The Badge Archive

Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Brownie Automotive Manufacturing badge requirements.

Info Needed for Badge Requirement: Manufacturing is when we make items (products or goods) from materials and use people or machines to do it. In modern day, usually machines are used with human workers or computers operating the machines. The key to manufacturing is taking the steps needed to make an item and breaking them down into sections. Each machine or person is responsible to getting one part of making done and it moves on to the next machine or person. Eventually the item is complete but every person or machine only did a small part. This is called an assembly line.

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Items Needed:

Note: Each assembly line works best with 12 scouts. The activity can be done with as few as 6 or as many as 24 scouts per line. If you have more than 12 scouts, plan for extra bins, supplies, and cards, or consider running multiple assembly lines.

• Print and cut out Assembly Line Game Cards by GSUSA for each assembly line.
• 12 zip-top bags for each assembly line.
• 5 labeled bins: Pencils, Paper Clips, Crayons, Markers, Shipping (Use Assembly Line Game Labels by GSUSA)
• Supplies to fill bins (pencils, paper clips, crayons, markers); Each assembly line using the Assembly Line Game Cards by GSUSA require:
  • 11 crayons
  • 9 markers
  • 14 paper clips
  • 11 pencils
• Timer or stopwatch

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Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 25–30 minutes):

1. Set Up (3–5 minutes):
   • Place the labeled bins in one area. Fill the supply bins with supplies. Keep the “Shipping” bin empty.
2. First Round (No Plan) (3–5 minutes):
   • Divide scouts into pairs.
   • Give each team a bag and one item card.
   • On “Go,” teams find the items on their card, pack them into their bag, and place it in the shipping bin.
   • This round may feel crowded or confusing, let it play out.
3. Pause and Reflect (4–5 minutes):
   • Talk about what worked or didn’t.
   • Ask scouts how they might make it faster or less hectic.
4. Plan an Assembly Line (6–8 minutes):
   • Work together to come up with a better system.
   • Try having one scout at each supply bin and passing the card and bag from bin to bin.
   • Adjust the plan to match your troop size, have a second assembly line ready to split the troop into two for the second round if needed.
5. Second Round (With Plan) (5–7 minutes):
   • Reset the materials.
   • Run the new assembly line for a set time (e.g., 2–5 minutes).
   • Count how many finished bags were made.
6. Wrap Up (5 minutes):
   • Talk about how the assembly line worked compared to the first round.
   • Ask scouts what they liked best and what made it faster or easier.

Note to Leaders – You can learn more about manufacturing with a short video or a mini lesson.