Brownie DINE Badge (special interest badge)

Because we come from a tribal family (Maya's maternal grandmother is of the Cherokee Nation), we integrate a lot of tribal learning into our homeschooling.  When Maya and I discovered that the Girl Scouts of Western OK had a badge that was tribal in nature, we knew that we had to do it!  We did adapt it to reflect the tribes of Pennsylvania (instead of Oklahoma) but it was a wonderful and fun learning experience about something that is important to our family.

The full requirements for completing the DINE badge can be found here.   The four activities that Maya selected to earn this badge were:

#1: On a map of the state of Pennsylvania, show the tribes that originally inhabited the territory that is now PA and the tribes that are presently represented by large concentrations in PA.

#6: Learn about the food eaten by the tribal peoples in PA, past and present.  Prepare one of the foods.

#8.  Learn about the crafts done by tribal people in day to day living.  Pick one of these (leather, beading, pottery, basketry, etc) and learn how to do it.

#9:  Learn about the differences in the dress and homes of PA tribal peoples.


We took a trip to the Reading Museum to complete the majority of these requirements and to supplement our learning experience.

For #1, Maya used her research skills to find information online about the tribes native to Pennsylvania. We learned about the earliest tribes and who still remains.  In our area, the Lenape people still hold programs and meetings.  This area was traditionally home to the Erie tribe, Iroquois tribes (Seneca and Oneida), Lenape tribe, Munsee tribe, Shawnee tribe, Susquehannock tribe and later the Nanticoke tribe.

http://www.native-languages.org/pennsylvania.htm

For #6, we chatted about how the different tribes would have different food tastes based on where they lived, what was common in the area, etc.  What is a common food amongst tribes throughout North America, are corn cakes.  These simple cakes are made from stone ground meal, fat, and liquid.  For our recipe, we used stone ground cornmeal, buttermilk (although a more traditional choice would have been water or buffalo milk, or, possibly, after European settlers, sheep or cattle), chicken egg (a traditional source would have been duck eggs), and some PA honey.  Traditionally, animal or fish fat would have greased a hot stone and they would have been quickly fried on either side. We used a hot griddle to symbolize the stone and oil to replace the animal fat.

#8, and #9, we learned about food, culture, and homes of PA tribal peoples at the Reading Museum. As part of (what appeared to be) a permanent exhibit on world cultures, there was a great learning segment on the different tribes of North America, with some PA specific items, that included things about food, dress, culture, crafts, and homebuilding.  It was a well rounded and great experience.

Are you interested in earning the DINE badge?  Get yours here!

Brownie Celebrating Community Badge

There are 5 requirements for earning the Brownie "Celebrating Community" badge.  They are:


1.  Explore community symbols.
2. Sing together.
3. Follow the parade.
4. Be a landmark detective.
5. Join a celebration.

1. Explore community symbols: go on a flag hunt. 
Maya and her Daisy sister (who is now a Brownie as well), "M" went on a flag hunt throughout Lansdale Borough.  Over a mile, the girls found 116 American flags and countless military, novelty, and other country flags!

2.  Sing together: find three celebration songs.
Maya and "M" sang together "Make New Friends", "Happy Birthday", and "America, the Beautiful".

3.  Follow the parade: join a parade.
Maya took part in the 66th annual Lansdale Mardi Gras parade to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas.  She was also the Flag Bearer for the Service Unit!

4.  Be a landmark detective: Tour a landmark that honors the past.
Maya toured the Jenkins Homestead, one of the founding buildings in Lansdale.  It is now home to our Historical Society.

5.  Join a celebration: join a town ceremony.
Maya attended the Arts Festival, a tradition at our annual Founders Day celebration, in addition to participating in other town events on this special day.

Brownie Computer Expert Badge

There are 5 requirements to completing the Brownie "Computer Expert" badge.

1. Paint or draw with an art program.
2. Find some cool facts
3. Take a trip online.
4. Make a connection.
5. Have more computer fun.

Maya completed this badge as part of the GSEP "Computer Whizz Kids" program.

From the description:
It’s amazing what you can do on a computer! Draw a picture, send a message, and even travel around the world. Use web-based programs to learn new facts and explore the world around you and beyond!

LSF Brownie Scientific Achievement Badge

The Lancaster Science Factory, in conjunction with Girl Scouts, has created the Brownie Scientific Achievement Badge.  Maya, along with her siblings and one of her Brownie Sisters, went to LSF and completed the requirements, found here.

Brownie Inventor Badge

There are five steps to the Brownie "Inventor" badge.  They are:

1. Warm up your inventor's mind
2. Find lots of ways to solve the same problem
3. Make a needs list
4. Solve a problem
5. Share your invention

1. Warm up your inventor's mind: Come up with fun and different things you can make from circles.
Using the Think in Circles exercise in the badge workbook, Maya created circles!  Lots of circles!

2. Find lots of ways to solve the same problem: Making music. 
With her brothers, Maya created music from a variety of household items.  They:
tapped spoons together,
banged pots and pans,
banged lid tops,
knocked spoons against the wall,
strummed runner bands,
knocked lids against pots,
tapped chopsticks together,
hit wooden spoons against each other,
closed doors of cabinets to the beat of a song,
tapped water glasses with spoons,
turned a metal bowl upside down and tapped with hands for drums

3. Make a needs list: Mornings.
Maya created a list of things for her parents based on their morning routines and what they need to get done each morning.

4. Solve a problem: Mind Map.
Using the Mind Map exercise in the badge workbook, Maya identified a household problem (a broken cabinet door in the kitchen) and created solution ideas.

5. Share your invention: Draw it.
Maya drew out her idea for how to fix the kitchen cabinets and discussed it with her dad.  They talked about why the wood glue was a good idea but that, due to the type of break and age of the cabinet, that her plan wouldn't work and new cabinets need to be bought.

Brownie Money Manager Badge

There are five steps to the Brownie "Money Manager" badge.  They are:
1. Shop for elf items with your elf doll.
2. Go grocery shopping.
3. Go clothes shopping.
4. Get ready for school.
5. Have some fun.

1. Shop for elf items with your elf doll: Go shopping at home.
We created our own little imaginary store and the kids practiced their math skills as part of our homeschooling.  Maya dressed her paper elf doll and then proceeded to do the requirements for this section.  For $10, she bought dog food ($10).  For $15, she bought chicken ($5), fish ($4), bread ($3), and PB ($3).  For $20, she bought cookies ($4), eggs ($2), cheese ($4), baked beans ($2), elfaroni ($2), spaghetti sauce (#$2), lettuce ($2), and tomatoes ($2).

2. Go grocery shopping: Shop at a store/on paper/online.
Maya often is my grocery helper so we created a hybrid of the requirements so that she could shop and compare stores, paper, and online.    For her list and prices, she used the online/in store prices of our local Wegman's.
Apple (lb) $2.69
Oranges (5) $4
Blueberries (18oz) $28.99
Grapes (2lbs)  $4.58
Kiwi (lb) $3.99
TOTAL: $24.25
Budget: $30
Remainder: $5.75


3. Go clothes shopping: Browse through catalogs/shop secondhand.
We did a hybrid of this.  Maya went with me to the secondhand store to shop and she helped me create 10 outfits for $60 total.  In addition, she took her paper elf doll shopping on paper, creating a few outfits for $30 or less.

4. Get ready for school: You have $15 total.
Because we homeschool and I buy their supplies at the start of the year, Maya did faux shopping with her paper elf doll for items that are standard to our supplies: notebooks, pencils, erasers, and a backpack.  She had the following as her price list:
5 notebooks $5
12 pencils $2
5 erasers $1
backpack $15
With her $15, she was only able to buy notebooks, pencils, and erasers.  She would have needed $23 to add in the backpack.

5. Have some fun: Go to the movies with a friend.
Maya compared 2 theaters (the closest Regal and the small, independent theater our family always goes to, The Grand) for tickets and concessions for 4 people.

The Regal:
4 tickets: $32
snacks (small popcorn and small soda each): $40
Total: $72

The Grand:
4 tickets: $12
snacks (kid pack of small popcorn, small soda or water, and candy): $14
Total: $26

Brownie My Best Self Badge

There are 5 steps to complete the Brownie "My Best Self" badge.  They are:

1.  Get to know your body.
2.  Eat and play in a healthy way.
3.  Find out how your body works.
4.  Know what to do if something bugs you.
5.  Meet a health helper.


Maya completed this badge as part of the GSEP "Halloween Yoga Adventure" program.

From the description:
Come celebrate the magic of Halloween through yoga! Use your imagination as you take a yoga adventure full of harvest essentials. Learn fun yoga poses, make a fun craft, and enjoy some serious relaxation. Costumes are encouraged but optional!

 

 

(unfortunately, my photos failed to upload and I had already deleted them from my phone :( )

Additionally, Maya completed Step 1: Get to know your body: Color in your hair, eyes, and favorite clothes.  In the Brownie handbook packet for "My Best Self", there is a My Elf Self project, where girls create their "elf" self.

Maya decided to do this activity as part of her homeschool art lesson.  We measured her limbs and height, and she learned how to do so.  She enjoyed looking at her Brownie sash to color in the sash she put on her elf self.