Roots and Shoots Try-It

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Roots and Shoots is a Brownie Try-It from the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital.

Through the completion of a series of activities, Girl Scouts from Daisies through Ambassadors will become involved in projects that promote care and concern for animals, the environment and the human community.

To earn the Roots and Shoots Try-It, Brownies must complete one activity from each of the following categories plus one from any category.

# Environment

1. 1. 1. Imagine what it would be like to return home only to find that your home has been destroyed, or your water supply was very low, or your major source of food was gone. Do activities #2 and #3 of the *Eco-Explorer* Try-It or learn about habitats and what makes them complete. Make up a play or puppet show on how a wild animal might respond in a similar situation when part of their habitat has been destroyed. Share it with others. Part of your play or puppet show might include a song about your animal that you have learned or made up.

2. \* Take part in a community clean up, or watershed clean up or help plant trees in your school playground or community.
3. Take a field trip to a National Park or other natural area. Find out how you can help to preserve the park as it is or even improve it.
4. Learn where seeds come from and how they grow. Go on a hike in the woods in the spring to find seeds and plants in various stages of growth. Start a window garden of radish or lima bean seeds. Find out which part of the new seedling is the root and which part is the shoot. What is each component's function? Instructions for "The Window Seed" are on the pages just preceding the RESOURCES section at the back of the booklet.
* Troop leaders should read pages 81-83, 43 of *Safety Wise* before planning this service project.

# Human Community

1. 1. 1. Brainstorm ideas for service projects that will help the environment, your community or animals for your service unit or school. Pass your ideas on to other youth groups.

2. Make bird feeders for the residents of a local nursing home or for patients at a children's hospital. Deliver them to the patients as a troop.
3. Visit a senior center. Pair up with a resident for the "Story Telling" activity. Instructions for this activity are found toward the back of this booklet just before the RESOURCES section.
4. Organize a "Zero" energy day for your troop. Brainstorm ways that you can use less electricity and less gasoline. Use your own energy as much as possible. Walk when you can and get up with the sun and go to bed with the sun. Try making the solar bowl cooker in the *Earth Is Our Home* Try-It. Demonstrate it for your troop, service unit or community by melting marshmallows and making s'mores with graham crackers and chocolate.
# Animals

1. 1. 1. Find ways to help birds through the cold winter or dry summer months. Learn where birds go when they migrate. Research and adopt one kind of bird that comes from further north to spend the winter in our area. Find out how long they are here and with a group of your friends or girls form your troop, provide your birds with the habitat they need while they are in our area.

2. Visit a local zoo. Find out why the animals there were chosen to be there. Are there any endangered species? Where is the natural habitat for these animals? Do other zoos have some of the same species of animals?
3. Go on a hike to observe animals, birds and insects in their natural habitat. Make a list of how many of which species you have seen. Mark down what they were doing and how they reacted to your presence in their habitat.
4. Learn about Monarch butterflies. They travel great distances to their winter habitat stopping along the way for food. Plant or visit a butterfly garden and observe how many butterflies visit the garden. How many were Monarchs? Discuss what would happen if their winter or summer habitat were destroyed. Share what you have learned with the community, a younger group of children or your school class.
5. Visit an animal shelter. Do the animals there have enough food, water and bedding? Where do the animals come from? Find out how you can help support the shelter or enrich the animals' lives. Plan and implement a service project for the animals in the shelter.

# External Links

GSCNC Patches & Council's Owns
Roots and Shoots Try-It/Badge/IPP Booklet