I’m glad that a modified version of the activities for the (now retired :() Junior Girl Scout ‘Rocks Rock!’ badge was successful for this event. I’ve led multiple ‘Rocks Rock!’ badge workshops in the past and I always found that girls really connected with the trace fossil activity. (Although we used clay in the past — ModelMagic is much better because it dries faster. Good call, @llundgren!)
Having been a Girl Scout leader for 4 years, I highly recommend doing the (also now retired :() “Digging Through the Past” badge for Cadette/Senior (6th – 9th grade) Girl Scouts. With my troop, which was located in West Tennessee, I created a ‘dig pit’ of sorts containing sediment and fossils from the famous Late Cretaceous Coon Creek Lagerstatte. The girls carefully collected the fossils, IDed them using a published guide, and then I taught them how to do basic prep and preservation. I also modified an undergraduate intro paleo lab for the girls, so they could learn about taphonomy and preservation potential. Additionally, we took a field trip to the natural history exhibits of the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis, TN, to learn more about the geology and paleontology of the Mid-South.
@tmorgan, @cindy-lockner, @bonnie-cronin, @sgalligher – Have you done activities similar to these? What gets kids (and those still young at heart!) the most excited?