Badge Requirements (page 2)
It's Important to Me
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- The Girl Scout Law in Action
The Girl Scout Law contains important values for girls to live by. Let the
words of the Girl Scout Law inspire you daily. Make a Girl Scout Law plaque
or wall hanging that highlights the parts that mean the most to you. Use
paint, fabric, contact paper, poster board, or other materials to make your
plaque or wall hanging sturdy and attractive.
- Values-Based Approaches
Values help you find ways to solve problems. Write a story about how you
solved a problem using your values. Or write a short story that shows how a
girl your age uses on of f her values to solve a problem. If you like, you
may draw an illustration for your story. Note: Did you know that you can
submit this or another one of your original stories to GSUSA's "Just for
Girls" web site? Go to
www.girlscouts.org/girls and click on "Girl Space" and the "Stories" to
learn how.
- Discover Your Values
Check out the section about values in the "It's Great to Be a Girl" chapter
of your Junior Girl Scout Handbook. Do one of the activities in that section
with your family or friends.
- Values Vote
With your troop, group, or family brainstorm a list of five values. Have
everyone copy the list and play "20 Votes". Everyone has 20 votes to cast
for the values she thinks are most important. You can use your votes all on
one value or spread them out any way you like. Without talking, everyone
records her votes. Then each girl puts a star by the value she thinks will
get the most votes for the group as a whole. Now tally the votes. What was
the most popular value? How many people guessed it would be? Discuss with
your group why you think people feel it is the most important.
- Values in the News
Find a news report in the newspaper, or on the internet, radio, or TV that
tells about problems people have because they made poor decisions. Decide
what value or values could have helped them avoid their problems and why.
- Debate It
When you make decisions, you often have to weigh two competing values. Fro
example, you may wonder: Do I stay loyal to my friend or tell the teacher
that she has been cheating on a test? Choose two competing values and have a
values debate. With a group, divide into two sides. One group should take
one side of the issue and the other group should take the other side. Meet
with your group for a few minutes to discuss the major points you want
to make and then let the debate begin. Have your troop leader or adult
family member serve as moderator.
- Other People's Values
Holidays often reinforce the values of a country or culture. With your
troop, group, or family, learn about an important holiday in another
country. Learn about some of the traditions of that holiday and the value or
values that are a part of that holiday.
- Secret Sister
A Girl Scout is a sister to every other Girl Scout. Show how you value the
sister Girl Scouts in your troop or group. Have a "Secret sister" party.
Have each person draw a name, and then make something special at home for
your secret sister. Bring the gift to your next meeting and give it to her.
Remember, don't tell who your secret sister is until it is time to reveal
her name at the party. OR you could choose a secret sister at school or in
your neighborhood and do something special for her.
- Women of Courage
With your troop, group, or family name eight courageous women. Discuss what
they did and why they were or are courageous. Write the names of the women
on slips of paper and put them in a cup. Divide into two teams. Each team
takes a turn pulling a slip of paper. The other team may ask 5 yes/no
questions and then guess who they think the courageous woman is.
- Valuing Service
Put the Girl Scout Promise into practice by giving service individually or
with your family, troop, or group. Join in a community
y service project such
as a clean-up activity, healthy fair, or other event. Or volunteer to give
service to a community
y organization such as your school, religious
organization, or other non-profit group. Remember: When giving service, Girl
Scouts are not permitted to raise money for other organizations.
Jeweler
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- Jewelry from Everyday Objects
Make a piece of jewelry using materials that are not precious metals or
gems. You might make a pin, a necklace, a bracelet, or a hair ornament. Some
ideas for materials are:
- Handmade beads
- Hardware (such as screws, nuts, washers, wire and chains)
- Paper (paint or draw designs on pieces of paper. Several pieces can be
joined with cord or thread or glued together)
- Macramé
Knot string and other cords into decorative patterns. Interweave beads,
sanded pieces of wood, and shells to create unique macramé jewelry. See the
"Create and Invent" chapter in your Junior Girl Scout Handbook.
- Jewelry from Other Lands
Learn about the jewelry of 4 different cultures (fro example, from an
American Indian culture or a culture from Europe, South America, or Africa).
Or look at an ancient culture, such as early Egypt or Asia. Describe the
materials and styles used, and their customs and traditions for wearing
jewelry. If possible, find pictures of the type of jewelry worn in each
culture.
- Jewelers' Skills
Learn about the different jewelry-making techniques of soldering, casting,
hammering, and molding. Can you describe a situation when each might be
used, or find a picture showing an example? If possible, visit an artist who
uses one or more of those techniques to make jewelry.
- Take a Tour
Visit a museum or gallery exhibit of jewelry. Take an organized tour of the
exhibit or ask someone knowledgeable to explain the work. Be sure to bring a
notebook and sketch any designs you'd like to remember!
- Something Natural
Make a piece of jewelry out of organize material (something found in
nature). You can combine a variety of colors, shapes, and textures by using
shells, stones, seeds, and other materials you could find on an outdoor
scavenger hunt. Look at the section about swaps in the "Adventures in Girl
Scouting" chapter in your Junior Girl Scout Handbook for ideas about jewelry
made from rocks and from flowers.
- Triple Up
Make an item of jewelry that combines at least 3 different elements. For
example, you can combine leather laces with wire and stones. Come up with
other interesting combinations.
- Store Your Gems
Make a box for your jewelry. You can decorate a small cardboard, metal, or
wooden box with decoupage, or decorate a small basket. Add decorative
touches with pieces of discarded jewelry, pearls, beads, or shells. See the"
Create and Invent" chapter in your Junior Girl Scout Handbook for
information about decoupage.
- True Gemstones
Learn about one type of stone or mineral used in jewelry. For example, you
might choose to learn more about your birthstone. Does the stone or mineral
have any special meaning Are there any legends or myths about its special
power?
- Get the Message?
Find out about ht symbolism of different kinds of jewelry, such as wedding
bands or friendship bracelets. Make a piece of jewelry to give to someone
else as a symbol of your friendship.
Lead On
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- Talk Show Star
Create an imaginary TV show in which you are the host. Interview a pretend
leader - a mayor, for example. Ask at least five questions about her
leadership role. Provide time for your "studio audience" to ask questions as
well.
- Let's Welcome . . .
Choose a female leader whom you have read or heard about. Write or tape
record what you would say about her if you were introducing her to an
audience of Junior Girl Scouts and their families.
- Choose Your Leaders
List at least 5 leaders, including leaders from your school, community
y,
state, nation, and the world. Choose your favorite leader from the list.
With your troop, group, or family, discuss what personal qualities make that
person a good leader. Which qualities do you have that are similar to hers?
- Play a Leading Role
A leader should be a role model - someone who practices habits that provide
a good example for others to follow. Do an activity with your troop, group,
or family in which you practice being a role model in one of the following
unit
s: safety, sports, or friendship.
- Leading Qualities
One quality that all good leaders have is a sense or responsibility. Make a
list of the tasks that you are responsible for on a typical weekday. Ask
yourself if you do each of these things without being prompted (without
having someone remind you to do them). If you don't, make tomorrow a
"Responsibility Day." Keep your list close by and check items off as you do
them. Try to finish the entire list without your family reminding you. For
more advice on getting things done, check out the time management skills
section of the "Be Healthy, Be Fit" chapter Junior Girl Scout Handbook.
- Follow the Leader
Many games build leadership skills in a fun way. "Follow the Leader" "Simon
Says and "Red Rover" are some examples. Hold an event in which games
emphasizing leadership skills are played. Invite younger Girl Scouts,
friends, and neighbors to attend. Include games that make players follow
directions, such as scavenger hunts and relay races.
- More on Leadership
In a group, identify a community
y problem and brainstorm actions you could
take to deal with it. To guide your planning, use the action plan in the
"Adventures in Girl Scouting" chapter of your Junior Girl Scout Handbook.
- Team Leadership
Playing sports often provides a good chance to test and improve your
leadership skills. Pick a skill you are really good at - such as throwing,
batting, volleying, or somersaulting - and volunteer t o spend some time
teaching it to another girl.
- What Did You Say?
Good communication is important to leadership. Read about communication in
the "Family and Friends" chapter of your Junior Girl Scout Handbook. Test
your communication skills with friends, family, and other Girl Scouts.
- Set a Goal
Decide on one leadership quality you are going to improve over the next
month. Write out your commitment, and take at least 3 actions a week to meet
your goal.
Let's Get Cooking
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- Keeping It Clean
When preparing and eating food, keep your hands squeaky-clean! Believe it or
not, bacteria can cling to the natural oil on your hands. Want to see? Take
two apple pieces. Wash one apple piece and then wipe it with dirty hands and
place it in a sealed jar. Label the jar "dirty hands. " Now wash your hands.
Take a second apple piece and wash it, then wipe eat with your clean hands.
Label this jar "Squeaky-clean." after one week, look at both apple pieces.
Are there any Difference? How does this experiment demonstrate the
importance of washing your hands?
- When in Doubt, Throw It Out
Talk with a dietician, a health educator, or a restaurant owner and find
out: How long can you keep different kinds of leftovers before they become
dangerous to eat? How long can you keep a picnic lunch out of
refrigeration's? What actions can you take to keep your food safe?
- Have It Your Way
With a group of friends, create your own healthy fast-food restaurant.
Develop a menu, set the prices, and design the look of the restaurant. Don't
forget to give it a great name. Assign jobs like hostess, waitress, or chef.
Decide where people will be able to find this restaurant. Then stage your
"Grand opening." Invite people to come to your "restaurant" and try some of
your creative dishes.
- Something for Everyone
Not everyone has the same access to healthy food. Tragically, more than one
billion people worldwide are underfed. Collect food that can be donated to
shelters or to another organization the could benefit from additional food.
Make sure you include nutritious food that won't go bad, such as canned
goods, juice boxes, dried fruit or fruit rolls, packaged cereals, and
pastas.
- The Perfect Egg
Eggs are a great source of protein and can be prepared in many different
ways. Create a recipe in which eggs are used. Need inspiration? You might
look at cookbooks with recipes from other countries. Note: Although eggs
taste good and are good for you, they can be dangerous if you don't cook
them properly. you can limit the threat of these harmful bacteria by masking
sure that eggs are fully cooked. Uncooked eggs are one reason not to taste
cookie dough or cake batter before it's been baked!
- New Wave Chef
Microwaves, electric grills, rotisseries, and other appliances help make
cooking fast and fun. Select an appliance and, with an adult's help, try out
a recipe that lets you use it.
- Tasty Treats: Fruit Surprise
Here is great way to make tasty treat fro you and your friends that doesn't
involve cooking.
What You Need:
- 1 cup container of fruit-flavored yogurt
- 1 cup of whipped cream or whipped cream substitute
- 4 mini pie crusts (pre-cooked)
- Fresh berries or other fruit
What You Do:
- in a bowl, mix the fruit-flavored yogurt and the whipped cream.
- Scoop the mixture equally into each of the four pie crusts.
- Decorate the pies with the fresh berries or other fruit.
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes. then, devour!
Now it's your turn: Create your own no-cook recipe!
- Mix It Up
Blender drinks are fun, quick, and easy to make. When you use healthy
ingredients, the drinks can also boot your energy. Invite each guest at your
"blender party" to bring a recipe for a vegetable or fruit drink and all the
ingredients it requires. Be sure to plan ahead, so you'll have everything
you need. Experiment with combinations of fruit, milk, yogurt, juice, hone,
and natural flavorings to create a variety of drinks. Select fruits such as
blueberries, strawberries, melon slices, peaches, pineapple, or bananas.
such try tropical fruits such as kiwi, mango, and papaya. For vegetable
juices, try combining carrots, celery and tomatoes.
- Food Around the World
With your Girl Scout troop or group, eat your way around the world. Start in
the US and trace a path around the globe - in any direction. Each girl
chooses a country on the "trip". Then she finds a healthy recipe from that
country to share with the troop. What can you learn about a culture from a
recipe and its ingredients?
- The Big Change
With the help of an adult, take a recipe that you find in a cookbook and
make it healthier. For example, you can change the ground beef in a meat
sauce to ground turkey or chicken. If you are baking, try substituting a
half cup of applesauce for a stick of butter. Try tofu in your cooking as a
healthy source of protein. be creative and have fun!
Local Lore
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- Word of Mouth
Find out about a story, legend, monument, or landmark in your community
y.
Older residents or your librarian can help. Share your fangs with others.
- It’s all on the Map
how has your community
y changed? Locate a map of your town that’s at least 25
years old. Your library, chamber of commerce, or planning commission should
have one. Compare that map with one from today. What has changed? What has
remained the same? Are all the changes for the better? Which ones would you
like to undo? Why?
- From Above
Ask someone from the Soil Conservation Service, the U.S. Geological Service,
or a local college or real estate agency if you can see aerial photos of
your community
y made over a period of time. What story do these photos tell you about
changes in your community
y?
- Tour Your Community
y
Take part in a tour of your community
y. Look for 3 different examples of
architecture from different historical periods. When and why were the
buildings or houses built? What types of materials were used? Try sketching,
photographing, or writing down information about the buildings.
- Extra, Extra, Read All About it!
Create a one-page poster, newspaper page, or flyer that describes a past
period of your community
y. Include news, ads, or editorials that might have
appeared at that time. Share your item with others.
- Sing Someone’ Praises
Create a story, song, or poem about the efforts of one person who has had a
major impact on your city or town.
- Take a Trip
Visit a local museum, historical society, library, or town hall to learn
more about the history of your city or town. What new things did you learn?
- Take Pride
Volunteer at an event, fair, or special occasion in your unit
. Find an event
that brings people together in celebration of the past; for example, one
that highlights important dates in history, or one that recognizes the past
contributions of different cultures.
- Walk the Talk
Pitch in on a project that will help preserve the history of your community
y
or something unique about it. Examples would be replanting native plants, or
cleaning or fixing up an historical site.
- Focus on the Future
given how your community
y has changed in the past 25 years, how do you think your community
y will change in the next 20, 50, or 100 years? Share your
prediction of the future I a creative way- you might use charts, maps,
drawings, or a skit.
Looking Your Best
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- Collect Tips
Create a “looking Your Best” booklet, poster, video, or collage that
includes the most important tips girls your age need to know to look their
best. Get ideas from current fashion and health magazines, from the
internet, and by interviewing people who have information to share. Include
health, fashion, hygiene, and nutrition tips.
- A Personal Hygiene Routine
Create a personal hygiene routine that you can follow daily or weekly. Your
routine should include caring for your skin, teeth, and hair. Consider how
other each action, such as washing your hair, should be done. Learn about
products that can help you, such as sunscreen, dental floss, and hair
conditioner. Your plans should also include a schedule for washing and
mending your clothes. Put your routines on paper and stick to them.
- Aerobic Activities
select a couple of aerobic activities that you enjoy. Walking, running,
jumping rope, biking, skating, and dancing are examples of aerobic
activities. For 2 weeks or more, with a fiend, do an aerobic activity of
your choice at least 3 times a week for 20 or 30 minutes. DO different types
of activities so you won’t become bored. You can substitute a favorite
sport, as long as you are moving for at least 20 minutes.
- Skin Care Secrets
Talk to women of different ages and find out about their skin care routines.
Do they use just soap and water? Lotions and potions? Have their routines
changed as they got older? What secrets can they share for keeping your skin
healthy?
- Color Party
Experiment with color. With fiends, collect sizable pieces of fabric or
pieces of paper in different colors. Take turns holding different colors up
to your face. Decide which colors look best on each of you: lavenders and
plums, corals, pinks, reds, blues and greens, or beiges and peaches.
- Organize
Rearrange the clothes in your dresser and closet so you’ll have an easier
time finding just the right outfits or combinations, no matter how rushed
you are. For example, you might pair tops and bottoms or organize by season
or color.
- Experiment with Hairstyles
Get together with a group of friends and try different hairstyles on each
other. Get ideas from magazines, form the “It’s Great to Be a Girl” chapter
of your Junior Girl Scout Handbook, from older girls or adults – or dream up
new hair creations yourselves. Each girl should bring her own hair
accessories like clips, headbands, and decorative combs. Experiment with
intertwining g ribbons, beads, and other decorative items in your hair.
Remember not to share brushes, combs, and other hair appliances, so there
will be no problems with hygiene. If you can, take instant pictures or shoot
video of your new styles!
- Create Healthy Snacks
Host a troop meeting by preparing a healthy snack to share. Here’s a recipe
you can try for making Pita Chips. Have an adult around to supervise.
Pita Chips
·
Separate pit bread rounds into their tow
halves.
·
Cut each half into six to eight pieces.
·
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil for
your pita bread.
·
Bake the pita piece at 350* for 20 to 30
minute, until crispy.
·
Sprinkle with garlic powder, cinnamon
sugar, chili powder, or grated cheese.
·
Use them as dippers for a low-fat dip!
9.
Circle of Friends
With a group of friends, possibly girls in your troop, sit in a circle with one
girl in the center. Each person will take a turn and give an honest compliment
to the person in the center. The person in the center listens without saying
anything. After everyone has given a compliment to her, she returns to the
circle and the person on her left goes into the center. The activity continues
until everyone has had a chance to be in the center.
10.
Accessory Party
Experiment to see how accessories highlight your features and your outfit. Try
different earrings and necklaces – long or short, big or delicate, unusual
shapes or colors. How do different belts or the addition of a scarf change your
look?
"Making" Hobbies
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
1. Choose Your Craft
Before starting any hobby you need to see if it will fit into your
lifestyle. Ask your self these questions and discuss the answers with an
adult family member or your troop or group leader.
- Is this hobby fun?
- Can I afford it?
- Do I have time for it?
- Do I have room for it?
- Are there any environmental concerns?
2.
Practice your Craft
Check with experts and in craft books, or surf the web for ideas and
instructions. Go to craft and variety stores or check around the house for
supplies. With adult help if needed make at least 3 examples of your craft
3.
Re-Craft
Practice your craft using a material you’ve never used before. Make at least
1 example of the new craft. Show your new craft item to others and explain
what you have learned about using different materials.
4.
Where and When
learn more about your craft by looking at global and historical examples.
Try finding global examples at craft fairs and museums, in books, and by
surfing the web. Look for historical examples at antique shows, flea
markets, and museums, and in books. Discuss what you learned with your troop,
group, or family members. If possible, show some examples of global and
historical crafts to others.
5.
Make a Recycled Craft
try making craft items from things you normally throw away. Look in craft
books or on the web for ideas on how to use egg cartons, juice lids, packing
peanuts, or other items. You can make a craft that you are familiar with or
choose a new craft entirely.
6.
Make a Craft with a Nature Theme
Many crafts have nature themes. Learn how to use nature in crafts. Make a
craft item with a focus on plants and animals. Here are some examples:
- A print made with leaves
- A mosaic made from eggshells
- A basket made of plant materials
7.
An Honor
Your craft project is being placed in the “Museum of Modern Crafts.” Write a
description of the piece that will appear in the museum. Include details of
tools, materials used, and other interesting information;
8.
Your Own Gift Wrap
After you have made several craft items, you might want to give some away as
gifts. Design your own gift wrap and wrap up your homemade gifts.
9.
Crafty Cash
find out more about people involved in the crafts business. Visit a crafts
person where she works or have her come to your troop or group meeting to
share information about her job. If that is not possible, find information
about professional crafts people in books or magazines or on the web. Share
the information that you learn with your troop, group, of family.
10.
Safe Crafts
help protect yourself and others while you are practicing your craft by
making a Craft Safety Checklist. Think about the tools and supplies involved
in making crafts. Brainstorm with others to come up with a list of at least
8 to 10 safety guidelines. Start your list with these 2 safety rules:
- Store sharp tools in a safe place.
Never leave them on the floor.
- Use aerosols in a well-ventilated unit
,
never in a small, closed room.
- Write down your Craft Safety Checklist
and keep it for future reference.
Types of Crafts:
v
Knitting
v
Crocheting
v
Embroidery
v
Sketching
v
Photography
v
Weaving
v
Sewing
v
Jewelry Making
v
Painting
v
T-Shirt Design
v
Pottery
v
Basket weaving
v
Tole painting
v
Macramé
v
Decoupage
v
Wreath Making
v
Mosaics
v
Woodworking
Making It Matter
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- Making a Polymer
many of the products you use every day are made of plastics. Plastics are a
type of material called a polymer – a chemical compound of chain-like
molecules. Parts of cars, clothes, CD’s, sneakers, and many, many other
things are made of polymers. Here’s a chance to make your own polymer.
a)
What You Need:
i.
Borax (available in the laundry section of grocery store
ii.
Water
iii.
A measuring cup
iv.
A tablespoon
v.
White glue
vi.
A plastic cup
b)
What to Do:
i.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of borax in ½ cup of water.
ii.
Put 1 tablespoon of white glue and 1 tablespoon of water into a plastic
cup and stir. When the glue and water are mixed well, add 1 tablespoon of the
borax solution and stir. What happens?
- Polymer Possibilities
By adding different ingredients, engineers can change the look, feel, and
behavior of a polymer. Here’s how you can make different polymers with
different properties. You need the same materials as in activity 1, plus:
salt, sugar, baking powder, coarse corn meal, and a ½ teaspoon measuring
spoon.
a)
What You Do
i.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of borax in ½ cup of water.
ii.
Put 1 tablespoon of white glue and 1 tablespoon of water into a plastic
cup and stir. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and stir until the salt is dissolved. Then
add 1 tablespoon of the borax solution and stir. What happens?
iii.
Repeat step 2 using sugar, baking powder, and corn meal instead of salt.
How do the polymers compare?
Find other plastic objects.
Compare their different properties – hard, soft, stretchy, bouncy, textured or
clear.
- Making Connections
Electrical engineers work with circuits and electricity. From light switches
to electrical generators, engineers keep the juices flowing. Here’s your
chance to wear an engineer’s hat – find out how a doorbell works by making
your own.
a)
What You Need
i.
Each of these items can be found at any electronics store:
a)
A 9-volt battery
b)
A 24 or 26 gauge copper wire
c)
A push-button switch
d)
A 9-volt buzzer
b)
What You Do:
Follow the diagram below to attach the wire to the buzzer, switch, and battery,
making an electrical circuit. When you push he button, you should hear your
doorbell “ring”. Can you think of other things in your home that work like this?
- Moving Parts
Find out the role of bearings in machines (such as your family car or a pair
of roller skates / blades) by doing this simple experiment.
a)
What You Need
i.
A coffee can or similar type of can (empty or full)
ii.
A lid that fits over the bottom part of the can
iii.
A pencil (preferably without a point)
iv.
Plasticene clay (available at toy and hobby shops)
v.
Marbles
b)
What You Do
i.
Make a dumbbell-like object by placing equal-sized balls of clay on each
end of the pencil.
ii.
Center one end of the pencil on the lid, and then attach it to the lid
with the clay.
iii.
Place the lid on the bottom of the can. Can you make the lid turn on the
end of the can? How well does it turn?
iv.
Now, remove the lid from the can. Place the marbles on the top of the
can.
v.
Put the lid back on top of the can this time over the marbles. Try making
the lid turn on the end of the can. What happens? Why? Can you find an example
of using bearings to help something turn in a “machine?”
- Materials and Structures
Civil engineers design highways and bridges. Knowledge of building materials
is needed in order to meet the load demands. Here’s an engineering challenge
– try to build a structure from which you will hang a cup, using the
following materials:
a)
Old newspaper (if rolled up tightly, it can become a surprisingly strong
building material)
b)
Tape
c)
String
d)
A plastic Cup
e)
A cupful of small rocks or gravel
Can you fill the cup with rocks or
gravel without it tipping over?
- Engineering In Action
Visit a factory, water or sewage treatment plant, recycling center,
waste-to-energy incinerator, power plant, or construction site. Do engineers
work there? If so, interview someone about her job. Find out what role
engineers played in the design of the facility.
- Label Check
Look at 10 different products around your house – check the kitchen
cupboard, the cleaning supplies, and perhaps your craft supplies. What
chemicals can you find, listed as ingredients of the products? Which
products require you to take special safety precautions when handling and
disposing of them? What are those precautions?
- Base-ic Facts
Is it an acid or a base? Find out by making your own pH tester. First you’ll
want to read the section about pH I the “Explore and Discover” chapter of
your Junior Girl Scout Handbook.
What You Need
a)
A radish (or red cabbage juice)
b)
Baking Soda
c)
A measuring cup
d)
A tablespoon
e)
Vinegar or lemon Juice
What You Do
a)
Scrape the skin of the radish into a glass of water. Use your fingernail
or a dull knife edge. Scrape enough to turn the water into a pinkish color. (Or
add enough cabbage juice to turn the water pinkish). The pinkish water is the
“tester”.
b)
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of baking soda in about 2/3 cup of water.
c)
Put 1 tablespoon of this solution into a clean cup.
d)
Put 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into another cup.
e)
Add a few drops of the pH tester into each cup.
f)
What happens? Gently pour the contents of one cup into the other cup.
What happens then?
- Reverse Engineering
Reverse engineering is when you take something apart to see how it works.
Find an old simple appliance (such as a hair dryer, toaster, blender or
clock) that is ready for the scrap heap. (Check with the owner for
permission to use it). Carefully take the appliance apart, keeping track of
what part came from where. Try to explain how you think the appliance might
work. Then, try to put it all back together again. Note: An adult should be
present during this activity. Do NOT plug the machine in to see if it works
after taking it apart and putting it back together again.
- Use Computers to Design
Engineers use CAD (computer-assisted design) to test how things they have
designed will work before they actually build them. Find out more about
computer-assisted design by talking to people who use it in their jobs or by
doing online research. See if you can find a website or software that allows
you to build a model on the computer and test it.
Making Music
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- A Family Affair
All instruments belong to different family groups. For example, a clarinet
is made of wood, so it belongs to the woodwind family. Choose an instrument
family and learn what the family the members of the family do.
- A New Sound
Design a brand new instrument. How is it played? What does it sound like?
- Practice, Practice, Practice
The best way to master any instrument is to practice. However, practicing
the same thing over and over can be boring. Keep things interesting. Not
sure how to start? Try learning two new songs. Or play a song – or scales –
backwards. Another idea would be to create your own silly song.
- Compose Yourself
Write a simple melody of at least eight measures for an instrument. Write
down your piece using symbols for notes, key tempo, and dynamics. Try to
teach someone to play your newly composed piece.
- Musical Roots
many pieces of music have interesting stories behind them. Pick a piece of
music and find out about the following: What was the composer like? What
other pieces did she or he compose? When was the music composed? Why was it
written? Does the piece of music tell its own story?
- Be a Conductor
one of the most celebrated musicians on the stage is the conductor – and she
or he doesn’t even play an instrument! A conductor guides the musicians
through the music by keeping the count, telling various sections when they
start or stop and telling the musicians if they should play softly or
loudly. Choose a piece of your favorite music, and learn how to conduct the
piece. Use something for a baton, such as a wooden spoon or chopstick, and
keep the beat. When should the piece be played loudly? When should it be
played more softly?
- Music with a Theme
Select one of these themes and play music that matches it, for an audience
of friends or family: the sea, a river, a busy urban unit
, a forest, a
mountain range, a field or meadow, a circus or festival, a march or parade.
- On Stage
Using your musical skills, take part in a performance in a Girl Scout
ceremony, an individual recital, a group performance, or a community
y musical
event.
- Opera, Anyone?
Watch an opera or operetta on television, or attend an opera in person.
Listen for the story. How much of it is sung? How much is spoken and in what
language? How are the voices related to the characters (for example, why
does a soprano sing a certain role rather than a bass)? Who composed the
opera, and when did she or he live?
- The World and Its Influence on Music
Throughout history, composers have written songs about significant world
events. Some of these pieces were written in celebration. Find out about 2
pieces of music that were influenced by historical events. Play or sing them
for your troop or group and explain what influenced the composers to write
them.
Math Whiz
Complete any six of the following requirements to earn this badge:
- Math Hunt
How many daily examples of math can you and your friends think of? There are
checkbooks to balance, measurements to use for recipes, tips to calculate,
grocery charges to add. Set a timer for 3 minutes. Who can think of the most
math-related daily activities?
- Your Numbers Are…
Measure yourself in five different ways. The length of your arm or leg, the
length of your stride, and the amount of cereal you put in your bowl are
just a few of the ways you add up. Come up with your own!
- Shape Up
Look for geometric shapes around your home, school, playground, or other
unit
. You can check floors, walls, doors, windows, leaves, flowers, or other
items. Find out the names of the shapes you don’t already know.
- Calculate Your Flight Time
Choose a destination that you would like to visit anywhere in the world.
Using a world map with a distance key, figure out how far the place is from
your hometown. How long would it take you to drive there? Fly there?
- Make It Count
Can you tell how many jelly beans are in a jar without counting every one?
Have an adult or older friend fill a jar with jelly beans or other small
candies. Make sure she carefully counts how many are put in, records the
number, and keeps it somewhere safe (no peeking). Then you and your fiends
try to guess the number in the jar. How did each of you come up with your
number? What’s the correct answer? Who was the closest?
- Make a Math Puzzle
Draw a square divided into nine equal spaces (3x3). Put a penny on each
square (9 pennies, Two players take turns removing 1 penny at each turn. A
player must always leave at least one penny in each row or column. The last
person to play wins. If a player takes a penny that makes a column or row
empty, she loses. Play at least 10 games. Try to discover a strategy for
winning the game.
- Predictions
Make a prediction, such as, “I think that between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., one
out of every 5 people walking down the street will be wearing jeans.” Make a
plan to check your prediction. Then carry it out. Compare your predication
with the results.
- Make Your Own Code
Assign the letter:”A” a number value. If A=7, B would equal 8, E would equal
11, and so on. Write out a “secret message” for a friend, using equations to
substitute for each letter. For example: If A= 7, E = 11, L = 18 and P = 22,
you could spell out the word “apple” by writing: 3+4 , 10 +12 , 2 x 11, 23 –
5, 10 +1. Send your friend the message and see if she can unravel your
meaning. Don’t forget to share the key to your code with her!
- Scale It
Visit a playground and measure or estimate the height, length, and width of
several pieces of equipment. Then, using what you have learned, create a
model, or drawing of it. Decide what your scale will be and note it on your
model
- Just the Stats
Pick your favorite sport and find 5 examples of how math principles are used
in the game.
Milky Whey Badge
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast
Council Own Try-It Only (Badge and IPP have been discontinued)
Only available to girls from the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast
Council.
http://www.girlscoutsgbh.org/patches.html
http://www.girlscoutsgbh.org/pdfs/2005/Milky%20Whey%20Try-It.pdf
(requirements)
Model
Citizen
- A Good Neighbor
Citizenship begins at home and in your community
y. What is a good neighbor?
Make a list of ten things that you think make being a good neighbor. Pick
one and take action on it.
- Rights and Responsibilities
Rights, as well as responsibilities, are associated with being a citizen of
a country. What do you think are some of the rights and responsibilities
that come with being a citizen of the unit
United States? Ask different members of the community
y what they think and compare and discuss the answers that
you get.
- Global Citizen
Talk with someone who has been a citizen of another country or who has lived
or worked in another country. Ask the person what it was like to live in
that country as compared to living in the unit
United States.
- Lawmaker
Design rules, regulations, or laws that might be needed for two of these
situations:
v
You are the mayor of the first town on the moon
v
An amusement park is being built next to your school
v
A toxic waste dump is being built next to a farm
v
There is a town where everyone owns boats and no one has a car
v
There is a five-story building with no elevators. It has only
one inside staircase and one outside staircase
v
A busy highway is built near an elementary school
- Create a Government
Many board and computer games involve creating a country or city from
scratch. They often ask you to make rules for governing the city or country.
Try one of these games.
- In Person
Visit a branch of the city, town, or county government that makes policies
or laws for your community
y, or visit a branch of government that enforces the laws of your community
y. While you are there, find out the names of your
state representatives and how they voted on an issue that is of concern to
you.
- News Flash
News Flash: The town board approved building a mega=shopping center
instead of a park on the last bit of open green space in town. News Flash:
The city is cutting your favorite after-school program to save money.
News Flash: Your County has approved a new chemical treatment plant. As
a model citizen, how do you voice your support or your disapproval of such
types of mews? Ask adults to tell you three ways that people can legally and
peacefully protest in the unit
United Sates.
- Red, White, and Blue
The American flag is one of the symbols that represents our nation. Read
about ceremonies in the “Girl Scout Basics” chapter of your Junior Girl
Scout Handbook and participate in a flag ceremony.
- Help Out
Design and carry out a small project to show that you are a model citizen in
your community
y. You can do the project on your own or with others.
- Paperwork
Help your family keep their identification documents organized and
up-to-date. These documents could be residency records. Social Security
cards, passports, copies of driver’s licenses, birth and marriage
certificates, school records, or others. Offer to file or photocopy these
important documents. Store them in a color-coded or alphabetized set of
folders. You may want to transfer some information to a computer file. Make
sure the documents are stored securely – in a fire-proof safe, perhaps – and
are ready when needed.
Money Sense
- Troop Budget
With your troop, develop a troop budget. Include your expenses, such as
equipment, supplies, and the cost of trips and other activities. Also
include your income, or sources of money, such as troop dues, proceeds from
cookie sales, and money earned through special projects. Then plan for a fun
activity. Determine the cost, and figure out how long it will take to earn
the money. See the section about managing money in the “Adventures in Girl
Scouting” chapter of your Junior Girl Scout Handbook for information.
- Best Investments
Find out about the different ways to invest and save money. Learn about 3 of
the following:
- Mutual Funds
- Money market accounts
- Certificates of deposit
- Saving accounts
- U.S. savings bonds
- Stocks
- Corporate bonds
- Invest Together
With a group of friends, form the “investment club”. Ask an adult for
advice. Choose two different stocks or mutual funds. With “pretend” amounts
of money, invest equal amounts of money in each. Follow your investments for
three months, and then compare how they did.
- Cash or Credit
Sometimes people prefer to use a credit card instead of cash when they buy
something. Talk to a banker, an accountant, a financial planner, or another
knowledgeable adult about how credit cards work. What are credit card
interest rates? Find out how long it would take you to pay for a $250
bicycle if you used a credit card that charged 9 percent interest, 122
percent interest, and 18 percent interest. An adult can help you with the
calculations.
- Ups and Downs of the Market
With the help of an adult follow a stock as it is reported in the newspaper
or online for a month. Pretend you own 100 shares of that stock. Have you
made a profit? If so, how much? If not, how much did you lose? Think about
why you would or would not buy stock in this company, and explain your ideas
to your troop or group.
- Careers in Finance
Find out about jobs in the finance industry. Invite someone who works in one
of the following jobs to talk about her work. Ask her to explain what her
day is like, the training necessary for her job, and what advice she has for
someone interested in this type of job:
- Accountant
- Financial planner
- Bookkeeper
- Financial analyst
- Insurance agent
- Stockbroker
- Credit counselor
- Portfolio or mutual fund manager
- Learn about comparison shopping by spending an
afternoon at the nearby mall. In small groups, head for the mall to check
for best buys. Abe sure to bring a calculator and a notebook. Try to compare
the same brand or similar items in various stores. Look for sale, coupon
items, discontinued merchandise, and seconds (items with minor flaws). Were
there big differences in prices at different stores?
- Reality Check
how much money do you think it takes for an adult or family to live today?
With the help of your family, write down all the types of expense you can
think of, including rent or mortgage payments, heat, taxes, electricity,
cable television, insurance, phone, water, car payments, food, clothes,
entertainment, and gifts. How much would you need to earn to pay these
bills?
- Money Doesn’t Always Matter
Talk about some good things in life that money can’t buy, and make a
scrapbook of pictures or drawings of these things. Then have fun for free –
take a nature walk, attend free community
y events, visit a city council
meeting, go window shopping with sister troops, or have a picnic.
- How Much Is A Dollar Worth?
That depends on where you are in the world. If you travel to a foreign
country, most likely you will have to exchange your American Dollars into
the currency used by that particular country. In China, it’s yuan; in
Mexico, it’s pesos; in Italy, it’s lira; and in India, it’s rupees. If
someone says there is a “good exchange rate” it means you get more for your
dollar. Pick two countries and, with the help of an adult, check the
newspaper or internet and keep track of the exchange rates for the American
dollar in those countries for one month.
-
Ms. Fix-It
- Call for Help
find out what you should do when faced with each of these emergencies. Learn
when you can help and when it is best to call for help and leave the unit
until the emergency is over.
- You smell gas
- The smoke alarm or security system turns on
accidentally or won’t shut off after an emergency is over
- A toilet or sink gets clogged
- The thermostat won’t shut off or fails to turn
on the furnace
- A washing machine is overflowing
2.
It’s Electric!
Learn more about how to handle and fix electrical problems properly. Do at least
three of the following:
·
Have someone show you what to do if the lights go out while you
are home alone
·
Show that you know how to follow three or more safety rules
when using electricity
·
Look at the electrical panel box where you live
·
Find out about fuses and circuit breakers and how to change or
reset them
·
Find out how to turn off the electricity in cased of flood,
storm, or other emergency
·
Know how and whom to call in your community
y or in your building
(owner, superintendent) in case of an emergency
3.
Flash
Keep a flashlight in your repair kit or in an easy-to-reach spot in your home.
Learn how to change the battery and the light bulb.
2.
Fix a Faucet
A washer is a small disk with a hole in the middle. It can be made of metal,
rubber, or plastic. A washer is placed beneath a nut or at a joint. Its main job
is to prevent leaking. A common place to find a washer is in a faucet. Find out
what fixtures in and around your home require washers. Then, learn how to
replace a washer that is broken or worn out. Keep some spare washers in your
repair kit for future use.
3.
A Simple Fix-It
Call a plumber for major plumbing problems, but you can solve some common
problems involving a toilet yourself. Review the inner workings of the toilet
tank. With the lid off, flush the toilet and watch how everything works. Learn
the names of the parts, some of the common problems, and how to do the repairs.
4.
Conserve Energy
conserving energy not only helps your parents reduce the cost of utilities, but
it is also good for the environment. Do at least one of the following to help
conserve energy in your home:
·
Find out what changes you could make in your home that would
help save water.
·
Learn how to weather-strip your windows and doors.
·
Find out about energy-efficient light bulbs an install them in
the lights of your home.
- Hang It Up
Show your ability to hang an item on a wall. Learn about he different types
of walls and what types of fasteners are best used for each.
- Out and About the Home
There are things inside and outside your house or apartment that may require
some repair work. Ask an adult for assistance and do two or three of the
following:
- Help paint or refinish a piece of furniture
- Tighten the screws to the handles of your
kitchen cupboards and drawers
- Help fix a crack or hole in a wall, sidewalk,
or driveway
- Help with some painting, papering, or other
repair to your walls
- Help re2wire a lamp or replace the cord on an
electrical appliance
- Repairs Within Your Community
y
Use your knowledge of basic repairs to help others. Find a community
y
organization that could benefit from your “fix-it smarts” or help a senior
citizen who needs to make some repairs at home.
- Read All About It
Read the operating instructions that came with a major appliance. What are
three common problems that appliance may have? How do you fix them? Hint:
Look at the troubleshooting section in the instruction booklet.
Music Fan
- Express Yourself
Design your own music awards. With a group of friends, decide on at least 5
categories you want to recognize. You can make up your own, such as the best
single female singer. Ask at least five people to come up with the best in
each category. Play the winning selections at a party.
- Listening to Something New
Listen to at least two types of music that are new to you – either live or
recorded.
- Sharing Music
Perform! Sing, play an instrument, or produce a performance for others to
see. Stage your performance for an audience of at least ten people.
- Found Music
Make your own simple musical instrument, using common objects found around
the house. Your instrument might be one that produces a sound if you move it
through the air, shake it, or hit it with another object. Pick one favorite
song that you can accompany with your instrument.
- What’s a Song Made Of?
Choose a recorded song that you like and listen to it several times What
instruments do you hear: drums, bass, guitar, violin, saxophone, others? How
many singers are there? Do some of them sing backup?
- Folk Songs from Afar
Every culture has its own folk songs. Some have been translated into
English; others are widely sung in their native languages. Learn a folk song
from two different cultures.
- Careers in Music
You don’t have to know how to play an instrument to find a job where music
is important. Interview someone with a career that involves music, such as a
sound engineer, a music critic, a composer, or a music teacher. Find out why
that person chose music as a career. How did she learn her job? What does
she enjoy about her career? Write up your interview and share it with your
troop, friends, or family.
- Music: Insight to History
It’s fun to look back and listen to music that was popular in another time.
Find two songs that were written during another period of history. What does
this music tell you about that period? Is that music still sung or played
today?
- Nature’s Call
Not all music is made with instruments or human voices. There’s nature’s
Music – for example, a frog croaking, the wind in the trees, rain falling on
the roof, birds chirping. These sounds, when strung together with no
talking, can be very relaxing “music”. Go for a hike through the woods, or a
walk in the park. Bring along a hand-held tape recorder and make your own
recording of the sounds of nature. Be careful not to talk while you are
taping.
- Dance Time
Create a dance to a tape or CD that you’ve chosen.
My Community
- Show and Tell
Plan a 20-minute walking or bicycle tour of your neighborhood. What are the
most interesting, beautiful, or unusual things that people should see? Tape
your tour, making sure to give directions to follow as well as the
descriptions of the neighborhood features.
- My Favorite Things
What are the best things about living in your community
y? Write an
advertisement, draw a poster, or make up a song that could be used in a
commercial that promotes your community
y.
- Questions and Answers
Have a question or problem in your community
y? Who do you go to for help>
Find out the right places to get information about:
- Sports programs for girls your age
- Reporting a dangerous intersection or road
hazard
- Neighborhood clean-up projects
- Services for senior citizens
- Reporting a dangerous animal
- Take A Trip
With your troop or group, visit a community
y service agency. Find out about
the work it does in the community
y.
- Who’s Around
What are some of the businesses in your neighborhood or community
y? What do
they manufacture, or what services do they provide? Choose one that
interests you and find out more about it. Arrange to visit the business or
to speak to some of the employees.
- Lights, Camera, Action!
Choose one unique thing about your community
y – such as a beautiful
waterfront, a very old cemetery, or an historical event – and make a
videotape about it. Get your family and fiends to help out by being in the
movie. Premier your movie at your Girl Scout troop meeting, or at your next
family get-together.
- Make It Beautiful
work with others on a weekend to improve, restore, or beautify a
recreational or cultural center for children or adults in your community
y.
Once it’s redone, show it off to your friends and family.
- Helping Hands
Everyone needs a little help now and then. Find out what’s needed in your
community
y. Toiletry kits for the homeless? Stuffed animals for a children’s
hospital? For the next couple of weeks, ask store owners and community
y
members to donate materials to whatever cause you decide needs help. Then
put the materials together and deliver them to a group that is working with
people in need.
- One Small Step
Volunteer to make one improvement in your school or religious community
y. Can
you help with the morning announcements at school or help to watch young
children during religious services? What else can you offer to do?
- How It Works
Read in the “Adventures in Girl Scouting” Chapter of your Junior Girl Scout
Handbook about the different types of troop and group government that Junior
Girl Scouts can choose. What type of government does your community
y, town, or city have? How do decisions get made in your community
y? How would you
improve the process?
My Heritage
- Create a Heritage Scrapbook
Find out more about your heritage. Do you know your family history or the
history of other people who share your heritage? Display what you find out,
perhaps through a char, a time line, a family tree, journal entries, a
story, or a scrapbook of photographs or mementoes.
- What’s In a Name?
See if you can discover the meaning of your first name, your middle name, or
your family name. Find out about other people who have the same name. Do
they have a heritage similar to yours, or are there other reasons or sources
for the name?
- Broaden Your Background
Find out about famous people who share your heritage. What did they
accomplish? Why are they famous? Think about an accomplishment that you
would like to make someday. Then think of a way you could accomplish this
dream, and write a simple plan or time line with your dream as a goal.
- Celebrate Your Heritage
Find a way to celebrate your heritage. What have you inherited that makes
you the person you are? How can you sow that you are proud of your heritage?
- From Yesterday to Today
Make a toy, cook a special dish, or learn a game, song, or dance that one of
your ancestors might have enjoyed.
- Who Said It?
Begin a “wisdom list” of quotations, sayings, and advice that your parents,
grandparents, and other older people have shared with you. Put together a
booklet that includes your favorite ones.
- Get Together
Ask older people to tell you about their lives, interesting events they
remember, or special stories. Can you discover something about your heritage
from their stories?
- Your Personal Heritage
Start a diary or scrapbook of your own memories. Write about some important
events from your childhood and include important recent happenings. Try to
write in your diary at least once a week.
- Memorably Yours
Look around your room or your home and choose one object that you believe
you would want to keep with you as you grow up. Why did you choose this
object? Why is it important to you? Next, ask older fri3ends or relatives to
show you and tell you about an object that they have had for a long time.
Why have they kept it? Why is it important to them?
- Host a Heritage Night
Turn one of your Girl Scout troop meetings or events into a heritage
celebration. Each girl can share three things about her heritage. Show
pictures, read poetry, display artwork, or prepare food that reflects your
heritage. You can also teach a game, song, or dance from your heritage.
Now and Then
Stories
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/junior/now_then_stories.asp
(click here for requirements)
-
How nature works
-
The trickster
-
Once upon a time
-
Moral of the story
-
Latest tall tales
-
Stereotype myths
-
Telling stories for a living
-
Care for the Earth
-
Stories in the family
-
Keeper of the past
Oil Up
- A Day’s Work
Learn what rescue workers or scientists do to try to save animals that have
been affected by an oil spill. Read a story, watch a TV show or videoed, or
use the internet to get information.
- Fossil Facts
Create a display that shows how plants and animals from millions of years
ago became the oil used today.
- Where In The World?
Design a map that shows where most major oil deposits around the world are
located.
- Around the World
Pick one country other than your own that supplies the world with oil. Find
out about the people who live there. What are their customs? What languages
do they speak? If you were to visit there, what would you want to see?
- Make and Clean Up an Oil Spill
Oil is often prepared and shipped thousands of miles (or kilometers) before
it reaches your home, school, or local gas station. An oil spill is always a
risk. Find out why oil spills can be so difficult to clean up. To see what
it’s like to make and clean up an oil spill, pour some cooking oil in a bowl
or pan of water. Try different ways of getting the oil out of the water.
- Try to gather it all in one place using a
string.
- Try to skim it off with a spoon.
- Try to soak it up with paper towels or cotton
balls.
What else can you use?
What works best?
- How Does An Oil Spill Affect A Beach?
Use sand and water to build a “beach” in a foil pan. Put a block of wood,
rock, feather, furry fabric, leaf, or twig in the sand. Pour vegetable oil
in the water and make waves to wash the oil up onto the beach. What happens?
Try removing the oil from the objects on the beach using the techniques
listed in activity 5 for an oil spill.
- Ten? Twenty?
How many careers are involved in finding oil, getting it out of the earth,
moving it fro place to place, making fuels from it, producing chemicals and
other products from it, and preventing and cleaning up oil spills? Read an
article or web page, or watch a TV show or video about jobs in the fields of
geology, engineering, ship building, or environmental protection.
- Oil Drop
Pretend you are a drop of oil. Create a comic book or skit that explains
what happened to you after you were removed from the earth. How were you
transported? Where were you taken? What changes did you go through? Where
are you now?
- Come Clean
Visit a service station when it’s not very busy. How many spots of oil or
grease do you see on the ground? Ask the service station manager how he or
she cleans up oil and gasoline spills. How does the person dispose of the
used oil when the oil in a car is changed? What does the service station do
to prevent spills?
- It’s In What?
If fewer petroleum products were used, the chances of oil spills would be
reduced. Below is a list of products that are made from petroleum. Keep a
log for one week of which petroleum products you use and why you are using
them. At the end of the week, look at your chart. What can you personally do
to cut down on petroleum usage?
- Fabrics made of synthetic fibers
- Most “wrinkle-free” clothes
- Plastic bags, containers, pails
- Food packaging
- Vinyl house siding
- Interior and exterior paints
- Toys
- Video and audio tapes
- CDs (music and computers)
- Costume jewelry
- Detergents
- Rugs, carpets
- Methane for heating
- Propane for camp lighting, barbecue grills
- Automotive gasoline and aviation fuel
- Diesel fuel
- Home heating oil
- Finished lubricating oils
- Wax
- Varnishes, alcohols, solvents
- Prescription drugs, plastic intravenous (IV)
bags, and sterile syringes
- Computers, cellular phones, and fax
- Asphalt
- Baby oil
- Lip gloss
- Skin lotion
- Jet fuel
- Petroleum jelly
- Charcoal lighter fluid
- Paraffin wax
- Paint thinner
On My Way
- Create a Travel Postcard
Choose a place that you would like to visit, and look at pictures of tourist
attractions located there. Create two or more postcards about this place
that you could send to a friend. Add messages on the back describing the
places you have drawn.
- What Would You Do?
With your troop, friends or family, brainstorm ideas for problem situations
in which travelers often find themselves. For Example, you might begin you
list with “asking for directions when you’re lost” and “arriving at a hotel
and finding out your reservations have been lost.” Put the situations into a
haft and take turns acting out the problem, and finding the solution.
- Travel Bug
Choose a spot away from your hometown that you would like to visit for a
weekend. Decide how you will get there, the people and places you will want
to visit, what you will wear, and what you will take with you. Figure out
how much this trip will cost. Then, if possible, go to the place you have
chosen.
- International Cooking
Choose a food specialty from a different region of the unit
United States or from
a country you would like to visit. Find a recipe for this dish in a cookbook
or magazine. Prepare this food and have a tasting party.
- Girl Scouts Statewide
Find out about places Girl Scouts can travel together within your state.
Check out camps and other council resources. How would you arrange your
visit? What permissions are required? What costs would be involved? How far
ahead would you need to plan?
- Plan for a Day
Plan a day trip by completing the Travel Action Plan in the “Adventures in
Girl Scouting” chapter of your Junior Girl Scout Handbook. If possible, take
the trip. After the trip, evaluate what you did. Discuss what went well and
what you would do differently on the next trip.
- I’d Take….
Imagine spending a weekend away from home. Make a list of 10 things that you
would take on this trip. Not sure where to go? You could go to a cabin in a
snowy mounts in the winter, an alligator farm in a swamp in the spring, a
city hotel in the fall, or a rafting trip on a river in the summer.
- Life Travel
Check out travel careers. Visit a travel agent or tour guide, or have one
visit your troop or group meeting. Find out who she plans trips and tours,
what an itinerary looks like, how she uses a computer in her job, how trips
and tours are packaged to be more affordable, and what training is needed
for this type of career.
- Travel Safe
Be prepared for emergencies when traveling. Review the safety tips found in
the “How to Stay Safe” Chapter of your Junior Girl Scout Handbook. Make up a
“Travel Safety Quiz” game. Apply the safety tips that you reviewed to travel
situations and use them as questions for your game. Play your game with your
troop, friends, or family.
- Pack Up!
Pack suitcase or backpack for a weekend trip. Make sure that:
- Nothing will leak or spill on your clothes.
- What you need first will be easy to find.
- Your clothes won’t wrinkle too much.
- Your shoes won’t get your clothes dirty.
- You have all your “personal stuff” –
toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc.
- You can carry the bag!
Outdoor Cook
- Bon Appetite!
With a group, help plan, prepare, and serve an outdoor meal. Help do at
least one of the following: plan the menu, make shopping and equipment
lists, shop, and pack, take care of food at the site, prepare and serve
food, or clean up.
- Bean There, Done That
Find three recipes that use a common food such as beans, rice, or potatoes.
Prepare at least one of those recipes during a cookout. Save the other
recipes for future trips.
- Cook It
find out how to use at least two different cooking methods from the list
below:
- Propane stove
- Butane stove
- Gas stove
- Charcoal
- Canned heat
- Solar energy
- Don’t Let the Fire Go Out
Show your ability to maintain a cooking fire in windy or wet weather.
- Cooking on a Camp Stove
Show how to use a backpacker’s stove or camp stove safely by preparing a
meal on it for yourself and your group.
- Keep It Clean
On one of your cookouts; take a lead role in the clean-up process. Show that
you can do two of the following:
- Put out a fire
- Remove the ashes
- Extinguish the camp stove
- Wash, sanitize, and store the dishes
- Dispose of the trash, wet garbage, tin cans,
and glass without endangering or damaging the environment
- No Cooking Tonight
Help plan and prepare a tasty, easy-to-pack, lightweight, high-energy dinner
for hot weather or emergency use that requires no cooking or refrigeration.
- Mix It Up
Experiment with making and packaging your own dry mixes for use on your next
camping trip.
- All Dried Up
Sun-dry or oven-dry some fresh fruit, vegetables, or seasonings to use on a
cookout.
- Test the Waters
In camping unit
s where the water has not been tested and approved by the
local health department, you will need to know how to purify the water
before using it for drinking or cooking. Show your ability to purify water
using one of the following methods:
- A commercial water purification kit
- Water purification tablets
Outdoor Creativity
- Many Ways to Be Creative
use nature as your inspiration and create a drawing, painting, sculpture, or
other work to share with others. Talk about why your subject appealed to you
and what you hoped to show in your work.
- It’s Famous
Find a famous creative work that was inspired by the natural world. You can
choose a piece of music, a painting or sculpture, a poem or story, or
another work. Learn a little bit about your choice and the person who
created it. Share the work and your knowledge with others.
- Nature in Three Lines
Try writing the kind of poem known as a haiku. Haiku is a form of poetry
that originated in Japan. A haiku doesn’t rhyme, and has 17 syllables – five
in the first line, seven in the next, and five in the last. A haiku usually
mentions one of the four seasons – either by name (winter) or by reference
(snow). Tow examples are:
- Girls in a circle
Summer campfire glowing
Sparks stories and song.
- Snow falls softly swift
Flakes swirling and dancing like
Tiny ice skaters.
- Capture a Piece of Nature
Capture a season in full bloom by pressing flowers.
- What You Need:
i.
Two sheets of cardboard
ii.
Sheets of newspaper
iii.
String or rubber bands
iv.
A flat, heavy weight (a large, thick book would do nicely)
v.
Flowers (Do not pick wildflowers – use flowers that you have permission
to pick from a garden or yard. Flowers that are flat dry better than flowers
that are very round and dense.)
- What You Do:
i.
Lay out your flowers. You can keep the stems and leaves or remove them.
ii.
Put down a sheet of cardboard and top with two sheets of newspaper.
iii.
Place some of your flowers on the newspaper. Make sure they don’t touch
each other.
iv.
Place two more sheets of newspaper on top of your flowers.
v.
Continue to layer flowers and 2 sheets of newspaper.
&nbs