Think Like a Citizen Scientist: Virtual Meeting No. 2

We had our second virtual meeting of the year, and continued working on Think Like a Citizen Scientist.   We also played a Bingo game with Leave No Trace to being working on our Eco badges. 

Since the last meeting I distributed Memory Books and when I did so I provided the handouts for this meeting.  I also put them online in case anyone lost them or needed another copy.  You can find them here.

To prepare for the meeting girls were asked to view the SciStarter site and to pick and do a Citizen Science project.  I told the parents that iNaturalist was dead simple and that's the one everyone chose.  The packet had a short report for the girls to do.  With iNaturalist, you download the app and take pictures of living things (or you can upload photos already on your phone or your Google account).  The app grabs your metadata as far as the time and place of the photo.  It asks you to identify what you photographed and offers suggestions.  It asks if the item was wild or cultivated.  You then upload it.  If you can't identify it, chances are someone else will.  Other people or groups can add your photo to their collection.  "Louisiana Biodiversity" grabs my photos.

My Virtual Meeting: Think Like a Citizen Scientist

My troop this year is Brownies and Juniors, and like many troops we are beginning the year online.  In planning this meeting I wanted something that all the girls could do together, something at required minimal supplies and preferably something that went toward a Journey.  I have one second year Junior and she/her mother are the type to want to do the Bronze Award.  They were in another troop last year and did not do a Journey, so I wanted to get that done, so she and anyone else who was interested could work on the Bronze Award.

I decided on Think Like a Citizen Scientist simply because it seemed to be the easiest Journey and because I could do the multi-level version with both groups.  I summarized the plans here.  

Before the meeting I posted the VTK handouts with the snails, as well as the map to our Facebook page so parents could print them. I told the parents that if they didn't have access to a printer, to let me know and I'd stick a set in the mail.  One person requested them and she got them.  I asked the girls to cut the snails apart, and, before the meeting to spread them around the room.

Think Like a Citizen Scientist for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors

Think Like a Citizen Scientist is one of the newer STEM Journies GSUSA put out in the last few years. This post is an attempt to summarize the lengthy VTK plans into an easy-to-read quick resource. Once you have decided to lead the Journey at a particular level, I highly recommend reviewing the VTK plans and their talking points. I also recommend going to the GSUSA store and downloading the (at this writing) free packet for this Journey.  It does the best job of explaining the TAP process of anything I've seen GSUSA publish

The way these Journeys are designed, it is clear that the TAP is an integral part.  The purpose of the Journey is learn scientific skills and then to apply those skills to conceiving, planning and carrying out a TAP.  If you as a leader are trying to come up with TAP ideas before the Journey ever starts, you are doing it wrong.  

As the girls are brainstorming for their TAP the girls are reminded that the same process is used in developing projects for the Silver and Gold Awards and that they can use projects the group decides not to do, or they can expand on a group idea or design other projects to solve the same problems.

Think LIke a Citizen Scientist

One of the new Girl Scout Journeys put out in 2018 was Think Like a Citizen Scientist. The plans are on the Volunteer Toolkit. These plans include word-by-word scripts for most meetings and many leaders find them difficult to review due to the length. Therefore, I have read them and compiled a summary. I hope you find it helpful

Update:  One thing I recommend is that you go to the GSUSA store and download their free (as of this writing) packet on this Journey. Of all the things I've seen from GSUSA, this does the best job of explaining and leading you to a TAP.