Daisy Cybersecurity Badges

GSUSA came out with three cybersecurity badges for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors in the fall of 2018,  While most Girl Scout Badges are available in hard copy or pdf brochures that give five (three for Daisies) requirements and three suggested activities (pick one) for reach requirement, these badges have five (or three) requirements shown on the Badge Explorer, and suggested activities on VTK, the pdf for sale DOES NOT include three suggested activities per requirement.  Rather, it is a colorful magazine-type source of information on cybersecurity for that age level.

Like other VTK plans, these contain word-for-word scripts for leaders and can be hard for some people to follow.  The VTK plans are "unplugged"; they can be done without computer access, and the idea is to teach principals, not techniques.  The talking points from the scripts are where the connections between the activities and cybesecurity are made.

Let's take a look at  the Daisy cybersecurity  badges and how GSUSA recommends earning them:

Cybersecurity Basics

According to GSUSA "When you've earned this badge, you'll know how how computers work and how to stay safe online."  

The requirements are:

• Find out how computers work
• Find out what safety and protection means
• Discover how you’re connected, just like computers are!

Here are the activities suggested in VTK

• Coloring sheet (provided on VTK) showing a laptop computer, a phone and a tablet

• Review VTK provided poster of a computer system (keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers, headphone, printer, cpu, webcam) and have the girls perform some action for each part.  

• Discuss that computers are like friends and can help us do things.  We tell computers things about ourselves.  Play "telephone" game where a girl gives some piece of information about herself to the person next to her, who passes it to the person next to her, all the way around the circle.

• Discuss how we would not be happy with a friend sharing our secrets, and how we wouldn't be happy if our private information on our computer was shared.

• Each girl picks a small "treasure" (coin, toy, bead) and puts it in a troop box, which the girls work together to decorate.  Then discuss what the word "protect" means and how we can protect our precious box.  Provide bubble wrap, tape, string, wrapping paper and let the girls protect their box.

• Discuss different ways we protect ourselves (coats, umbrellas, sunscreen, bug spray)

• Computer Connect sheet (VTK) girls draw immediate family on a big computer and other people in their lives on connected computers. Share the drawings and point out that we are all connected to a lot of people.  In the same way, computers are connected. 

• Have each girl write or draw a message on a piece of paper.  Fold the message in half and punch a hole in it near the fold.  Take a ball of yarn and pass it around the circle.  Each girl keeps the trailing end and passes the ball so that there is a circle of yarn.  Explain that computers are connected just like the yarn connects us.  Put a message on the end of the yarn and pass it around the circle using the yarn.  As each girl gets it, she should open it and read it.  This is like passing messages around the internet.

• Next, each girl should cut a picture from a magazine.  Talk about how we share more than just messages on the computer.  Fold and punch one girl's picture and put it in the center of the circle, along with a ball of yarn or string.  The girl takes the end of the yarn, with the picture and shares it with "Mom", who shares it with "Grandma" who sends it to a friend or two.  Each person holds onto the yarn as the pass the picture.  Then move on another girl's picture with another ball of yarn.  After  you have shared each girl's picture several times, point out the big web of communication.  

• Talk about how stories on the internet get spread, just like people spread what we tell them in real life.  If we don't want our information spread, we have to protect it.  We can ask people not to share our stuff, or we can not use a computer to send it.  

Cybersecurity Safeguards

According to GSUSA, "When you've earned this badge, you will know what privacy is and how to protect my (sic) identity."

The requirements are:

• Discover what makes you different from others 
• Find out what information is private
• Discover who is in your trust circle

Here are the activities suggested in VTK

• Using provided items, girls put on a costume and pretend to be someone they are not.  They share information about their character's identity.  Leader points out that your identity is what makes you different from others, and that your name and birthday are part of your identity.

• Using provided letters, pictures, colors, etc. girls put things that identify themselves into a paper bag.  Have items in piles across the room and ask the girls questions such as their favorite colors, sports, name etc. to help them gather the right items.  Then collect the bags, and empty them one at a time and see if the girls can guess whose bag each is.

• Draw a picture of yourself and family on a paper plate.  Leaders help add information such as name, address, phone number, school name, etc.  Using a hole punch and yarn, hang this around your neck.  Leader points out that the information everyone is wearing is private.  Change the necklaces so they hang in the back, with personal information exposed.  Walk around the room reading each other's private information.  Then talk about what we learned about each other.  Ask if it is ok if strangers know this, and who we can share private information with.  Point out that information we share online is no longer private.

• Each girl walks around the room with a piece of paper.  As she comes to another girl, she says either "public" or "private".  If she says "private" the other girl covers her face with her paper.  If she says "public" the other girl leaves her face exposed.  Then they move on to other girls. 

• Leader places large circles on the floor, each for different levels of intimacy--family, friends, acquaintances, strangers.  As she describes various people, girls go to appropriate circle.  

• Talk about how we share different things with people in different circles and what is appropriate to share with each.

Cybersecurity Investigator

According to GSUSA, "When you've earned this badge, you'll know how to use your powers of observation to investigate questions and find solutions." 

The requirements are:

• Find out how to search for an answer
• Use clues to figure out who someone is
• Test your powers of observation

Here are the suggested activities in VTK

• The girls put together a puzzle.  Point out that investigators solve puzzles by gathering information and putting the pieces together. 

• Talk about what investigators do and that there are investigators who solve crimes that take place online.  Point out that the internet connects millions of computers around the world.

• Have a collection of suffed animals or animal pictures.  The leader thinks of one.  The girls take turns asking yes or no questions to determine which one it is.  Point out that investigators solve crimes by asking questions.

• Find clue cards scattered about the room; put them together to determine who the person is.  In this case, it is Juliette Gordon Low. The cards are in VTK.  Talk about how hard or easy it was to guess her identity.  Discuss what information is private, that helps strangers identify you.

• Play I Spy

• Discuss using powers of observation to be aware of your surroundings and keep yourself safe

• Place small items on a table, cover with blanket.  Remove blanket; have girls study items for 15 seconds.  Replace blanket and have girls turn their backs.  Remove an item.  Uncover the items and ask the girls to remember which is missing.

• Use five senses and discuss what you observe about the meeting room based on them.

• Talk about staying safe online--if someone you don't know sends you a message, tell your parents. If a link takes you someplace unexpected, tell your parents.  

Has your troop earned any of these badges?  Did you use the VTK plans or go about it differently?