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Updated April 2023
Insects may creep some people out, but there are millions of them out there. If you plan on doing any kind of outdoor activities with your girls, then they are going to encounter several of them, especially if you take them camping!
The Bugs Try It can easily be earned with a trip to the
zoo or a science museum with an insect exhibit or program. It can also be
earned if you have a local person who does school assemblies and teaches about
insects and can visit with your troop.
If none of these fit into your time or financial
budget, then here is a lesson plan to help you earn the Bugs Badge.
Materials
- Magnifying glasses for each girl
- Clipboard for each girl or something hard to lean on
- Pencil
- Bug Home craft kit
- Insect craft kit
Step 1 Learn About Bugs
In the Brownie Guidebook, the first suggested step is
to draw a poster of a bug. As a former elementary school teacher who did this activity
with her class, this is a very intensive project if you wish the girls to learn
anything about the insect they select. My students spent at least two weeks researching and writing about the insect s/he selected.It takes time to research and draw, and
that is a lot like schoolwork to me!
Instead, give the girls a brief overview of the
difference between a bug, an insect and an arachnid. You can run off a
worksheet if you want of their different body parts or you can bring in a book
about insects and have them see close up pictures.
Then ask them how bugs and insects are helpful and
harmful. They can be both!
Image created by the author in Canva
Step 2, 3, and 4 See Bugs in Action/Explore Bug Homes/Take a Bug Field Trip
Now is the time to go out and explore what bugs are in your
area. Have the girls take a piece of paper, a clipboard and a pencil to write
and sketch what they see. can they see and anthill or other insect home?
This would be a great time to hand out magnifying glasses to the girls.
Then go back inside and make a bug jar. These are inexpensive and are easy for the girls to make. Use the insect stickers to decorate the outside of the jars.
Step 5 Do a Bug Craft
This is a fun way to end your meeting and it does require a lot of planning on your
part. There are literally dozens of different bug craft kits that will fulfill this requirement and not require you to research and
collect things to make one yourself.
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