Thinking Day

Girls who like adventure are usually very good advocates - they speak up for themselves and the things they believe in. An adventurous girl is usually the one who will pick the rock up and throw it back after it has been piffed at her (but is usually also the one that gets caught throwing rocks...) but not to worry, we all know who really started it, right?


22 February every year is a special event in the Girl Guide calendar, it's Thinking Day. A day dedicated to thinking and reflecting on what our goals and advocacy is focused on for that calendar year.

2013 focus is Millennium Development Goals - Improve Maternal Health and Improve Child Health. It's not easy to explain to someone who has never had a baby what this actually means, so we went and found some babies and had a practice. Alright, they weren't real babies, but they certainly were demanding.

We used three dolls and demand cards. The demands included: Change baby's nappy, it's wet; Find a toy for baby with what is available; baby ate a rock and is choking; baby cut it's head and is bleeding; baby wants to be carried (no hands for this); baby is tired, sing baby to sleep; baby cut it's hand and is bleeding; make a bed for baby with what is available; baby is cold; baby is hot; baby is cranky (up to leader what this one means).

This can be played at home with some friends, just make sure you know your baby first aid and can think quickly. Time each other to see who can change a nappy the fastest or come up with the best toy.

Child health and Maternal health are often about education and getting resources to Mothers in communities that are in need of help.

In our own community, knowing a bit of first aid and encouraging others to do the same is a way we can help boost the knowledge of the Millennium Development Goals and why they are important.

and to finish here is the MDG song.


Good luck.

Tigerlily

Think like a Scientist

What is a Scientist? Someone who does science? A person who looks at things and asks why? an Engineer? A teacher?

A scientist can be all these things and more.

What do Scientists do? Mainly they ask questions about the world, in many varied and different ways, then they test the questions they ask to see what the answers could be.

A scientific challenge: Create a container for a raw egg to protect it from cracking on impact when it is dropped from varied heights.

Materials:
2 x zip lock bags
1 x raw egg
1 x bendy straw
1 x spoon straw
50cm cotton twine
2 x pipe cleaners
1 x balloon
1 x small plastic cup
20cm square alfoil
1 x paperclip

Notes: Make sure the egg is secure in a zip lock bag, it is easier to clean up a mess and easier to see when it has cracked.
Patrols have 20mins to come up with first design, then the first drop. If egg survives, they have 5mins for modifications and then a second drop.

Allow at east 5 mins for evaluation time.


The keys design features were for impact, to slow descent and minimise risk. And it's super fun to smash an egg :)


Many thanks to the SCITECH Outreach team

Tigerlily