The Badge Archive

This is simply an outline of meetings, not a full meeting plan.

Meeting One – All About Citizen Scientist

• Do any observational experiment. Learn how to observe the scientific aspect of the experiment and record data.
  • Fulfills Observational Experiment/Game for Think Like a Citizen Scientist
• Vote on what Space Themed Citizen Scientist project the troop wants to do.
  • We recommend Kids in Space and Galaxy Zoo.
• Play an observational game (like Kim’s Game) to practice observational skills.
  • Fulfills Observational Game for Think Like a Citizen Scientist

Meeting Two – Finish Citizen Scientist and Start on Space Science

• Do the Citizen Scientist Project.
• Go over How do Scientists Classify Stars? (Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Cadette Space Science Researcher.)
• Do one Tool Based activity (Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Daisy Space Science Explorer, Step 2 of GSUSA Brownie Space Science Adventurer, Step 4 of GSUSA Junior Space Science Investigator, and Step 4 of GSUSA Cadette Space Science Researcher.)
• Do a Light Pollution Quick Dive (Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Cadette Space Science Researcher.)
• Plan the Third Meeting (Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Brownie Space Science Adventurer and Junior Space Science Investigator badge requirements.)

If using Kids in Space and Galaxy Zoo, we recommend

• (5–7 min) Start by reminding them what it means to be a citizen scientist. While scientists are great at analyzing data, they sometimes need help getting the needed data. Citizen Scientists can send in their observations and information to help scientists conduct studies.
• (8–15 min) The easiest way to do so is answer surveys. Each scout should give their own three answers for the Kids in Space (When did your space dream start? Why does space fascinate you? What item from home would you take on a space mission?)
  • Fulfills SciStarter Project for Think Like a Citizen Scientist
• (7–9 min) The second way is to learn a little bit of how to do something scientists need a lot of people to try and do. Sometimes things are tricky to learn and sometimes they are easy. Go over How do Scientists Classify Stars? as an example
  • Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Cadette Space Science Researcher.
• (10–12 min) Now let them know there is a real project where everyone needs to help scientists to classify galaxies. But luckily, someone has made it super easy to learn how. As a group, do at least one classification of a galaxy in the Galaxy Zoo project. Explain that to really help, scientists need people that can sit and do dozens of these classifications. It can be easy with this system, but takes time. But our troop is just going to do this one.
  • This fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Daisy Space Science Explorer, Step 2 of GSUSA Brownie Space Science Adventurer, Step 4 of GSUSA Junior Space Science Investigator, and Step 4 of GSUSA Cadette Space Science Researcher. This is not double dipping if you are doing multiple SciStarter Projects.)
• (10–12 min) Do a Light Pollution Quick Dive.
  • Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Cadette Space Science Researcher.
• (15–20 min) After doing all that hard work, let’s plan out our final Space themed meeting to make it a celebration of all things space and finish earning our Space Science badges.

Meeting Three – Star/Space Party and Space Science Finish

• Follow the plan the scouts made for the Third Meeting.