download
Download the booklet from TroopLeaderHub
Print out the booklet. Cut the pages along the dotted line the in center of the page. Staple on the left side.
meet
Meet with your troop and go through the booklet to meet the minimum requirements of the badge!
Suggestions for Using this Booklet
For this meeting you can either conduct it outside, have girls bring outside objects, or Leaders bring some nature objects.
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To complete this you must have a flashlight handy. Multiple flashlights are good if you'll have girls do the experiment with shadows. Or you can do it as a Troop.
Page 1
We start talking about shadows. Explain what a shadow is but then dive into when we see shadows.
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You can ask the girls the following questions:
- Can we see shadows in the dark?
- Can we see shadows inside?
- Can everything make shadows?
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Explain that opaque (solid) items make shadows. If light passes through an object, it will not create a shadow. Also if there is no light there is no shadow. Lastly, if there is no object to stop the light, there is no shadow.
Page 2
The girls will now create their own shadows. Try to find some solid, semi-opaque, and clear objects for them to test. Turn off an overhead light if you're doing this indoors. If outside, position yourself so the sun shines on the object.
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Have the girls write down Yes or No for whether it makes a shadow.
Page 3
Experiment in groups or as a Troop. Create different types of shadows by placing the flashlight in different locations.
Before you turn on the flashlight, have the girls predict what will happen to the shadow before you turn on the light. Then turn on the light and see if you were right. Repeat as you go through the 3 addition scenarios.
Page 4
Now you can talk about sorting. We can sort nature objects many ways - by color, shape, size, number of leaves/flowers, where the object grows or is found, etc
Page 5
Have the girls gather nature objects that are similar but not the same. Then have the girls sort them. Write down all the different ways you can sort the objects.
Page 6
The last thing to talk about is measuring. We can measure using the US Imperial system (inches) or metric system (centimeters).
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We can also measure objects using other objects. For this page, have some smaller objects on hand - they can be man made or natural. Some ideas are:
- paper clips
- crayons
- acorns
-leaves
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Have the girls show what they're using for their measurements and then compare as a troop their measurements.