junior amuse journey pdf

aMUSE Journey in a Day

--------------------          Schedule          --------------------

10:00-10:30        Welcome

10:30-11:00        Flurry of Roles

11:00-11:30        Take the Stage

11:30-12:00        Quick Draw

12:00-1:00        lunch Break

1:00-1:30        Ads Assume

1:30-2:00        Stereotypes

2:00-2:45        Prejudice

2:45-3:00        Prejudice  Buster Contract

3:00-3:30        Snack

3:30-5:00        Take Action Project

5:00-5:30        Breaking the Mold

5:30-6:00        Listening to Your Inner Critic

6:00-7:00        Dinner

7:00-7:30        Bronze Award Explanation / Introduction

7:30-7:50        The Callback

7:50-8:00        Goodbye

--------------------          Introduction          --------------------

10:00        Welcome

aMUSE Journey Explanation

• Get girls in a circle.  Each girl names one role she already has in life and one she would like to try.
• Introduce the Journey.   On this Journey, Girl Scout Juniors will explore all of the roles available for women and girls.  You’ll imagine, create and try-out new roles for yourselves.  As you travel along this Journey, be open to trying out as many roles as possible.  You may find that some roles you never even thought about are just right for you!
• Introduce the Journey’s Awards.  The Journey Award has three parts: Reach Out, Speak Out and Try Out.  Each of these has a special meaning: The Reach Out Award shows that you understand the many roles women and girls play in the world around them and the leadership skills used to play them; The Speak Out Award shows that you are aware of how stereotypes could hold yourself and others back from trying on roles, and you have taken action to help stop stereotypes; and the Try Out Award shows that you have the courage and confidence to try out new roles.  These awards are placed together on the front of your sash.
• Art Project:  Introduce Art project - the girls will be creating a piece of art by adding a little bit after each section.  They can use paint, marker or any other objects to make pictures, words, shapes or even just colors.  Each project is individual and there are no rules.  Have each girl paint their canvas a background color if they wish.

--------------------          Reach Out!          --------------------

10:30        Flurry of Roles

         Prep:

• Write the roles below on sticky notes (one per note) or print out the following pages and use tape. Then, stick them on a wall.
• Gather the girls near the wall with the sticky notes and explain that each notes names one of the many roles girls and women can play in life.
• When you say, “Start”, all girls will have one minute to grab some roles and stick them on themselves and one another.
• Girls should place only those roles they think are truly good fits for themselves or whomever else they’re placing them on.
• When the minute ends, call, “Time!” and bring the girls together.  Ask them not to remove any of their sticky notes.
• Give them a moment to look around at all the roles stuck to them.  Ask:
• What do you think about the roles you chose for yourself?  The roles other girls chose for you?
• What about the roles you gave other girls?
• Which roles do you think are the best fit for you? Which aren’t a good fit at all? Why?
• Which roles weren’t chosen by anyone? Why do you think that is? Are they roles you never imagined trying? Why?
• Art Project:  Have the girls choose one or two fo the roles (chosen by them, for them or one they want to try) and turn it into something on their project...a word, picture, color, shape (literal or interpretation).

11:00        Take the Stage

• Write the active roles below on slips of paper.
• Get the girls moving with this role-play game about “active” roles for girls and women.
• Invite the Juniors, one at a time, to choose one of the slips of paper on which you wrote the active roles.
• After each girl chooses a role, ask her to jump into the “spotlight” and act out the role quickly, in just five-ten seconds as the other girls try to guess what role she’s playing.
• When her time is up, have the girl say who guessed her role correctly or call out what her role was.
• Then, another girl takes the stage.
• Continue the game until all the girls have had two or more turns at playing a role.
• Art Project:  The girls can add another representation of a role if they discovred another one or they can add anything else they felt from the game.

11:30        Quick Draw

• Copy Quick Draw page (2 each)
• Gather pencils, erasers, coloring utensils and pages.
• Hand out the supplies and let the girls know that they are about to try a fun way to learn how they picure various roles.
• Tell the girls that you are going to callout roles, and they have one minute to draw the first picture that comes to mind.  Just a quick sketch is needed - even a stick figure is fine.
• Now get the girls talking about who they see on TV or in the movies in those roles, whether they are mostly males or females, and how what they see may affect the way they think about certain roles.
• Now, call out one of the characteristics listed below and ask the girls to erase and change one of their drawings to the opposite of what it is now.  For example, if the girls drew a male dentist and you call out “gender”, they erase and change the dentist’s hair and face to be female.
• Gender (male/female)
• Age (young/old)
• Size (short/tall; large/small)
• Point out that these attributes are some of the ones that people might unthinkingly use to limit a person’s roles and that no one should feel limited.  When we limit the roles people can play - even just in our minds - we put people in a role we choose for them, rather than a role they choose for themselves.  That’s called stereotyping!
• Art Project:  The girls should add a picture or word that comes to mind from this discussion.  Do they feel empowered, limited, unsure, inspired, etc?

Name _________________

12:00        Lunch Break

• Copy Casting Call log pages
• Set out food (girls can help or go outside and play if they are squirrely)
• Gather pencils and pages

Lunch Discussion:

• Ask the girls to fill out the log with women they see daily (at home, on the way to school, in the halls, in class, at lunch, after school - they don’t have to know their names) and what roles those women play.
• Which of these women play more than one role?
• Which of these women do you consider leaders? Why?
• What leadership traits do you see in the women around you that you also see in yourself?
• What leadership traits do you see in the women around you that you aspire to?
• Which of these values do you also honor?
• Which of the roles played by these women might you like to try?

Free Time / Play

• Game ideas:
• Pile Up - Girls sit in a circle on chairs (or rope ring or hula hoop) and take turns asking questions that can be answered yes or no.  If the answer is yes, move one space to the right and sit in that chair. If the answer is no, stay seated in the current chair. This means somebody may be coming to sit on your lap from the seat to your left. Sometimes you get three and four people sitting on top of you. Then, when they ask the next question to go one space to the right by answering yes, they peel off one at a time sit down and you end up on top.

Question ideas:

• Dance Party  -  just put on some music and have fun
• Stand Up - Two people sit on the ground back to back, knees bent and elbows linked, then try to stand up together. Try with 3, 4 or more people.
• Knots -  Standing n\in a circle shoulder to shoulder, each player takes hold of the hands of two other people not standing right next to her. The group must work together to untie the knot without releasing hands to form one large or two small interconnecting circles.  
• Sardines - Choose one girl to be the fugitive. She is given two minutes in which to hide. The other girls try to find her and when they do, they join her in the hiding place. This continues until all girls have found the fugitive. The first girl to find the fugitive becomes the fugitive for the next time.

Casting Call log

Make a log of the many women you encounter each day.  You can add to it after today’s meeting, too.

1:00        Ads Assume

• Gather magazines/newspapers, pencils, coloring utensils, sharpies, scissors and paper.
• Explain to the girls that advertising experts have the job of selecting pictures to place in ads and on packaging for girls to see every day.
• Tell them that today, they will act as the executives in charge of picking the pictures used to sell products to young people.  They will decide if the pictures are right for the ad or not.  Ask girls to look through magazines and cut out a variety of advertisements, which they should place in the center of the table.
• Next, ask girls to take turns choosing an item and lacing it in one of three piles: products for girls, products for boys and products for both boys and girls.
• Ask the girls to say quickly whether they agree with the choices for each ile and if not, explain why.

Here are some questions you might pose to the group:

• How would you describe the images you’re seeing?
• Who is shown using the product in these images? Who is in the background?
• Are you seeing any stereotypical images in the ads?
• Which images seem to appeal most to girls?
• Which seem to appeal more to boys?
• How does the image make you want to have the product it advertises?
• Do any girls or boys you know use this product?
• Do you know whether or not they like it?
• Why might a boy or girl want or not want to use this product?
• Now ask the girls to pile up any of the images they think should be changed because it doesn’t represent a real view of the way girls or boys act in the world.
• Invite girls to use the art supplies on hand to alter or redraw the ads to represent a real view of their world.  They might cross out, redraw, rewrite or rearrange the ad.
• Art Project:  Have the girls cut out part of an ad or two that speaks to THEM.  They can add it directly to their project or represent it by drawing or writing.

--------------------          Speak Out!          --------------------

1:30        Stereotypes

• Fill containers with small objects and knick knacks.
• Gather whiteboard, dry erase markers, Stereotype list
• Bring out the containers.  Tell the girls that the have to guess what is in the containers and put labels on them, so you can store them properly.  Stress the importance that the label must be correct  Girls cannot look inside to see the objects.  When they realize they cannot tell you what is inside without seeing it first, explain to them that is exactly what they are doing when they “stereotype” others: judging without knowing what is on the inside.
• Ask the girls to define stereotypes and generate a list of stereotypes on the whiteboard (use the example list if they get stuck)
• Are stereotypes true?
• How do stereotypes hurt those who believe them?
• How do stereotypes hurt those at whom they are directed?
• Next, help the girls focus in on a stereotype that they might want to address for their Speak Out! Story.
• What stereotype really gets you upset?
• Which stereotype on our list limits you and other girls the most?
• Is there one stereotype that you hear  lot in our community? Why is that?
• Which stereotype would be the most exciting to create a story about?
• What can be done to stop that stereotype?
• What would you put in your story to show how to bust this stereotype? Remember, you want your story to educate and start some lasting effort toward change.
• Art Project:  The girls can add a feeling they have about stereotypes. Maybe there is a stereotype that has been applied to them or that they have put on others.

Examples of Stereotypes

• All teenagers are rebels.
• All children don't enjoy healthy food.

Racial Stereotypes

• All Blacks are great dancers.
• All Asians are geniuses and know kung fu.
• All Muslims are terrorists.
• All white people don't have rhythm.
• All Hispanics don't speak English very well and are illegal aliens.
• All Jewish people are greedy, money hungry people.
• All Italians are stylish and sophisticated. They are usually painters, sculptors or fashion designers.

Gender Stereotypes

• All librarians are women who are old and mean.
• Girls are not good at sports
• Only skinny women can become models.
• All blonde women are dumb.
• Girls are only concerned about physical appearance.
• Women are always moody.
• All women like the color pink.
• All girls like dolls.
• Women are fussy about their hair and makeup.
• Women like fashion magazines.
• Women do not drive well.
• Women always talk too much on the phone.
• Only women can be nurses.
• Guys are messy and unclean.
• Only men can be doctors.
• Men are stronger and more aggressive.
• Men are better at sports.
• Men don't get grossed out by scrapes and bruises.
• Men are tough.
• Men are thick-headed.
• Men like cars and sports.

2:00        Prejudice

• Make copies of the “National Forum on Kids and Prejudice”
• Explain to the girls that we are going to be talking about a specific kind of unfairness - prejudice and discrimination.
• Ask the girls what those words mean to them.
• Ask girls to choose roles of the characters in the script.
• Read the Forum script.
• Discuss the Forum:
• What ground rules did the group set?  Why was this important?
• Was there a character you identified with - a character that had similar questions and felt the same way you do?  Who was she or he and why?
• What problem did Kristin mention?  What solution did the group develop?
• What advice did Lin have for dealing with put-down jokes?
• Have you experienced or witnessed (real life, books or TV) prejudice or discrimination? In what way? What did you do? Would you react the same or differently if it happened again?
• What were some steps the group thought would help fight prejudice?
• What can you do as an individual? As part of a community group?
• Emphasize the way prejudice develops and how it can be counteracted:
• Ethnic jokes are wrong
• Some people feel uncomfortable with those who are different from themselves.
• Getting to know people as individuals helps break down stereotypes.
• Some differences are very visible while others are less noticeable.
• Feeling pride in one’s own heritage does not mean one is prejudiced.
• Diversity within groups should be recognized.
• People working together towards a common goal helps reduce prejudice.
• Art Project:  The girls can add anything that comes to mind about prejudice.  How it affects them, how it makes them feel or how they wish things were.

National Forum on Kids and Prejudice

Imagine being chosen to attend a meeting of kids from across the United States interested in helping people get along better. Let’s meet the participants at an imaginary National Forum on Kids and Prejudice. Find out how they tried to make a difference.

Cast:   Yvonne , Bernadette , Roberta , Andrea , Haile , Debbie , Kristin , Beth Anne  

Setting:  The whole group is meeting for the first time. Yvonne and Bernadette had been chosen as coordinators and had met the day before to do some planning. Everyone in the group was interested in helping people get along better, but no one was sure where to start.

Yvonne:  Since I picked the card that said Facilitator, I guess I’ll start facilitating….

Andrea:   Let’s set some rules, first.

Yvonne:  Like no interrupting! But, that’s a good idea. We already thought about how to do this. Bernadette, you brought your notes with you?

Bernadette:  I have them right here. Welcome everyone to our first National Forum on Kids and Prejudice. Some of you may feel uncomfortable talking about this subject, so we thought we should all discuss setting some ground rules—and everyone has to agree to them. No exceptions, right?

Roberta:  She’s tough!

Andrea:  What are you saying—girls can’t be tough?! Maybe we have our first stereotype. And we haven’t even been here a minute.

Roberta:  I was joking, okay?

Debbie: That’s part of the problem: jokes that make fun of people because of their race or because of anything—age, gender, abilities.

Bernadette:  We’re not saying you can’t have a sense of humor; lots of times that helps a tense situation. But, ethnic jokes are wrong. Any joke that puts people down is not funny. Anyway, let’s go over our rules. We’re here to make a plan to fight prejudice—starting with ourselves and then working in our communities. We’re hoping to leave with some practical steps we can all take. But, because we’re starting with us—what’s inside—we thought it was important that what we say in this room stays in this room. No going back and telling your crowd at school what so and so said at the forum. Everyone agree?

Haile:  That’s really important. We have to trust each other enough to be able to share our feelings—and that’s hard enough to do without thinking someone’s going to be telling the whole world afterwards.

Bernadette:  Great. Any problems? Okay, the next ground rule should be obvious: No name-calling, no disrespect, and no laughing at what other people say. What each person says is important, so give each other the chance to speak. And really listen to each other, too.

Debbie:  Okay, where do you want to start?

Kristin:  I’ll start. In my neighborhood, well, I don’t see many kids who are different from me. I mean, even at school—and the ones I do see always hang together. I don’t think they really want to be friends with anyone else.

Haile:  How do you know if you don’t ask?

Kristin:  But, I feel uncomfortable. I think people like to be with people who are like them—have something in common—including race.

Andrea:  That was what I was always taught by my parents and teachers—all people are basically the same. You know, it’s a small world sort of thing. And, well, isn’t that the way to stop people from hating each other—by talking about how people are really the same?

Beth Anne:  At the same time, when people emphasize the similarities, what happens to the differences?

Roberta:  It’s an easy way to ignore them!

Yvonne:  Right! How can we respect what makes people different and unique if we ignore those things?

Kristin:  Yeah, but, I still want to know how you can expect to value someone’s differences if she doesn’t want to hang around with you?

Beth Anne:  Well, no one is saying you have to like everybody. There are annoying people of all races—but it’s more of a respect thing.

Debbie:  And taking the time to break down some stereotypes and find out what the person is really like—at the very least, not thinking that just because she is Asian, she is very smart. I get that stereotype all the time from my teachers and it is very hard. They expect me to be brilliant. And when I’m average, I almost think they’re so disappointed because I don’t match their expectations that I get even lower grades from them!

Haile:  Wow—you know, I think I always thought that too. And I’m embarrassed because I really know how it feels when people look at you and expect you to behave a certain way. I’m sorry, Debbie.

Debbie:  You’re forgiven. But, I think it’s harder when you’re so visibly different. And, not only racially different. There’s a girl in my apartment building. She’s blind and has a guide dog, you know, and I always feel uncomfortable if she’s leaving the building the same time as me—like, should I help her down the stairs? I open the door and then I start mumbling stuff.

Kristin:   I guess you should just ask her if she needs help and let her tell you.

Bernadette:  Exactly! But, why do people feel so uncomfortable?

Kristin:  Well, I think that if I start by just talking to one person—one on one—maybe someone I sit next to in class or in band with me—and take it from there.

Haile:  I don’t know. I’m Jewish but people don’t know that when they look at me. So the thing I find hardis when people start telling Jewish jokes in front of me. Then what do I do? Sometimes, I tell people, hey, I’m Jewish and then everyone gets really embarrassed and uncomfortable. And sometimes it’s people I really want to get to know better and then I think I’ve put up a barrier. And so sometimes I just listen—but then I get so angry with myself.

Bernadette:  You should never just listen. You have to speak up!

Haile:  That might be easy for you, Bernadette, but for some of us, it’s not so easy.

Beth Anne:  You can let someone know his joke isn’t funny—“Hey, putting people down isn’t very funny,” or “Let’s be positive. Making fun of other people doesn’t make me feel good.”

Roberta:  I think you have to feel comfortable about yourself—who you are—respect your own background—feel pride in it. Then it’s easier to speak up.

Yvonne:  My grandmother has told me stories since I was a baby about women in my family who were really strong. And I’ve read a couple of books. One was on queens and princesses in different African empires and another was on African-American women. Listening to my grandmother and reading those stories made me feel great inside. So, if I hear put-downs, I try hard to remember my great, great grandmother who supported her family with her own farm and managed to send two of her sons to college.

Beth Anne:  But some of us don’t really identify with a particular group. My family is all mixed up, so I don’t really think of myself as belonging to an ethnic group. If anyone asks me who I am, I say I’m a Southerner.

Andrea:  And really, though I have an Italian name and all, my Mom makes hamburgers more often than lasagna. And I hate when other kids think my father must be in the Mafia!

Roberta:  That’s why it’s important not to stereotype people. Go back to what Debbie said. Don’t expect people to act a certain way because of how they look. Like, my grandmother gets so furious when she sees older people on TV shows or in commercials shown as being helpless. She runs her own graphic design company—and she’s 78!

Andrea:  And don’t think someone is poor or homeless because she is lazy. There are lots of reasons for poverty or homelessness, and they’re complicated.

Yvonne:  So, what are the important things that we are all saying here?

Andrea:  Respect the differences among us, but also celebrate what we all have in common—like, having the freedom to even hold a forum like this one. A lot of countries don’t have our freedom of speech!

Beth Anne:  Respect your own heritage. Learn more about it. And respect yourself. Feel proud of who you are—your strengths and talents.

Debbie:  And no put-downs. Ethnic jokes are not funny.

Kristin:  And look beyond stereotypes that you might learn from TV and books and magazines—or even from adults. Try to see the person inside.

Beth Anne:  And make an effort. You have to work on your own attitudes—and then work on the attitudes of others. Reach out to people.

Debbie:  And have the courage to get beyond feeling self-conscious and make friends with people who are different. Learn more about them.

Roberta:  Like in sports, or in debating groups, school and community clubs. Find places where different people can work together.

Bernadette:  Like making the neighborhood better!

Haile:  Exactly!

Yvonne:  And when you start in your neighborhoods—well, then you are making the world better, too. And that’s a powerful feeling!

2:45        Prejudice  Buster Contract

• Make copies of the Prejudice Buster Contract
• Gather contracts, pencils, whiteboard, dry erase markers
• Gather girls in a circle.
• Ask girls to brainstorm different ways they can stop prejudice and discriminatory behavior.  Some suggestions are:
• Speak up when someone tells an offensive joke
• Make a new friend with someone
• Pass out Contract pages.  Ask girls to fill in the blanks by choosing two different actions they will take to stop prejudice and discrimination.
• Girls sign each other’s contracts as witnesses.

3:00        Snack

• (See games from Lunch)

Prejudice  Buster Contract

I, _____________________________, pledge to help stop prejudice and discrimination in my community.  I will (1)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(2)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________                        ____________________

Signature                                                        Date

________________________________________        ________________________________________

Witness                                                Witness                                

Witness                                                Witness

________________________________________        

Witness        

3:30        Take Action Project

• Make a few copies of the Storyboard page
• Gather Storyboard pages, Project Planner and Sign-up sheet, Thinking Like a Storyteller sheet, poster board, pencils, markers, whiteboard, dry erase markers
• Explain the Take Action project:
• To complete the aMUSE journey, girls complete a Take Action project that addresses the root cause of a community issue in a sustainable way. These pick up where short-term projects leave off and are long-term solutions.  They are:
• measurable (# of people involved or # of recycling bins placed)
• sustainable (continues on, even after the girls’ role in it is complete)
• developed to identify the root cause of a community issue
• Consider the “what, where, when, how and why” of the project and write the whiteboard.
• The girls need to find a project that they are passionate about, but here are a few ideas:
• Family project:  Girls and their families take deliberate notice of the things that they watch on TV and hear on the radio, and their messages including stereotypes.  They document the types of messages and the effects (positive and negative) on them personally and then think of ways that they can combat the stereotypes they see around them and put these actions into practice.
• School project: Girls develop a stereotype awareness campaign for their school.  They create posters and/or speak during school announcements with tips and tools for their peers.
• Help for creating a “story”:
• Choose your audience.
• Choose your form:
• Musical performance:  Girls write and perform their own story through song.
• Picture Book or Graphic Novel: Girls work as a team to tell their story through pictures
• Storytelling or Puppet Show:  Girls tell their story through the use of various characters i a tradition play or puppet show
• Mural or Story Quilt:  Girls draw or sew their story onto a large storyboard
• Story Dance: Girls tell their story through dance
• Choose your roles (acting, writing, directing, narrating, drawing, assembling, etc)
• Figure out who the main character(s) will be - give her a name, age and other information to create her identity.  Define how she acts when things go well for her and when things don’t go so well…
• When the story begins, show that something important is about to happen , or have something dramatic already happening.  Figure out what happens next…
• Start with rough images/ideas then elaborate.
• Execute the project.
• Art Project:  The girls can add something that relates to their role in the project: actor, writer, artist, director, etc.

Speak Out! Project Planner and Sign-up Sheet  

Who’s our audience? __________________________________________________________________________

What’s our call to action? ______________________________________________________________________

Where will we present our project? _______________________________________________________________

When will we present it? _______________________________________________________________________

How will we invite our audience? ________________________________________________________________

Who will we ask to help us? ____________________________________________________________________

What each Junior will do:

Thinking Like a Storyteller

When creating a story, think like a storyteller. Storytellers often start with an interesting heroine.

Her name is: _______________________________________________________________________________

She lives in:________________________________________________________________________________

She's worried about this kind of stereotype: _______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________ She's worried about it because: ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Her best friend is: ___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

She likes to wear: ___________________________________________________________________________

Her favorite book/movie/TV show is:_____________________________________________________________

Her favorite hobby is:_________________________________________________________________________

She wishes for: _____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

5:00        Breaking the Mold

• Copy Stereotype Tracker page
• Gather pencils, pages
• Begin by having the girls sit in a circle (outside if it’s nice!) and ask them to take turns naming one thing that they think girls are expected to be in life.  Let them come up with their own expectations.  After each girls has named an expectation, talk about how each expectation may apply differently to each of them:   There’s nothing wrong with being any one of these things, if that is what you truly are.  You don’t need to meet an expectation that isn’t good or really doesn’t feel right to you.  Most importantly, you don’t want to be a certain way just because someone else things you should.  Don’t ever feel pressured to be something you are not.
• Have the girls stand up and shake off anything they don’t believe they want to be.  Then have each girl say one thing that helps describe who she really is.  After each one speaks, have the group respond by saying: “That’s who you’re supposed to be!”
• Discuss with the girls how Stereotypes = Limited Roles.  When we limit the roles people can play - even in our minds - we put people in a role we choose for them, rather than a role they choose for themselves.  That is what we call Stereotyping!
• Have the girls fill out the Stereotype Tracker based on their activities over the past week or two.
• Art Project:  The girls can add a representation of another “feeling” or a goal.

Stereotype Tracker

A stereotype is an overly simple view of someone or a group of people. If you ever find yourself casting people in certain roles without thinking about them as individuals first, you might be using a stereotype.

--------------------          Try Out!          --------------------

5:30         Listening to Your Inner Critic

• Make copies of the Listen to Your Inner Critic worksheet
• Print photos of women and girls of varying sizes, shapes, ethnicities and ages doing something active (playing sports, dancing, cooking, gardening, on duty as a police officer or firefighter, leading an orchestra or in other work situations)
• Gather worksheets, pencils and photos
• Ask each girl to share three things her inner critic might give a thumbs-up to AND one of the three things her inner critic might give a thumbs-down to.
• Once all of the girls have had an opportunity to share, pass out the photos of active women and girls.  Encourage the girls to discuss them.
• Try to direct the conversation to let the girls know that it is nice to b attractive but most roles in life call for bodies that are healthy and skilled.
• We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the roles women and girls play in life.
• do you see how all of the bodies in these pictures are different, but their bodies are helping them with what they are doing?
• How can you tell the women in these pictures are confident?
• How do your bodies help you in all of the roles you lay every day?
• How do you feel when you are running, playing soccer, dancing or taking part in some other activity?
• What does your body do that makes you most proud?
• How do you thank your body for doing that?
• Art Project:  Have the girls add one or more of their “thumbs-up” items with a word, image or color.  Lastly, add any other last touches about who they are or who they want to be.

6:00        Dinner

Listening to Your Inner Critic

Do you play the role of critic in your life? Do you give yourself a thumbs-up when you do something that makes you feel good? Do you sometimes give a thumbs-down to something new or challenging even before you try it?

Name 3 things that your inner critic might give a thumbs-up to:

1. ________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Name 3 things that your inner critic might give a thumbs-down to that you really want to try:

--------------------          Bronze Award          --------------------

7:00        Bronze Award Explanation / Introduction

• Print out examples of Bronze Award projects
• Briefly explain the Bronze Award:
• Bronze. Silver. Gold. These represent the highest honors a Girl Scout can earn.  All three awards give you the chance to do big things while working on an issue that’s captured your interest in a big way. Whether you want to plant a community garden at your school and inspire others to eat healthily for your Bronze, advocate for animal rights for your Silver, or build a career network that encourages girls to become scientists and engineers for your Gold, you’ll inspire others (and yourself). Plus, as you earn one of Girl Scouting’s highest awards, you’ll change your corner of the world—and maybe even beyond. The possibilities are endless.
• The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. As you and your team plan and complete your project, you'll meet new people and have the kind of fun that happens when you work with other Girl Scouts to make a difference.  

Girl Scout Bronze Award Steps:

• Build your Girl Scout Junior team
• Explore your community
• Choose your Bronze Award project
• Make a plan
• Put your plan in motion - each girl is expected to put in about 20 hours.
• Spread the word
• Share examples of Bronze Awards that other troops have done.
• Brainstorm possible project ideas.  We will reconvene at another date after the girls have had a chance to observe their community.  Have each girl come up with two ideas for the next meeting.)

--------------------          Homework          --------------------

7:30        The Callback

• Make copies of The Callback pages and Bronze Award page
• Pass out pages, review pages with girls and answer any questions.

--------------------          Wrap-up          --------------------

7:50        Goodbye

Friendship Circle:

• Get girls in a circle crossing right hand over left and holding hands with the person on each side of them.
• Sing Make New Friends:
• Ask for everyone to be quiet and assign a girl to start the friendship squeeze and say one thing they are going to do differently based on what we learned today.
• When the squeeze has gone around the last girl says “Goodbye Girl Scouts” and everyone rotates outward.
• Art Project:  Cover the project with a coating of ModPodge to seal, if necessary.

The Callback

Choose a woman from your Casting Call Log that you would like to know better.

Get your parent to help arrange an interview in person, by phone, via skype or by email.

Some questions you might ask in your interview:

• What are the roles that you play in your life today?
• What role did you take on at some point in your life that you never really expected to have?
• What did you learn from it?
• Where did it lead you next?
• Did you ever have to give up on a role you wanted and try something else?
• Has anything stopped you from playing one of your roles?
• Are there women who paved the way for you in your roles?
• Who are they, and what have you learned from them?
• Have you ever had to confront a stereotype?
• If so, what happened?
• What stereotypes do you think girls my age face in the world today?
• What can we do about stereotypes?
• What other roles do you hope to try at some point?
• What did you want to be when you were my age?
• (add your own)

Also ask your role model what values and qualities in the Girl Scout Law are most important in her roles, and why they're important to her. Check the ones she thinks are key, and write her reason beside it:

• Honest _____________________________________________________________________________
• Fair ________________________________________________________________________________
• Friendly _____________________________________________________________________________
• Helpful _____________________________________________________________________________
• Considerate _________________________________________________________________________
• Caring ______________________________________________________________________________
• Courageous _________________________________________________________________________
• Strong ______________________________________________________________________________
• Responsible for what I say and do _______________________________________________________
• Respect for myself and others __________________________________________________________
• Respect authority _____________________________________________________________________
• Use resources wisely _________________________________________________________________
• Make the world a better place ___________________________________________________________

Questions for YOU:

• What surprised you most about your role model and her roles?
• What values and qualities do you share with her?
• How do you think she acts as a leader in or through her roles?
• How would you like to be more like her?
• What did you learn about stereotypes from her?

Bronze Award Project

• Observe your community for the next week or so.  Next time we meet, please bring at least two ideas for a possible project.  We will present our ideas and then decide as a team.

Supplies Needed

• Sticky notes
• Colored pencils, markers or crayons
• Magazines, newspapers and/or advertisement fliers
• White board and dry erase markers (or chalkboard and chalk)
• Opaque containers with small objects/knick knacks
• Poster board
• Optional Supplies for the Art Project:
• Paintbrushes
• Stuff to add (string, craft shapes, etc)

Preparation

• Flurry of Roles - Write roles on sticky notes
• Take the Stage - Write active roles on slips of paper
• Quick Draw - Make copies of drawing page (2 each)
• Lunch Discussion - Make copies of Casting Call Log
• National Forum on Kids and Prejudice - Make copies of the script
• Prejudice Buster Contract - Make copies of contract
• Take Action Project - copy Storyboard page (4 or 5)
• Breaking the Mold - Make copies of the Stereotype Tracker
• Listening to Your Inner Critic - Make copies of the worksheet
• Listening to Your Inner Critic - Print photos of women and girls of varying sizes, shapes, ethnicities and ages doing something active (playing sports, dancing, cooking, gardening, on duty as a police officer or firefighter, leading an orchestra or in other work situations)
• Bronze Award - collect/print project examples
• The Callback - make copies of both pages

Meeting Plans and Ideas for Scout Leaders From Daisies to Ambassadors

• Daisy Girl Scout Meeting Ideas January to May
• Girl Scout Bridging Ceremonies for All Levels
• Girl Scout Leader Resources
• Girl Scout Thinking Day Swaps Resources
• Girl Scout Week Activities
• More Girl Scout Cookie Selling Tips
• Activities for Girl Scout Founder’s Day
• Girl Scout Cookie Selling Tips
• About This Blog
• Terms and Conditions
• Daisy Girl Scout Meeting Ideas September to December
• Advice to New Girl Scout Leaders from a Veteran
• Books to Help You Earn Daisy Petals
• How to Find Discontinued Girl Scout Badges
• Privacy Policy
• Journeys Resources for Leaders
• Get Your Free Girl Scout Meeting Planning Templates

Today We Begin the Junior Girl Scout Amuse Journey

During this meeting, my Girl Scout Juniors were introduced to the Amuse Journey. Here is how the first Amuse Journey meeting went.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Updated October 2020

In order to earn the Bronze Award, Junior Girl Scouts must complete a Journey. I decided on the Amuse Journey because it looked like the most fun.  Many of my girls dance, sing and do theater as their extracurricular activities, so it seemed like a perfect fit.

Plus, I found the entire Journey outlined right here!   No need for me to reinvent the wheel, it has been done for me.  This was a day long workshop that I am chunking down and using what I think my girls would love to do.

I emailed the parents on Monday and asked them to have their daughters read pages 4-9 at home so we can get ready for a quick discussion. about Amuse as they have their after school snack.

The great thing about how this Journey is used is that it can be done in short, 15 minutes sessions.  I am having my volunteer act as our timekeeper so I can keep the girls on track.

The first activity we will be doing is The Flurry of Roles.  I took my sticky notes and wrote down the roles that were listed, as well as a few others.

Next, we will be playing the Charades role play game.  I wrote different roles on paper and am using a shoebox as a container.  Then they are going to do page 12 in small groups.

Then we are going to discuss page 16-17 and I will only have them write two or three women in their lives, as I do not want this to be like schoolwork.

Last, we are going to do the paper chain doll activity.  My daughter made a template and ran them off on the copy machine to save us time.  She will be the guide to show the girls how to cut it the right way.

Here is a great video tutorial in case you need help.

Because I already know that some girls do not have the book,  I am running off extra copies of the pages we will be using.

Leaders Guide and Girl Book Available on Amazon

I will let you know how it goes next week !

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Explore what really matters to you and use your passion to change the world—that's what Girl Scout Journeys are all about.

Girl Scout Journeys are multi-session experiences in which girls dig deeper into their interests and use the skills they gain along the way to make a difference in their community. While badges show the world you’ve learned a new skill, Journey awards say, “I found a way to make a difference.”

During a Journey, Girl Scouts do hands-on activities, connect with experts, and take the lead on a Take Action project with their community. And once a Junior, Cadette, Senior, or Ambassador completes their Journey, they’re ready to drive lasting change in their communities by going for their Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award.

Journey requirements can be found in the Award and Badge Explorer. . Volunteers and Girl Scout caregivers can also find the requirements in the Volunteer Toolkit .

Find everything you need to kick-start your adventure with your grade level's Journey.

How Take Action Projects Differ from Community Service Projects

Journeys encourage Girl Scouts of all ages to think critically, boost their problem-solving skills, and make an impact. They’ll learn something new and grow their leadership skills.

Take Action projects are at the heart of all Journeys, but they’re different from the community service projects that Girl Scouts may have done—and you’ll want to understand those differences before planning a Take Action project.