I like to give Juliette options for upcoming badges. Most recently, she chose to finish out the Robotics progressive badges. She completed the first badge, What Robots Do, as part of her quarterly STEM Sisters Challenge. That was back in January. In the past few weeks, she worked on and completed the other two badges.
Robotics Part 2 and 3
Here are the requirements for the additional Robotics badges:
How Robots Move
- Learn about the parts of a robot
- Find out how robots move
- Make a robot move
Design a Robot
- Plan your robot
- Create a prototype
- Get feedback on your robot
We started with How Robots Move and explored the parts of a robot, then Juliette drew a robot. She decided to make a “baby robot” so it was really small. We then watched videos of real robots, including a robot that comforts people at some hospitals, and she drew a picture of a robo-pet. Using the booklet from the VTK, I helped her understand that guiding a robot, or a person, through a maze is more complicated than just telling someone to go or drawing to complete a maze. You have to tell them how many steps to go, what direction to turn, and when to stop. It can seem complicated, but it’s worth it to see the results. The VTK booklet had many stories about different real-life robots, so Juliette was able to get more ideas for her robot.
To Design a Robot, she started by planning. She tried to come up with ideas of things that a robot could help her do. Juliette started coming up with big ideas, but I reminded her to think smaller and focus on herself instead of all people. She then drew what she thought her robot should look like and was going into detail by adding clothes and things, but I reminded her that we’re trying to simplify – what was the purpose of clothes? How would that help the robot complete her task? Her robot prototype was made of toilet paper rolls, tape, and some craft materials I had on hand. Juliette brought her prototype to Daddy, an engineer, for feedback, then came back to the table to make improvements before seeking feedback again.
Stall Catchers Fun Patch
The STEM Sisters Program shared that SciStarter wanted to complete one million acts of science during Citizen Scientist Month (April 2025). Their council (Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania) created an event so that Girl Scouts could more easily participate in this program. Juliette signed up, but it was a busy month, so we only completed one act of science: Stall Catchers. I’m not really sure how to describe it, except that someone decided to make a game out of catching stalls. Basically, there were videos of blood flow and a specific area was highlighted to watch and see if the blood was flowing or not. When you’re getting started, you’re watching videos that have been watched by hundreds or thousands of people, but as you continue, you start to see videos that haven’t been seen as many times. The idea is that citizens looking at these videos can make it easier for the scientists to confirm the stalls more easily instead of having to determine things independently. This game helps with Alzheimer’s research.
An Update on Progress
Here’s my usual update on the badges, journeys, and awards that we’re working on or have planned.
- Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Journey – we are planning to start this month as a third journey that would also earn her Daisy Journey Summit Award Pin
- Money Explorer Badge – we haven’t started yet, but it seems to go well with cookie season
Badge Numbers 28 & 29
- Promise Center (and Home School patch)
- Democracy for Daisies (and 2024 Election patch)
- Make the World a Better Place
- Honest and Fair
- Space Science Explorer (and Mars patch)
- Friendly and Helpful
- Animal Observer (and fun patches: Girl Scouts of Hawai’i, Queen Liliʻuokalani, WWII Remembrance, I Love to Travel, Cruise Ship, Hawaiian Luau, STEM Sisters, Space Science)
- Considerate and Caring
- Courageous and Strong (and My Promise, My Faith Pin Year 1)
- Responsible for What I Say and Do (and Daisy Global Action Award Year 1)
- Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journey
- Respect Myself and Others
- Robotics 1: What Robots Do (Robotics fun patch and Total Eclipse)
- My First Cookie Business (GS Council CEO, GS Council, and Cookie Rally fun patches, and Cookie Entrepreneur Family Pin Year 1)
- Respect Authority (Safety Award Pin and World Thinking Day Award 2025)
- Use Resources Wisely (Techie, Booth Sales, Gift of Caring, 200+ bar, Embrace Possibilities, 2025 Year bar, Charm patch with Embrace Possibilities charm, My First Cookie Sale 2025, STEM box)
- Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout
- Good Neighbor
- Automotive 1: Design
- Automotive 2: Engineering
- Automotive 3: Manufacturing
- Craft and Tinker
- Cybersecurity 1: Basics
- Cybersecurity 2: Safeguards
- Cybersecurity 3: Investigator
- Eco Learner (Chemistry, Weird Science, and Meet-the-Pro Chemistry, Robotics, Space Science)
- Between Earth and Sky Journey
- Robotics 2: How Robots Move
- Robotics 3: Design a Robot (Stall Catchers fun patch)
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