High Yield Activity: Treasure Maps

Here's another activity that you can use for the Career Launch program. It's also a great activity for August because it's National Pirate Month (and who doesn't love a good pirate activity?!?)

Target Area: Art Studio

Objective: Youth learn to set long-term goals and plan paths to their futures.

Target Age Group: Teens 13-15 years

Time to Complete: 2-45 minute rotations (1.5 hours total)

Materials Needed: Pencils, pens, construction paper, makers, computers

Skills Taught: Goal Setting

Instructions:

Have members write their names at the top of sheet of construction paper. Ask them to think of a dream job or a long-term goal for their future. What would they like to do or be when they get older? Have them write this goal at the bottom of the page.

Then, have members use the Internet to research things they would need to do in order to reach this goal (e.g. finish high school, go to college, save money). If necessary, help members break these down into more short-term goals (e.g. work hard in school, get good grades, graduate from high school).

Instruct youth to write these short term goals on the paper, scattering them around the middle of the page. Ask them to draw a line showing the "path" to the treasure, from their name through the short term goals to the big dream at the bottom of the page.

Allow time for youth to decorate their maps so they look like maps that lead to a hidden treasure.

High Yield Activities - Family Portraits

Family Portraits is one of my favorite activities because it lets the kids get some of their sillies out while also expanding some thinking about what the term family can encompass. This activity can be done at any level of drama skill. It can be conducted outside, in a gym space, or anywhere that the kiddos have plenty of space to move around.

Target Area: Any large open space

Objective: To incorporate drama into your daily Club activity programs by having Club members work in groups, take chances, and lessen inhibitions

Target Age Group: Ages 9-12 years

Time to Complete: 20-30 minutes

Skills Taught: Creativity; Public performance

Materials Needed: None

Instructions: 

Split members into groups of three to five people. One group starts out by standing facing the rest of the group. Chose a member from a different group to be the "photographer". The photographer shouts out a type of family for the group to pose as in a family portrait. The group cannot talk about how they are going to pose; they just have to get into a position that captures the assigned character and freeze. Encourage the photographer to come up with creative and unusual types of families. Here are some examples:

Pirate Family
Cowboy Family
Athletic Family
Wizard Family
Superhero Family

Clipart used in this post was purchased from Creative Clips
 

High Yield Activity: Invisible Ink

Here's a fun activity that serves as a High Yield activity that can be used for Project Learn, STEM, and to meet a badge requirement for Junior Girl Scout Detective Badge and the vintage Brownie Girl Scout Try It Science Wonders.

Target Area: Science Lab, Art Studio, or Cafeteria

Objective: Members learn how chemistry is used practically in real life.

Target Age Group: Tweens Age 10-12 years

Time to Complete: one 45 minute rotation

Materials Needed: lemon juice (other safe liquids are optional), paper, heat source (iron or light bulb) and paint brushes or cotton swabs

Instructions:

Ask members how they would pass secret messages if they were spies. After giving them time to share their answers, tell them some stories of spies how used secret ink to pass messages.

FOR STAFF/VOLUNTEER USE: Science Daily Article

Using lemon juice, have members write or paint a short, secret message on a piece of paper. After letting each piece of paper dry, members trade papers and use heat to reveal the words. Lightbulbs and irons are sufficient heat sources to reveal the letters. Be careful not to burn the paper when revealing the letters.

Ask the members why they think this happens. Explain that this is possible due to the chemistry involved. In the case of lemon juice, its acidity makes it easily oxidize (combine with oxygen in the air) when heated, which makes the paper turn browner where the lemon juice has been applied.

Encourage members to experiment with other liquids including milk, soda, juices, and other safe liquids. What can be used for secret writing? (Orange juice, vinegar, and apple juice will react similarly.)

Back Pocket Game - Zip! Zap! Zop!

Back Pocket games are something I've been using since my Girl Scout days (which began over twenty years ago, oh my!) Basically, they are something you can pull out of your back pocket and use at a moment's notice because they need no additional supplies. This game, Zip, Zap, Zop, is multifunctional. You can play it as a round robin game where you just go around the circle or it can be used as an elimination game where the person who drops the rhythm is out. Another suggestion is to use it as a vocal warm up for your performing arts programs.

Target Area: Gym (or on stage if performing arts or in homeroom if a time filler)

Age Group: Any and all

Time to Complete: 15 minutes

Materials Needed: None

Instructions:

Invite all members to stand in a circle. Start out by pointing to one person (it's a good idea to make eye contact so they know you're pointing at them) and saying Zip. That person points to someone else and says Zap. That person then points to a third and says Zop. Keep going and pick up speed as you go. 

Rules to Share:

No pausing allowed. Keep it moving!
Pay attention! You have to watch the game to know when it's your turn.
Do not point at the person who just pointed to you.

Graphics used in this post are from Thistle Girl Designs, now closed

High Yield Activity - Career Alphabet

We're always looking for a fun new way to reach our required numbers in targeted programs without having the kids do the same things over and over. This is a high yield activity adapted from a 2012 resource from national. In that resource, teens used a career launch specific website that is no longer functional but this can easily be replaced with Google (or any other search engine).

Target Club Area: Computer Lab/Tech Center

Core Program Area: Character & Leadership Development

Objective: Teens gain knowledge about various careers, and the types of training and education needed to pursue them.

Age Group: Teens 13-15 years

Time to Complete: 45 minute rotation

Materials Needed: Computers or tablets with search feature, paper, pens/pencils

Skills Taught: Career Exploration

Instructions:

Tell teens to write at least one career that starts with each letter of the alphabet (e.g. A=astronaut). Make it a completion by awarding a prize to the member who can come up with the most career titles in the shortest amount of time. After teen shave completed the activity, discuss the career titles with the entire group.

Extension: 

After the teens have completed the alphabet activity, have them circle at least three careers they would like to explore. Have them research to find additional information on their career choices, including the educational requirements, licenses, training, and salary.

Graphics used in this post are from Thistle Girl Designs, now closed
Original activity idea found in The Outcome-Driven Club Experience in Action July 2012

High Yield Activity - Rolling for One Hundred

Target Area: Learning Center

Core Program Area: Sports, Fitness, & Recreation
Objective: Members practice basic math skills
Target Audience: 10-12 years
Time to Complete: 45 minutes
Materials Needed: 6 dice, paper, and pencil
Skills Taught/Reinforced: Math

Activity Summary: A quick, fun, low prep activity that reinforces basic math skills.

Activity Instructions: For this simple game of sequences, members participate in the following steps:

1. Roll the dice and look for sequences starting with one (one-two, one-two-three and so on).

2. Each die that is part of a sequence scores five points (so for a one-two-three sequence the point total is 15).

3. There can be more than one sequence in a roll (for example, if a roll yield a one-two-three sequence, the player could also count a one-two sequence).

4. The first player to earn 100 points wins.

Graphics used in this post are from Thistle Girl Designs, now closed
Original game idea found in The Outcome-Driven Club Experience in Action September 2012