The Badge Archive

Design and Sketch Emergency Vehicle

Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Brownie Automotive Engineering badge requirements.

Info Needed for badge requirements:  “The body of an automobile is the outer shell that encloses the vehicle’s mechanical parts and its passengers. Most auto bodies are made of steel, but some are made of strong plastics or fiberglass. The body is attached to the chassis. This consists of a frame that holds all the other major parts of the car together. Those other parts include the engine, a steering system, brakes, and the wheels.” – kids.britannica.com

Items Needed:

  • Emergency Vehicle Criteria Checklist by GSUSA (one per team)
  • Large sheet of paper or poster board (one per team)
  • Pencils
  • Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
  • Tracing paper (optional, for testing design ideas)
  • Sample vehicle materials (bodies, wheels, axles) for examination

Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 35–45 minutes):

  1. Part 1: Choose Your Emergency Vehicle Type (15–20 minutes)
    • Teams select an emergency to design for:
      • Hurricane – Must float and handle strong winds.
      • Blizzard – Must drive through deep snow.
      • Earthquake – Must cross damaged roads and rubble.
    • Mark your team’s choice on the Emergency Vehicle Criteria Checklist.
    • Review the required features for all vehicles (body, wheels, seats, storage).
    • Brainstorm additional features to improve safety and usefulness using these questions:
      • What special wheels or materials will help your vehicle?
      • What can make the interior more helpful in an emergency?
      • What exterior feature could track weather conditions?
      • How can the vehicle be as safe as possible?
  2. Part 2: Sketch Your Emergency Vehicle (15–20 minutes)
    • Each team divides roles:
      • One scout draws the exterior.
      • One scout draws the interior.
    • Use team discussion to decide how features will be included.
    • Label all parts and materials in your sketch.
    • Use tracing paper to test different design elements before finalizing.
    • Add color and details to highlight important features.
  3. Wrap-Up & Next Steps (5 minutes)
    • Teams share their sketches with the troop if time allows.
    • Save criteria checklists, sketches, and notes for the next meeting. In a future meeting, scouts can build and test their prototypes!
Tia Kennard