One thing I know people read this blog for is ideas for meeting planning. If you poke around, you'll see what my troops have done for various badges over the years.
I wrote a post a year or so ago with links to on-line resources, but I decided to write another one because in the last year, some councils have put up resources for badge earning. While most of those resources were aimed at individuals or at troops meeting virtually due to Covid-19, looking over the plans could spark ideas for those meeting in person as well.
GSUSA
VTK
The main resource provided by GSUSA is VTK--Volunteer Toolkit, which is accessed by clicking the MyGS tab on your council's website. VTK provides complete plans for all the badges and Journeys at all levels. Yes, they are wordy. Yes, they are a pain to access. However, for the most part they are very useable. Also, if you have tried using it in the past and found it wanting, VTK underwent a major revision this summer. I won't say it is now great, but it is better.
Once you log into VTK, it is going to ask you to create a year plan and it will offer you several options. It really doesn't matter which one you pick, unless you want GSUSA's advice on program planning. Once you have a plan (if you pick the create your own option your plan will be empty at this point; if you picked one of theirs it will be pre-populated with some badges/journeys), click the button to add badge/journey which will take you to a search screen. Use filters or search for a badge and once it shows a list, click the boxes to add them to your year plan if you are at all interested in them. Once they are in your year plan, you can click on the meeting and read the activities. I personally do not think VTK makes a good planner so I don't use it for planning. I add all the possible badges and delete them from the year plan as we do them or as I decide we aren't doing them this year.
Once you click on a meeting plan from your year plan, I suggest scrolling almost to the to the bottom where the meeting is laid out, clicking on the activities and reading through each one. If you decide to use the plan, whether in whole or in part, poke around for the resources offered.
Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting
The binders are being discontinued and replaced with a handbook with the non-badge information, the Memory Books for girls to keep as badge records and, if desired, the badge inserts will be available for purchase and/or paid download. Most of these inserts give a choice of three activities per requirement as well as some background information. The exception is the progressive badges on STEM topics. You can tell which these are because the insert covers three badges, not one. If you are looking for activities, do not purchase the insert--it is background information only. The VTK plans are how GSUSA expects girls to earn the badge and the way the plans are put together it is clear they are lesson plans.
Downloads from GS Store
I recommend that all of you, right now, unless you have already done so, go to the GSUSA website and download the Think Like a Citizen Scientist packet. which is free. Yes, even if you have already done the Journey, yes, even if you don't want to do the Journey. Why? Because it does in relatively concise form something that no other publication I've seen do--talks about conceiving and carrying out a Take Action Project. These packets were designed for use at home by individual girls but they break down what a TAP is, and lead the girl through deciding what to do--and it doesn't take 20 pages of single spaced type to do it.
Council Websites
Most councils offer a variety of patches covering things the official badge program does not. Some also still have badges left from the old council's own programs. However, this post is about today's official programming, not fun patches, council's owns or retired badges.
With Covid-19 limiting in-person troop meetings and council-supported activities, some councils have put out plans to earn badges at home. Even if you are meeting in person, perusing some of these plans may give you ideas. While I have listed councils from which I have found multiple plans, I have not checked every council's site. What I found is that if you go to a council's website and enter badge.pdf in their search bar, if they have put together a significant number of meeting plans, you may be able to get a list. Also check their "at home" section or section dealing with Covid-19. Another option is to search for the name of the badge on which you are working.
One thing I've found is that some of these local resources use other local resources--they link the the local zoo or wildlife museum or science center--so especially if you are having trouble with the first step of a badge, check out your council's website and those of nearby councils. Maybe you can't do a field trip right now, but hopefully it won't be long until you can. Also if the program is a virtual field trip, if it is nearby, girls can visit with families.
Many leaders, including me, swear by the
River Valleys plans, which came out not long after the current program did. Each plan is about two pages long and easy to read and follow. They were written by troop leaders for troop leaders. The Daisy plans do not include those awful petal stories. This website is a resource that should be given to all new leaders.
This council wrote use-at-home plans for Girl Scout badges at all levels. They even correlated them to Florida educational standards.
This is another council that has provided a substantial number of do-at-home badge plans. The plans provide a lot of links to internet resources to use with the badges. These can be craft instructions, museum tours, or Youtube videos. Especially if your troop is meeting via Zoom, take a look at their plans.
Sometimes a video on a badge is just what you need and Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas has quite a few.
This council partnered with Ericsson, a telecommunications company, to modify some of the VTK plans for the STEM badges. You have to register (out of council is fine) and sign in. The plans are very similar to those in VTK but the presentation is more engaging.
This council provides badge blueprints for several badges at each level. Brownie choices include Bugs, Inventor, Fair Play, Home Scientist, Give Back, My Customers, Hiker and Dancer. The activities closely track the badge inserts but these are one to two page documents that would be great to send home via email to girls who missed a meeting
These plans are for all levels and hit some of the most popular badges
One thing I like about these plans is the links they provide.
These plans are done via Google Forms.
Do you know of any other councils with complete badge plans online?
You Tube
Yes, You Tube. During the pandemic many councils have put together videos for one or more badge steps for the more popular badges (or the ones they are pushing). If you are meeting virtually you can choose to show the whole video or just part of it. You can choose when to break to get girl input or to have the girls work on the project. Many of them cover that Step 1 that often asks for research or speaking with an expert. My Brownies meet in person but I see a video of the Dancer Badge in their future since I have two left feet and no musical talent at all.
Image by
StartupStockPhotos from
Pixabay
No comments:
Post a Comment