents often occur. With friends, attend or watch on television several different sports events. Note the athletes' behavior. After the events, address the following questions:

• Did you witness fair or unfair conduct? What kind?

• Were certain sports more likely than others to have athletes engage in foul play?

• What methods of conflict resolution did the referees, umpires, and other sports officials use?

Technology

1. In sports, players and referees frequently disagree about calls. How does the use of instant replays facilitate the resolution of these disputes? What techniques were used before instant replay was available?

2. Watch or play several video or computer games. Which ones seem too violent? Think of ways to make them less violent and still interesting. Write to the manufacturer with your suggestions.

3. What messaged do television shows, music videos, and print and broadcast ads give about resolving conflict? View two or three of your favorite television shows. Are these shows realistic in portraying conflict and its resolution? Rewrite the ending of a show, portraying a better way to resolve conflict.

4. Watch the evening news or read a daily newspaper for three days in a row, paying particular attention to opinions about global, social, and political conflicts. How do the opinions of influential people alter our perceptions of conflict? How do inflammatory headlines and round-the-clock broadcast coverage of conflicts affect our viewpoints?

Service Projects

1. Use a mock court to mediate or resolve a dispute. You could use a real situation or create one that concerns issues of interest for you and your friends. Arrives at a resolution that meets the interest of both parties.

2. Learn to officiate your favorite sport. You can visit the library or a bookstore for a book on the sport and also ask a coach at your school for help. Plan ahead of time how you will deal with conflicts over questionable calls, fighting between players, etc. Then serve as an official in a sports event in your communit

y.

3. Introduce a group of younger children to the concept of conflict resolution. Show them how to express hurt or angry feelings in a non threatening way, how to listen to another person without judging or criticizing, or other resolution skills.

4. Learn about peer mediation strategies and then set up a peer mediation program in your school or communit

y.

Career Exploration

1. Make a list of professionals whose jobs require skills in conflict resolution. Pick one profession or occupation to learn more about by arranging to speak with someone in that field.

2. Professional mediators help settle disputes between different parties. Interview a professional mediator in your communit

y. Find out what skills they use to help opposing parties find mutually satisfying solutions.

3. Obtain information about the role that unit

ed Nations delegates, ambassadors, and diplomats play in solving international conflicts.

4. Interview people in three different jobs to find out how they resolve conflicts in he workplace.

Cookies & Dough

 Skill Builders

1.      To hone your marketing skills, write a 30 or 60 second television or radio commercial for this year’s Girl Scout cookie verities. Or create a public service announcement (PSA) on the benefits of cookie sales for Girl Scout activities, projects, and trips.

2.      Choose an activity that your group or troop would like to do, research the expenses involved (including things like admission fees, transportation, food) and then figure out how many boxes of cookies you would need to sell to finance the project. Read page 44 in the Cadette Girl Scout Handbook or pages 120 – 121 in A Resource Book for Senior Girl Scouts to find out how to create a budget.

3.      Design a poster or flier for your cookie campaign that you could post at local stores, businesses, religious institutions, etc.

4.      Brainstorm 10 new locations in your communit

y for selling cookies – for example, at train stations, parades, tag sales, malls. Then, narrow down your choices by conducting an informal “test.” Keep tabs on the numbers of sales made in each of these locations over the course of one week.

5.      Research the history of Girl Scout cookie production and sales. Then, with your troop, recreate some of the old ad campaigns for fun. Could they still generate sales today? Take a poll.

6.      One of the ways to ensure successful product sales is to develop a marketing plan. Do a market survey of your communit

y to determine the ages and occupations of those who buy certain kinds of cookies and use the results to help in your sales efforts.

7.      Selling cookies requires skills in unit
s such as customer service, public speaking, and perseverance. Role-play different scenarios that might occur during the sale. You might want to include the customer who is cranky, obnoxious, or very inquisitive.

8.     Create a press kit to send to media outlets and places where cookies are sold. Include information on Girl Scouting, the purpose of the cookie campaign, a current council newsletter or list of projects and activities for girls, and a glossy flier of the cookie order form.
 

 Technology

1.      Surf the Internet for marketing ideas for food products. Download the information for your troop or group’s cookie campaign.

2.      Survey at least 10 people for their favorite cookies and their reasons. On your computer or by hand, make a bar graph or chart showing the results, and interpret them.

3.      Study the design of a Girl Scout cookie box. How does it protect the product? How is it appealing? Look at the colors, print styles, artwork, or photography. Can you list five things the design says about Girl Scouting?

4.      Prepare a spreadsheet that will help you keep track of your troop, group, or council’s cookie sales and the profits. Use graph paper or a computer program.

5.      Start a “cookies coast-to-coast newsletter. Distribute it to your friends, family or troop members via e-mail.
 

       Service Projects

1.      Develop a cookie board game for Brownie Girl Scouts that will teach them skills like counting, matching, and following rules. Hold an informal contest to come up with a great name for the game.

2.      Hold a cookie-tasting party at a senior citizen’s facility, child-care center, or homeless shelter.

3.      Swap sales techniques with another troop or group.

4.      Recycle cookie boxes into an art project you have designed, constructed, and decorated. Or create something functional like a small toolbox or tissue holder.

5.      Send than-you notes to major supporters or helpers of your cookie campaign and share with them one project that came about as a result of the cookie sales.

6.      Create a poster for a younger troop promoting the benefits of a healthy beverage (such as milk or juice) to go with their cookie snack.
 

      Career Exploration

1.      Examine different careers in the food industry. Don’t forget jobs like those in marketing, sales, photography, and advertising, including the graphic arts and copy writing. Interview a professional in at least two of these fields. Ask about the job’s responsibilities, education requirements or training, and benefits.

2.      Be an entrepreneur and start your own business selling a product or service that you think will appeal to a specific group; for example, weekend baby-sitting services or a lemonade and cookie stand. Read about one Girl Scout’s experiences with setting up her own business on pages 97 and 98 of the Cadette Girl Scout Handbook. Learn how to create a budget.

3.      Get some writing tips from a local reporter, freelance writer, or teacher, and then write a feature story about your cookie campaign for the council newsletter.

4.      Arrange a factory tour for a food product and see what is involved in the making and packaging of that item. Share what you have learned with your Girl Scout troop or group, or others.