Respecting Myself and Others
Not included: For respect dance party: Phone or device to play music. For royal tea party: Snacks, crayons, markers. For science of sound: Markers.
Remember, you don’t have to do all the activities.
Intro:
Let’s make the Girl Scout sign and say the Girl Scout Promise together. Would anyone like to lead it?
On my honor, I will try: To serve God* and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
*Members may substitute for the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs.
Icebreaker: Have the girls say their name and one thing they are good at or a special talent they have!
Pick at least three of the following activities to complete to earn this petal!
You can do these all in one meeting or over several meetings if you wish. Feel free to be creative, and modify or supplement these ideas with your own activities around the theme of respecting myself and others.
Activity 1: Talk about it!
Ask the girls:
What does the word respect mean?
What are some ways you can show respect to other people?
What are some ways you can show respect to yourself?
Activity 2: Show your dance moves!
Let’s all celebrate the theme of respect, get our wiggles out, and get some exercise! Play the song “Respect” by Aretha Franklin and have a 5-minute dance party! Dancing is great exercise, and getting exercise is an awesome way to respect your body!
Activity 3: Respect others—by being a great listener!
Ask the girls:
Why is being a good listener important?
Why is it hard to be a good listener sometimes?
What are some things we can all do to be a better listener?
Play a listening game: One way to consider other people’s feelings is by being a good listener. Play an old-fashioned game of telephone. Have the girls sit in a circle. Whisper a fun message to one of the girls. She then whispers the message to the next girl, etc. The last girl in the circle will announce what they think the message was. Were they right? Why is being a good listener important? Why is it hard to be a good listener sometimes? How does being a good listener show respect?
Learn the Girl Scout Quiet Sign: The Quiet Sign is a polite way to tell everyone to be quiet. It is made by holding your right hand in the air with all ve ngers extended. Have the girls practice. Let them start out by being noisy—singing, talking, laughing—and see how fast they can be quiet when you give the sign.
Activity 4: Explore the science of sound!
Before cell phones were invented, telephones (you might call them landlines) were connected to wires that carried sounds of people’s voices. Today, we will make that same kind of telephone using cups and string! When people talk, our vocal cords make the air vibrate. Try it out by placing your hand to your throat and talking. Do you feel the vibrations? The vibrating air molecules created by our vocal cords cause air molecules around them to vibrate too, which is how sound travels through the air. Usually, sound vibrations can’t travel very far through the air, but having something to help connect them, such as wires or string can help the sound waves move over a longer distance.
Cut a long piece of cotton yarn (included). You can experiment with different lengths but make it 12–15 feet.
Decorate your cups (included), then poke a small hole in the bottom of each one with a paper clip. Thread the yarn through each cup and tape it to the bottom so it won’t pull out.
Match each girl with a partner. The partners should move way from each other, holding the cups at a distance that makes the string stretched tight (making sure the string isn't touching anything else).
One person talks into the cup while the other puts the cup to their ear and listens. Can they hear each other?
Have the girls step forward, so the string becomes loose. Does it still work?
How far away can you hear each other? Is it farther than you expected?
Now use the string telephone to practice great telephone manners. Practice calling someone to thank them for a gift, calling a friend to ask them to come over and play, and calling a relative to wish them a happy birthday.
Activity 5: Celebrate respectful manners with a royal tea party!
Let the girls and caregivers know about this activity well in advance, as it will need a little prep work. Ask them to dress up a bit (to make it a special occasion) and bring a snack to share, if possible. Use the crown templates (included) to have the girls make and decorate special crowns to wear!
Have the girls create a list of good manners they will use at the party! (Wash hands before eating, say please and thank you, use your napkin, share, wait for everyone to be served before eating, keep elbows off the table, chew with your mouth closed, ask politely to pass a dish, etc.) If someone demonstrates good manners during the tea party, let them know with a round of applause or a compliment!
Wrap-up: End the meeting with a friendship circle/friendship squeeze. Have the girls help with any clean-up tasks. Talk about what you are doing at the next meeting, get their ideas for activities, and share upcoming meeting dates, homework, volunteer needs, etc. with parents as they arrive for pick-up. Consider sending a follow-up text with this information if needed.
