by Alanna Rose

Created on: October 06, 2010

We communicate with not only our words, but also with body language and the way that we say things.  The "People are Talking" Brownie Try-It badge focuses on  how we express ourselves.  Four out of the following six activities will need to be completed for the Brownies to earn this patch.

Say it Differently

The girls will practice saying the same thing in different ways in this next activity.  First, the Brownies should be separated into pairs.  They should then practice saying the same sentence two different ways.   Their partner should say if she thinks that the girl speaking meant the same thing both times or if it sounded like she meant something different each time.  Your girls should both practice with a couple of sentences and a couple of questions.  

Watching Body Language

Do your Brownies realize how much they say just through their body language?  The troop should watch a television show without the sound to see if they can understand anything that is going on.  They should try to figure out the emotions of the people that they are watching and then discuss their thoughts with the other girls in the troop.

Emotion Charades

Your Brownies will have a lot of fun trying to show different emotions without using any sounds or words.  A number of different emotions should be written on scraps of paper and put into a hat or bowl.  The girls should take turns picking a paper and trying to express the emotion written on it  with only body language.  If they master this, they should try playing this game with only being allowed to move one part of their body.

Good Listeners

The next activity that your Brownies may choose to complete is to practice being a good listener.  Good listeners will always make eye contact, not interrupt, ask pertinent questions, and focus on the person talking.  The girls should be divided into pairs with each girl taking a turn to practice being a good listener.  Each girl should think about how they felt being a good listener and also how it felt to be talking to a good listener.

Other Languages

Most Girl Scouts in America speak English, but there are many, many other languages out in the world.  Your Brownies should try to learn a few words or phrases in a language that they do not know.  Make sure that they learn how to say the phrase properly and what it means.

Sign Language

Your Brownies may find the sign language alphabet on pages 86-87 in "The Brownie Girl Scout Handbook."  The girls should use this to learn how to spell their name and also how to say two phrases.  They should try to teach these new phrases to a friend.

Your Brownie Girl Scouts will learn a lot about communication while earning their "People are Talking" Brownie Try-It patch.

Resources:

"People are Talking." Try-its for Brownie Girl Scouts. New York: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2000. 70-71. Print.

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