Category: STEM

Ways to Celebrate STEAM Month at Badgerland

Badgerland Girl ScoutsLeave a comment

It’s STEAM month at Girl Scouts Badgerland! 

Do you have a favorite STEAM subject, badge, or activity? If you don’t have a favorite yet, we have put together a list of easy, at-home STEAM inspired activities to try out.

Make Rain

Materials: A clear jar, water, shaving cream and blue food coloring.

Be sure to make a prediction of what will happen before doing the experiment!

Experiment Procedure:

  1. Fill the cup with water (air)
  2. Add a thin layer of shaving cream (clouds – water vapor)
  3. Place drops of blue food coloring on the top of the shaving cream (water droplets)
  4. Wait for the “rain” to fall
  5. Make your conclusion – let us know how it goes!

For this experiment it is important to recognize that this activity shows how the water gets heavier on the top of the cloud and gravity makes it fall as rain.  The shaving cream and food coloring represent the different forms of water we can easily see.

Make Rain Experiment via https://www.mrsjonescreationstation.com/simple-science-how-clouds-make-rain/

Watch a Rainbow Grow

Materials: Paper towel, water, washable markers and two cups.

Experiment Procedure:

  1. Fold a piece of paper towel in half (so you have 2 halves on top of each other). Trim the length to be 7.5 inches- any longer and the rainbow may not connect fully.

TIP: The shorter your piece of paper towel, the better it will connect. Also make sure you are using an absorbent paper towel. Recommended brand is Bounty.

2. Draw rectangles of the rainbow colors on each end. You want to make sure to fill these colors in well so there is enough dye to travel across the paper towel.

TIP: Add lots of marker to the ends, you want a good amount of dye to travel up the paper towel.

3. Place 2 cups with water filled 3/4 full. You only want the bottom of the paper towel in so leave some space from the top of the cup. Then place one end of the paper towel into each cup.

TIP: Do not place the ends too deep in the water or the dye may dissolve into the water instead of moving up the paper towel.

4. Leave the paper towel for 10-15 minutes and it will eventually connect the colors together.

This science experiment shows chromatography. Chromatography is a way of separating out a mixture of chemicals. If you ever got a paper with ink wet you would have seen the ink move across the page in streaks.

Capillary action makes the marker dye move up the paper towel.  The water moves upward through the paper towel, lifting the washable dye molecules with it. Because the washable markers are water based, they disperse in water.

Set up a few different scenarios and hypotheses. For example, if you were to try this experiment without any dye, you would still see the water rising upwards towards the center of the paper towel.

If you were to try this experiment with permanent markers it would not work. This is because the markers are not water based (they are alcohol based) so the dye in the marker does not travel with the water. You can try this with permanent markers because the ink will disperse with rubbing alcohol but not with water.

Watch a Rainbow Grow experiment via https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/grow-a-rainbow-experiment/

Make a Pinhole Camera

Pinhole cameras are one of the earliest types of cameras, using the principle of “camera obscura” in which light travels through a small hole in a dark box to form a picture. This is the basis of the technology modern cameras use today! Follow these instructions to make your own pinhole camera.

Materials:

  • Sharp pencil
  • Empty shoe box with a lid
  • X-Acto knife (Ask an adult for help with this item!)
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Wax paper
  • Tape
  • Blanket

Instructions:

  1. Use the point of a sharp pencil to punch a hole in one of the shorter ends of the shoe box.
  2. Ask an adult to use an X-Acto knife to cut a square in the opposite end of the box, directly across from the hole. The square should measure 2 inches on each side.
  3. Use scissors to cut a square of wax paper that measures 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) on each side.
  4. Place the wax paper directly over the square you cut in the box. Tape the edges of the wax paper to the box.
  5. Take the camera box to a dimly lit room and turn on a lamp. Stand about 5 feet from the lamp.
  6. Cover your head and pinhole camera with a blanket. Be sure that the end with the wax paper is facing you and the end with the pinhole is facing the lamp.
  7. Hold your pinhole camera at arm’s length from your face and aim it at the lamp. Keep it steady until you see an upside-down image of the lamp.

What’s Happening?

In a real camera, the lens is like the tiny hole you made in the box and creates a backward, upside-down image. Like the little hole, the lens lets in light. The wax paper is like film in a real camera, which has special chemicals on it. When the light hits the film, the chemicals start changing and turn the image into a photograph.

Via https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/books/pinhole-camera/

Chromatography Butterflies

Chromatography is a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture. Learn more about chromatography in this science experiment meets art project.

Materials:

  • Non permanent markers (Over the years I’ve found Mr. Sketch markers work the best in this experiment.)
  • White coffee filters
  • Pencil
  • Cups of water
  • Black pipe cleaners
  • String
  • Scissors

Procedure:

  1. Choose one marker to experiment with first. (Hint~ black and brown are the most exciting!)
  2. Take one coffee filter. Put it on a newspaper or some kind of material to protect your table. Draw a thick circle around the center of the coffee filter where the ridged part meets the flat center. Use a pencil to write the color of the marker being used right in the center. (You’ll want to know what the original color was being  used, and the pencil won’t smear and will remain intact after the experiment.)
  3. Fold the coffee filter in half and then in half again, resulting in a cone shape.
  4. Get a short glass of water. Pull apart the cone shaped coffee filter so it balances right on the glass with the tip of the cone just touching the water. (Be sure NOT to let the marker circle go in the water, just the uncolored tip of the coffee filter cone.)
  5. Let it sit and watch what happens as the water begins to flow up the paper.
  6. Repeat with different colored markers.
  7. After the water has reached the outer edge of the coffee filter, place it on a newspaper to dry.
  8. Once the coffee filters are dry you can observe the results.

Butterfly craft instructions:

  1. Cut your black pipe cleaners in half.
  2. Take one coffee filter and scrunch it up in the middle. 
  3. Wrap a black pipe cleaner around the center.
  4. Shape the ends to form antennae.
  5. Tie a string to the center and hang!

Via https://buggyandbuddy.com/chromatography-butterflies-separating-colors-in-markers/

Make an Electromagnet

Materials:

  • A large iron nail (about 3 inches)
  • About 3 feet of THIN COATED copper wire
  • A fresh D size battery
  • Some paper clips or other small magnetic objects

Procedure:

  1. Leave about 8 inches of wire loose at one end and wrap most of the rest of the wire around the nail. Try not to overlap the wires.
  2. Cut the wire (if needed) so that there is about another 8 inches loose at the other end too.
  3. Now remove about an inch of the plastic coating from both ends of the wire and attach the one wire to one end of a battery and the other wire to the other end of the battery. See picture below. (It is best to tape the wires to the battery – be careful though, the wire could get very hot!)
  4. Now you have an ELECTROMAGNET! Put the point of the nail near a few paper clips and it should pick them up!

NOTE: Making an electromagnet uses up the battery somewhat quickly which is why the battery may get warm, so disconnect the wires when you are done exploring.

Continue the experiment at https://sciencebob.com/make-an-electromagnet/

Do you know another fun experiment or activity perfect for STEAM month? Leave a comment below!

GSI: Girl Scout Investigations

Badgerland Girl ScoutsLeave a comment

Earning our Detective Badge with Brea Aschenbrenner and Megan Scholz

MediaGIRLS Brea Aschenbrenner and Megan Scholz had a spectacular time at Big Hill Center in Beloit earlier this month.  Both girls earned their Detective badge and figured out who the Cookie Thief was all while learning about finger prints, coding, handwriting analysis, and more!

gsi 1

Brea and Megan had a chance to interview Dan Roman, a retired crime scene investigator and Co-founder of Camp Hero, who lead the finger printing station.  He taught the girls that each finger print is unique and almost  everyone has finger prints.  Finger prints can left behind just about anywhere and this makes them an important tool for solving crimes.  Fingerprints have special characteristics and can be grouped into different categories including accidental, plain arch, tented arch, loop, plain whorl, and double loop.  Since no two people have ever been found to have the same fingerprints detectives can compare fingerprints to crime scenes and databases and help solve crime.  Brea discovered she had loop finger prints while her mom has whorl finger prints.

After learning about fingerprints, the girls had the opportunity to reveal their whole hand print.  Megan thought it was neat that the carbon powder mixed with metal shavings could reveal whole handprints.  She thought it was even cooler that the magnet with the powder on it worked like a paint brush.

gsi 2

Megan enjoyed learning how to decode a message.  She thinks secret codes are fun so this activity was a blast.  But after learning that each of the suspects drove a cookie car, the secret message wasn’t very helpful in solving the case.

The girls learned that graphology is the analysis of handwriting and can be used to identify the writer their personality characteristics.  Did you know that if your hand writing slants to the right you tend to be outgoing while left slanters tend to keep more to themselves.  Even the way you dot your i’s and cross your t’s can tell us more about your personality.  If you cross your t’s high you tend to set your goals high and if you dot your i’s high you tend to have an active imagination.  The girls copied a passage about Juliette Low and could see that their handwriting did indeed reveal some personality characteristics.  Brea thought this a fun activity and is looking forward to analyzing the tooth fairy’s handwriting.

gsi 3

Each girl also had the opportunity to create their very own secret agent identity!  Megan thought that was a lot of fun.  The girls also learned a lot about how to determine if someone was telling the truth or being deceitful.  There was a lot of sketchiness going on and the lesion helped the girls narrow down the Cookie Thief suspect pool.

One of the highlights of the day was putting the girls’ spy skills to the test.  A red yarn “laser” maze was constructed.  Each girl had the opportunity to demonstrate her agility by passing through the maze without touching the yarn.  This was one of Brea’s favorite activities of the day.

The last station involved extracting DNA from strawberries.  Megan thought it was fun mashing the strawberries and seeing the color burst out into the water.  She also thought pouring the strawberry mixture through the strainer was interesting because it came out so smoothly.

gsi 4

Dish soap was used to break open the strawberry cells and rubbing alcohol was used to precipitate the DNA and a gelatinous stringy mass of strawberry DNA was the result.  After all the squishing and smooshing, the girls were surprised to only see a small amount of DNA.  Brea said that she felt like a forensic scientist!

Both Brea and Megan enjoyed attending the event, using the expensive camera, and interviewing the other girls.  Unfortunately, there was too much background noise to make a good video.  Oh, well, there’s always next time.   We’ll see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrate STEM/STEAM Month at Badgerland

Badgerland Girl Scouts

November is STEM month at Badgerland! Looking for a new STEM badge to work on? Check out these resources for inspiration and ways to kick-off earning your next badge.

Coding

There are endless resources online to learn computer code. Here are a few sites to start off your coding journey.

For Daisies, Brownies, or Juniors… Kids Ruby. Kids Ruby teaches programming in a way that’s fun and easy for kids. Check it out at kidsruby.com

For Cadettes, Seniors, or Ambassadors… freeCodeCamp. freeCodeCamp teaches a variety of code through lessons that are challenging, but easy to understand PLUS allows the user to apply that knowledge by assigning coding tasks for non-profit websites. Visit freecodecamp.org to learn more.

For all ages… Made w/ Code. Made w/ Code is an initiative launched by Google to combat the gender gap in STEM and empower girls with knowledge in computer programming through offering fun games that teach the logic behind programming, Made w/ Code is a unique and entertaining way to learn about computer coding. Check it out at madewithcode.com.

Digital Game Design

For Daisies… Toca Builders. Toca Builders is a mobile game that allows younger kids to build interactive worlds, a great introduction to game development. Find the game on the Apple App Store or Google Play store.

For Brownies and older… Scratch. Created by MIT Media Lab, With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations while learning about coding and creative thinking. Try it out at scratch.mit.edu.

For Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors… Game Dev Tycoon. Game Dev Tycoon explores the beginning of the video game industry and places you in the role of the game developer and having you develop best-selling games. You can find the game on Steam.

Animals

For all ages… visit a local zoo or wildlife sanctuary to learn how animal habitats. See a list of area zoos below:

Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison WI https://www.henryvilaszoo.gov/

Ochsner Park Zoo, Baraboo WI

Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue, Rock Springs WI

Heartland Farm Sanctuary, Verona WI

DCHS’s Wildlife Center, Madison WI

For all ages… visit your local Humane Society shelter. Learn about animal care and give back by volunteering your time or giving needed items. See a few area shelters below:

Dane County Humane Society, Madison WI

Coulee Region Humane Society, Onalaska WI

Grant County Humane Society, Lancaster WI

Iowa County Humane Society, Dodgeville WI

Green County Humane Society, Monroe WI

Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin, Janesville WI

Space Science

For all ages… the Space Place. An extension of the UW Madison Astronomy Dept, this outreach center offers interactive exhibits, workshops, and guest speakers. Learn more at http://www.spaceplace.wisc.edu/

For all ages… the Sky Guide app (Fifth Star Labs LLC). This inexpensive app allows you to identify and learn about stars, constellations, planets, and more by simple pointing your phone towards the sky. Learn all about the night sky, no telescope required. Find the app on the Apple App Store.

Movie-making

For all ages…  learn editing with iMovie and Filmora. iMovie is included on all Apple computers and is an easy starting point for learning how to edit. Filmora is another option for inexpensive/free editing software and is simple to use for beginners. Find tutorials on Youtube, and look at your favorite movies to learn about common editing techniques.

For all ages… don’t have a camera? Use your phone to make short films. Work together to write a short script and film it like a film crew would. BONUS: Check out the “The Movie Making Book”. Available at most libraries and retailers, this book provides hands-on activities and exercises to turn phone and tablet videos into films.

Badgerland Check-out resources

Did you know Badgerland has a library of STEM-related resources and kits for your troop to use? From Galileoscopes to Ozobots, see what’s available on the Activity Resources page of our website.

 

What badges is your troop working on this month? Let us know in the comments below!

Exploring New Skills at Ehawee Expedition

Badgerland Girl ScoutsLeave a comment

MediaGIRL Avery Lentz and mom LaShell Lentz recap their experience at Ehawee Expedition

group photo

Daisy Girl Scout and MediaGIRL Avery Lentz attended last weekend’s Ehawee Expedition with five members of her troop. This was their first time visiting Camp Ehawee and were eager to try all the new and exciting activities being offered at the event. They immediately ran down the trail to the archery range, excited to give it a try. They loved shooting arrows at the targets (and would’ve done so longer) but there was so much more to explore.

archery

In less than six hours, the girls tried archery, learned how to build a fire, played giant Jenga and tic tac toe, conquered a partner-guided obstacle course, played giant Hungry Hippo, learned how to tie knots, played Gaga ball, made bird feeders, and even had an impromptu dance party! Avery’s favorite parts? “Archery and playing Hungry Hippo.”

bird feeders

Despite all the scheduled activities, there was no shortage of creativity that afternoon. Avery and her troop mates made each game their own, even turning the game of Jenga into a chance to build their own creations and make the game their own.

giant jenga

Overall it was an action packed afternoon with plenty of opportunities to learn something new, and become close as a troop. Avery’s mom, LaShell, said after her afternoon with the girls, “I want to go back and stay!  The property is beautiful and has so much to offer the curious girl!”

Couldn’t make it to this month’s Ehawee Expedition? Attend our winter session January 25-26! See all the details at gsbadgerland.org

Happy Fall- 10 Ideas for Fall Troop Activities

Badgerland Girl ScoutsLeave a comment

Fall is an exciting time in Girl Scouts; a new year, new troop mates, and new experiences! But with all the excitement, it can be overwhelming planning outings and activities for your troop. Here are 10 simple and fun activity ideas to kick off the new Girl Scout year.

  1. Leaf pressing– a classic, and easy, activity for troops of any level!

The easiest method is to place leaves between sheets of newspaper and press with heavy books for about 2 weeks, checking after one week to insure the leaves are drying properly.

Another method is to sandwich the leaves between wax paper and old cloth/towels, and iron on high (no steam). The wax will melt onto the leaves (and not onto the iron or ironing board thanks to the cloth) and preserve them for several months. Cut the leaves out from the wax paper making sure not to break the wax seal and use them in collages and other art projects.

You can see more methods and more info on these methods here.

leaf

Photo by Nong Vang on Unsplash
  1. Fall Hike– October is Outdoors month at Badgerland, celebrate with a Fall Hike and get started earning your Trail Adventure badge! Here are some great hiking locations around Badgerland. Know of a great location not mentioned here? Leave it in the comments below! You can see a full list of hiking locations around Wisconsin on TravelWisconsin.com.

Monches Segment of Ice Age Traill- Hartland

Sand Cave Trail & Little Sand Cave Loop- Wyalusing State Park, Bagley

Old Settlers Trail- Wildcat Mtn. State Park, Ontario

East Bluff Trail- Devil’s Lake State Park, Baraboo

Perrot Ridge Trail- Perrot State Park, Trempealeau

Black River State Forest- Black River Falls

Interested in a guided hike? Attend our Full Moon Hike with the Ice Age Trail Alliance on October 13th. Learn more here

hiking

  1. Go camping… at a Badgerland Camp! Continue celebrating Outdoors month and work towards a Troop Camping Badge by reserving a spot at one of our camping properties. First time camping with your troop? Camp overnight at our Fall Ehawee Expedition event and have all the activities, and s’mores, provided for you.

Rent a Property (Sumac and Ehawee Properties have weekend availability in October and November)

Sign up for Ehawee Expedition

camping

  1. Visit a corn maze– put your troop’s strategy skills to the test and try to find your way through a corn maze this Fall. Large troop? Divide into teams and see who can find their way out the fastest. Check out these corn mazes around Badgerland:

Hidden Trails Corn Maze, Salem

Treinen Farm Corn Maze, Lodi

Enchanted Vally Acres, Cross Plains

Alpine Ridge Orchard, Brooklyn

Vesperman Farms, Lancaster

Busy Barns Adventure Farm, Fort Atkinson

  1. Create Halloween SWAPs– create some fun Halloween SWAPs and hand them out to Trick or Treaters. Visit our Pinterest page for inspiration.

halloween swap

  1. Organize a food drive for Second Harvest or your local Food Bank– reach out to see what items are needed the most and ask friends and family to make donations, or see if you can set up a donation bin at a school or local business.
  2. Visit a pumpkin patch– learn about ecology and agriculture picking pumpkins, then get creative decorating them for Halloween. Bonus: turn the trip into a service project and donate the decorated pumpkins to a community space such as a nursing home or shelter. Check out these pumpkin patches around Badgerland:

Treinen Farm, Lodi

Sutter’s Ridge Farm, Mt. Horeb

Enchanted Valley Acres, Cross Plains

Mayr Family Farm, DeForest

Vesperman Farms, Lancaster

Busy Barns Adventure Farm, Fort Atkinson

pumpkins

Photo by Maddy Baker on Unsplash
  1. Bake a pie… with no recipe! Learn the science behind baking and attempt to bake a pie with no recipe. Work together to hypothesize what will make a flaky crust and perfect filling, and then test it out to see if your hypothesis was right!
  2. Explore your Spooky Senses– earn the Brownie Senses Badge by creating a haunted house of things you can touch, smell, taste, and hear. Check out this blog post for more ideas.

brownie badge

10. Celebrate Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday– Founder’s Day is October 31st! Celebrate by holding a JGL Birthday Party. Dress up in period clothing (or just like Juliette Gordon Low), celebrate Girl Scout traditions like making s’mores, make edible campfires, and trade Halloween SWAPs!

 

We hope these ideas give you inspiration for some Fall Fun this season. What is your troop doing this Fall? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend

Badgerland Girl Scouts

The first-ever Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend is July 13th-14th! Get outdoors at your local state park by camping, hiking, fishing, or giving back through a volunteer opportunity. We put together a quick list of 5 state parks in the Badgerland Council area. There are many more state parks within our council, but here are a quick few that cover all corners of our part of the state.

Capital Springs Centennial State Park

Located minutes from Downtown Madison, this state park is where our council service project will be on July 13th (registration ends July 1st). After helping to clear invasive species and plant native trees and shrubs, enjoy camping, hiking, picnicking, and fishing on the shores on Lake Waubesa.

Yellowstone Lake State Park

Located in the driftless area of southwest Wisconsin in Blanchardville, this 1,000-acre park features a 455-acre lake. Enjoy camping, boating, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, biking, and picnicking.

Wildcat Mountain State Park

This park sits on a steep ridge overlooking the scenic Kickapoo River Valley in Ontario, WI. Experience hiking trails with spectacular views, canoeing the Kickapoo River and camping for families, groups, and horseback riders.

Perrot State Park

Find this park where the Trempealeau River meets the Mississippi River in Trempealeau County. This park offers gorgeous views from 500 ft bluffs as well as a river bank and surrounding wetlands where you’ll find a variety of migratory birds. Unique to southwestern Wisconsin and Perrot are the goat prairies perched high on the bluffs. Have fun camping, hiking, canoeing, boating, biking, picnicking, and fishing at this state park.

Mirror Lake State Park

This park is named for its centerpiece, a lake often so calm not even a ripple disturbs its surface. Enjoy a wooded shoreline, 50ft cliffs, a swimming beach, wetlands, wooded campsites, picnicking, hiking, fishing, canoeing, biking and more. This park also offers summer rentals and a cabin for individuals with disabilities.

Become a Girl Scout Maker

Badgerland Girl Scouts

gs-makersBy: Allison Martinson, Program Specialist – STEM

It’s a fact that girls love science, technology, engineering and math. Whether it’s the challenge of learning something new, the excitement of tinkering to see how something works, or the thrill of solving a unique problem, STEM programs succeed in teaching girls to be confident, courageous and innovative.

This year, Badgerland Girl Scouts have technology at their fingertips with our new checkout resource and patch program, Girl Scout Makers. Making is a new movement in technology, and it fits perfectly into the Girl Scout leadership experience. Makers use technology to make the world a better place – combining arts and crafts with the latest gadgets and gizmos to make changes, big and small, in their local and global communities.

How can girls use the Girl Scout Maker kits to make the world a better place? Ambassador Girl Scouts have the opportunity to code and test their own Android App using the MIT App Builder plus an Android tablet. Last year, Claire Evenson completed her Gold Award project by creating and coding an app to help her sister through a troubling illness. Just imagine what your girl could do.

Not ready to code an app? Try the Girl Scout Makers Brownie kit, featuring littleBits. littleBits are made to build amazing circuits. The handy Inventor Guide inside may inspire your Brownie Girl Scouts to create a circuit system that helps monitor water use or feeds the family pet when you’re on vacation!

Ready to try Girl Scout Makers? Reservations can be made at your local Badgerland Service Center. Troops can check out Maker kits for any level, not just their own. Each kit comes with a month-long reservation so you and your girls can immerse yourselves in the experience. You’ll have the opportunity to learn right alongside your Girl Scouts with our handy Adult Learning Guide. One you’re finished, return the kit and pick-up your patches so you can proudly proclaim – I’m a Girl Scout Maker!

Learn more about each kit
Download the Check Out Form

Save

Save