girl scout daisy sample meetings - gscb.org · girls will learn the girl scout promise and girl...

15
1 Girl Scout Daisy Sample Meetings (Created by Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois) OBJECTIVE The goal of your first four meetings is to encourage the girls and adults to get to know each other and learn to function as a troop. Girls will learn the Girl Scout Promise and Girl Scout traditions and be introduced to the three Daisy Journeys―Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden; Between Earth and Sky; and 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals. INTRODUCTION What follows are basic outlines for your first four Daisy Girl Scout meetings. They are designed to help you get started, and can be changed or modified to fit the needs and interests of the girls. RESOURCES - Suggestions include but are not limited to the following: Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Journey Book and Facilitator Guide Between Earth and Sky Journey Book and Facilitator Guide 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals Journey Book and Facilitator Guide The Girls Guide to Girl Scouting―for GS Daisies GSUSA’s Ceremony page: www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/ceremonies The girls Your ideas Other adults in your troop The internet HELPFUL HINTS Keep track of girls’ comments and ideas from throughout the meetings―they have good ideas! Work with the adults in your troop; get them involved. Depending on the day/time you meet, you may want to include a snack time. Daisies have a short attention span; be sure to plan many activities during a meeting, and break longer activities into smaller sections

Upload: others

Post on 30-Aug-2019

24 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

1

Girl Scout Daisy Sample Meetings

(Created by Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois)

OBJECTIVE The goal of your first four meetings is to encourage the girls and adults to get to know each other and learn to function as a troop. Girls will learn the Girl Scout Promise and Girl Scout traditions and be introduced to the three Daisy Journeys―Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden; Between Earth and Sky; and 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals.

INTRODUCTION What follows are basic outlines for your first four Daisy Girl Scout meetings. They are designed to help you get started, and can be changed or modified to fit the needs and interests of the girls.

RESOURCES - Suggestions include but are not limited to the following: Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Journey Book and

Facilitator Guide Between Earth and Sky Journey Book and Facilitator Guide 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals Journey Book

and Facilitator Guide The Girls Guide to Girl Scouting―for GS Daisies GSUSA’s Ceremony page:

www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/ceremonies The girls Your ideas Other adults in your troop The internet

HELPFUL HINTS

Keep track of girls’ comments and ideas from throughout the meetings―they have good ideas!

Work with the adults in your troop; get them involved. Depending on the day/time you meet, you may want

to include a snack time. Daisies have a short attention span; be sure to plan many

activities during a meeting, and break longer activities into smaller sections

3

MEETING ONE

Theme: “Getting to Know You”

PREPARE AHEAD

Name Tags

Other Needed Materials

Heavy paper in trefoil shapes with two holes punched out and the Girl Scout Promise lightly printed on the back (See the template included here.)

Yarn cut into pieces 3–4 feet long Crayons, markers, pencils, etc. Beach ball or some soft object to toss Poster with GS Promise written on it or a chalkboard/white board with the GS Promise

written on it Poster with Daisy Girl Scout Poem written on it

AS GIRLS ARRIVE

As the girls arrive, give each of them a trefoil cut-out and a piece of yarn. Help them tie the ends of the yarn together to form a name-tag necklace. Have them write their name on the trefoil and let them decorate it. Once completed, they can wear the name tag.

OPENING

Introductions

Introduce yourself and your co-leader(s). Have each girl introduce herself, giving her name and listing a favorite something of hers

(color, animal, ice cream, etc.). Have any adults present introduce themselves as well. Show/instruct girls the location of the rest rooms, water fountain, and exits. Girls need to let the leader/adult know when they are leaving the meeting area to use the rest

rooms or water fountain. Remember, the girls need to take a buddy (another girl) along. If the facility where you are meeting has any additional rules, share those with the girls.

Flag Ceremony

Choose one girl to be the Color Bearer to hold the flag and two girls for the Color Guard. The rest of the girls should stand to form a horseshoe shape. The Color Bearer stands at the open end of the horseshoe facing the troop, with the Color

Guard on each side. Everyone stands at attention. The leader leads the Pledge of Allegiance with the girls. If the girls know the Girl Scout Promise, they can recite it at this time.

On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law

4

Alternate Introduction Game: Beach Ball Blast

Materials

Beach Ball or Soft Object to Toss

Ask the girls to stand in a circle. The leader will be the first to model and throw the ball/toss the soft object to a girl. While you are holding the ball, you will answer one of the questions from the list below. (It is highly recommended that only two or three choices be offered per meeting. If this game is played at several meetings, each question will be answered and each girl will have the chance to share about herself and learn about others in her troop.)

Sample Questions―Feel free to add or adapt. 1. What is your whole name―first, middle and last? 2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? 3. What is your favorite food and why? 4. If you have brothers and sisters, how many and what are their names? 5. What is your favorite cartoon character? 6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? 7. Do you have a pet? If not, what sort of pet would you like? 8. What is your favorite holiday? 9. What is your favorite summer activity?

ACTIVITY 1: Begin to introduce the Girl Scout Program and Traditions.

Start by asking a question like: “Who knows something about Girl Scouts?”

Explain the program by saying something like: “Girl Scouts is all about making new friends and learning new things. You, the girls, get to choose what you want to do, plan it, and then do it.”

Summarize the upcoming meetings by saying something like: “The next few times we meet, we will be doing fun activities so you can learn what a leader does. We will be trying different fun activities from books called Girl Scout Journeys―Between Earth and Sky, Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden and 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals!, then choose one to work on together.” If you have these Journey books, share them with the girls.

ACTIVITY 2: The Girl Scout Promise

Ask the following questions:

1. What is a promise? 2. Why is it important to keep our promises? 3. What if we forget? 4. What do the words, “I will try” mean?

Teach the Girl Scout symbol (right hand, three fingers)

Teach the Girl Scout Promise:

On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law

5

ACTIVITY 3: Promise Reminders

Materials

Original name tags Green markers/crayons/pencils

Instructions

On the back of the name tags the girls made earlier, have them trace over the Girl Scout Promise that’s printed there. Read it together a couple times throughout the process.

The girls should hang their name tags up at home so they can see them and practice saying the words.

ACTIVITY 4: Teach the Girl Scout Quiet Sign The quiet sign is a way to silence a crowd without raising your voice. The sign is made by holding up the right hand with all five fingers extended. It refers to the original Fifth Law of Girl Scouting: A Girl Scout is courteous.

Explain to the girls this is one of the motions the leaders will make when it is time to quiet down. When the leader raises her hand and the girls see the Quiet Sign, they should raise their hands as well and be quiet.

“When the hand goes up, the mouth goes shut.”

Explain why it’s important that the girls give their attention―important announcement, next instruction, too noisy, emergency, etc.

ACTIVITY 5 (Optional): Getting-to-Know-You Game—I’m a Daisy Girl Scout

Teach the girls the following poem: I’m a Daisy Girl Scout dressed in blue. There are many things that I can do. I can wiggle, I can jiggle, I can jump all around. I can make a funny face and act like a clown.

Have the girls stand in a circle and join hands, then tell them to skip together in a circle. Once they’ve mastered skipping together, have them recite the poem as they skip.

Once they’ve mastered that, have one girl stand in the middle of the circle. Before the troop starts the poem, the girl in the middle should introduce herself and say one

thing she’d like to do as a Daisy Girl Scout. Then the troop should skip and recite the poem; as that’s happening, the girl in the middle

should act like a clown. When the poem ends and the girls stop skipping, the girl in the center chooses someone to

replace her. The new girl should introduce herself and say one thing she’d like to do as a Daisy Girl

Scout. As the poem is recited, the girl in the middle should act like a clown.

Repeat until all the girls have had a turn in the middle. Adult Responsibility – as each girl says something she’d like to do, make a list of all these

ideas.

6

ACTIVITY 6: Troop Agreement

Materials

Poster Board Markers

With the girls, brainstorm a list of things to remember so that the troop can be safe and have fun at meetings (i.e., listen to instructions, ask an adult before you go to the bathroom, etc.). Write these ideas down (if possible, using large paper so everyone can see). When the list feels complete, ask all the girls and adults to agree to follow these rules for all future meetings. The girls and adults can even sign the list. And if the girls think of another rule at a future meeting, this can be added as well.

CLEAN-UP Girl Scouts always leave a place looking better than how they found it. Ask each girl to be responsible for her own place and her own supplies. You could also assign kapers such as sweeping, collecting trash and pushing in chairs.

CLOSING Friendship Circle

Girls join hands to form a circle.

Once they’ve formed a circle, they should rearrange their holds so that their arms are crossed right over left.

One girl starts the circle by making a silent wish, then squeezing the hand of the girl on her right.

Each girl squeezes the next girl’s hand in turn, until the squeeze “gets back” to the first girl.

The girl who began the squeeze can say, “Goodbye Daisy Girl Scouts.”

Remind the girls:

To hang their Promises where they can see them and to practice saying the words and to bring their nametags back to the next meeting.

When the next meeting is.

The circle breaks and the girls find their adults.

7

NAME TAG TEMPLATE

Front

8

NAME TAG TEMPLATE

Back Side

9

MEETING TWO

Theme: “Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Journey Introduction”

PREPARE AHEAD

Materials

Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Girl Book. Copies of Pages 8, 10 and 12―one set per girl Copy of “key” page―one per girl Crayons, markers, pencils, etc.

OPENING

Use the Quiet Sign to get the girls’ attention. Welcome them to the second meeting.

FLAG CEREMONY

Hold a Flag Ceremony in the same manner as the last meeting―including the Girl Scout Promise after the Pledge of Allegiance.

ACTIVITY 1 (Optional): Beach Ball Blast

If the girls need to release a little energy, play Beach Ball Blast (from the last meeting), having the girls answer another two or three questions.

ACTIVITY 2: Introducing Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Journey

Who was Juliette Gordon Low? Introduce Juliette by reading, “Who is Juliette Low?” on Page 6 of Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden girl Journey book.

Juliette’s birthday is on October 31. If today’s date is at the beginning of the membership year, brainstorm ways to celebrate her birthday.

Then introduce the girls to The Garden Girls by reading Page 7. Hand out copies of Pages 8, 10, and 12. If the girls are able to read, have girl volunteers take turns

reading aloud about Cora, Campbell and Chandra, the three main characters of Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden.

ACTIVITY 3: Identifying Nature Items

Materials

Paper bag Blindfolds Things found in nature―such as a pine cone, acorn, rock, leaf, shell, piece of bark, seeds,

feather, etc.

10

Say something like: “In the Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Journey, you will meet colorful characters from all around the world as you learn what it really means to live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law. You will try your hand at gardening, learn about the history of Girl Scouting and learn about different languages and traditions from countries all over the world. It will take you to an amazing place filled with flowers of all colors and shapes and sizes. In this Journey, we will get to plant and take care of our very own flower garden. Now, let’s have some fun with things that we find in nature. Some of these items can also be found in a garden!”

Directions:

Ask the girls to take turns picking one object from the bag while blindfolded. Have each girl, during her turn, describe how her object feels. Encourage her to use words

such as smooth, rough, spiky, fuzzy, etc. Let each girl guess what her object is, then have her remove her blindfold to see if she

guessed correctly. This game is a great way to heighten the sense of touch and practice language skills.

ACTIVITY 4: Chora, Chandra and Campbell’s Keys

Materials

“Key” worksheet―one per girl Markers/crayons

The girls were introduced to Cora, Chandra, and Campbell in an earlier activity. These friends are three Girl Scout Daisies who discover a key that unlocks the magic daisy flower garden. They have wonderful adventures with the flower friends and help save the garden by working together.

Give each girl a copy of the “key” worksheet to complete at the meeting and take home to share with their family.

CLEAN-UP

Girl Scouts always leave the place looking better than how they found it. Ask each girl to be responsible for her own place and her own supplies. You could also assign kapers such as sweeping, collecting trash and pushing in chairs.

CLOSING

Friendship Circle

Girls join hands to form a circle. Once they’ve formed a circle, they should rearrange their holds so that their arms are crossed

right over left. One girl starts the circle by making a silent wish, then squeezing the hand of the girl on her

right. Each girl squeezes the next girl’s hand in turn, until the squeeze “gets back” to the first girl. The girl who began the squeeze can say, “Goodbye Daisy Girl Scouts.” Remind the girls:

To hang their Promises where they can see them and to practice saying the words. When the next meeting is.

The circle breaks and the girls find their adults.

MEETING THREE

Theme: “Between Earth and Sky Journey Introduction”

PREPARE AHEAD

Materials

Kaper Chart (see sample template) Crayons, markers, pencils, etc. Between Earth and Sky girl and volunteer books Parts of a Plant Worksheet Droopy plant Water

OPENING

Use the Quiet Sign to get the girls’ attention. Welcome them to the third meeting.

FLAG CEREMONY

Hold a Flag Ceremony in the same manner as the last meeting―including the Girl Scout Promise after the Pledge of Allegiance.

ACTIVITY 1 (Optional): Beach Ball Blast

If the girls need to release a little energy, play Beach Ball Blast from the first meeting, having the girls answer another two or three questions.

ACTIVITY 2: Introduction of a Kaper Chart

What are kapers?

Kapers are the small jobs that must be done at every meeting. A Kaper Chart helps us keep track of all the jobs so that the meetings run smoothly.

Discuss the ways that the girls can help the troop: Flag ceremonies (Color Bearer and Color Guard) Activities (supply monitor and trash collector) Sweeper Snack helper Closing squeeze starter

Explain that when everyone helps at meetings, we are fulfilling the Girl Scout Promise: “I will try . . . to help people at all times.”

Everyone will get a chance to do all the jobs at one point or another.

ACTIVITY 3: Introducing the Between Earth and Sky Journey Show the girls the Between Earth and Sky Journey book. Say something like: “In the Journey, Between Earth and Sky, we can take an imaginary road trip across the country where we learn about nature. We can also explore nature and the natural world in our local communities and even learn about where we get our food.”

ACTIVITY 4: What Flower Are You?

Materials Daisy Garden Flower Friends mini-poster (from the Between Earth and Sky Adult Book) Sheets of Flower Friends stickers (enough of each sticker so girls have a choice of any of the

Flower Friends)

Take a look at the Daisy Garden Flower Friend’s poster. With the girls, share the names of each flower and which part of the Girl Scout Law they represent. Depending on their reading level, you can let the girls take turns reading about each flower.

Ask the girls what they think it means to live that part of the law. What types of things would they do, or how would the act, if they were portraying that?

Now have each girl choose the one Flower Friends sticker that represents the line of the law that is most special to her. Go around the circle and have each girl share which flower friend she chose and why. If the girls decide to do so, they can make a bookmark with their flower friend sticker that they can use in their journey book.

ACTIVITY 5: How Plants Drink Materials:

Parts of a Plant worksheet (one per girl) Crayons, markers, pencils Droopy plant Water

Page 9 of the girls’ book shows how flowers take in water and food through their roots. Have the girls identify the different parts of the plant on their worksheets.

Gather the girls around the droopy plant. Invite a girl to water it.

Ask the girls to watch the plant for a few minutes. Ask: “Do you see any signs of the plant perking up?” If they do, ask: “How does it feel to see this plant ‘drink?’ How do you feel when you drink some nice cool water when you’re really thirsty? Do you think the plant feels the same way?” Then ask: “How does it feel to learn something new?” (Answer: Confident!)

CLEAN-UP

CLOSING: Friendship Circle

MEETING FOUR

Theme: “5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals Journey Introduction”

PREPARE AHEAD

Materials

5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals Crayons, markers, pencils, etc. Daisy Panda Animal Mask (one per girl) Scissors Yarn or string Tape and glue/glue sticks

OPENING Use the Quiet Sign to get the girls’ attention. Welcome them to the second meeting.

FLAG CEREMONY Hold a Flag Ceremony in the same manner as the last meeting―including the Girl Scout Promise after the Pledge of Allegiance.

ACTIVITY 1: Animals Around the World Gather the girls in a circle and ask them to take turns introducing themselves and naming one thing they like about animals. Start them off by saying something like: “My name is Ana. I like to hear my cat purr when I pet her.”

ACTIVITY 2: Introducing 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals Journey

Show the girls the 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals Journey book. Say something like: “In this journey you will learn to take care of yourself and the world around you by learning to care for animals and inspiring others to do the same.”

“Remember that animals, just like all people, are all special and unique in their own way. Do you know what unique means?” If they aren’t sure (or their answers aren’t quite on target), let them know that “unique means interesting, special, cool and different altogether.”

“Animals are all unique and so are all Girl Scout Daisies.”

“Now, we are going to create an elephant parade. Elephants talk to one another by making rumbling sounds. In this game of trust, your sister Daisies are depending on the parade leader’s ability to communicate clearly and get them through the maze. They are putting their trust in you!”

Directions:

Show the girls how to link arms just like elephants link their tails. Explain that in this game of trust, each girl will take turns leading the rest of the Daisies

through the simple maze of obstacles that is set up. (Rows of chairs can be used.) Suggest that the girls use directions such as “walk five steps toward the windows” or “take one

step forward” to get them through the maze. Let them know that this is a great chance for them to show what they can do when they team up!

After the girls have each taken a turn leading a group through the maze, direct the girls to keep their arms linked and lead one another in various movements, such as galloping or skipping, as they work cooperatively to stay linked while moving in sync.

ACTIVITY 3: Gloria’s Story (Page 41 in the girl’s book.)

Materials

Panda Masks (one per girl) Scissors Yarn/string Tape/glue

Read Gloria’s Story aloud to the girls. “In ‘Gloria’s Story,’ the flower friends learn about the panda. Did you know pandas like to eat bamboo?” Put on this mask and act like a panda nibbling bamboo!

ACTIVITY 4: Girls choose which Journey they would like to complete first.

Materials

Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Between Earth and Sky 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals!

Say something like: “During our last three meetings, we tried different activities from each of the three Girl Scout Journeys. Today we are going to vote on the Journey we’d like to do, but first let’s review.”

Hold up Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden and ask if the girls recall the activities they completed from this journey.

You can remind them that they will meet colorful characters from all around the world as they learn what it really means to live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law. They will try their hand at gardening, learn about the history of Girl Scouting, and learn about different languages and traditions from countries all over the world. The Journey will take them to an amazing place filled with flowers of all colors and shapes and sizes. In this Journey, they will get to plant and take care of their very own flower garden.

Hold up Between Earth and Sky and ask if they remember the activities from this journey.

In the Journey, Between Earth and Sky, we can take an imaginary road trip across the country where we learn about nature. We can also explore nature and the natural world in our local communities and even learn about where our food comes from.

Hold up 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals! In this journey you will learn to take care of yourself and the world around you by learning

to care for animals and inspiring others to do the same.

Now, ask something like: “Do you all know which Journey you’d like to vote for?” Have everyone close their eyes or put their heads down. When you call out each Journey, have the girls raise their hand and tally their votes. They can only vote once!

In an excited voice, announce the winning Journey voted upon. Remind them that if their choice isn’t picked this time, perhaps it will be the next Journey that is chosen.

CLEAN-UP

Girl Scouts always leave the place looking better than how they found it.

CLOSING

Friendship Circle