American Patriotism Interest Project Award
For Girl Scouts 11-17

America is a unique place to live and work. It offers many freedoms, and each one comes with responsibilities. Girl Scouts 11-17 can find out what those freedoms and responsibilities are by doing this Interest Project.

Complete two activities in the Skill Builders section, one activity in each of the other three sections, and two other activities in any section you choose.

Skill Builders

• Learn the American flag folding ceremony, and practice it with your troop/group. Consider volunteering for a future flag ceremony in your local Girl Scout council or community.

• Visit a historic place where Americans signed documents of freedom. What is the significance of the documents signed?

• Learn about who was living in North America before the French, Spanish, and English "discovered" it. Find two or three ways that the previous inhabitants' culture differed from the Europeans'.

• What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution? Why is the Bill of Rights so important to Americans today?

• Learn the history of "The Star-Spangled Banner." When and why was it written?

• Freedom of the press is an important right in our country. What does it mean? Is there any topic that should never be allowed in print?

 

Our Mission Statement:

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

Technology

• Create a logo or theme expressing what patriotism means to you, and put it on a T-shirt, hat, or other apparel visible to others.

• How has technology changed the way we vote in the United States?

• Learn how the American flag is made. Can any company produce it? Does the manufacturer have to abide by certain criteria? Discuss your findings with your troop.

• How do 24-hour news networks influence the way we view world events? Think of several recent events covered on television or radio. How did you feel watching, or listening to, them live?

• Use the Internet to visit famous national exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution or Library of Congress. Or visit the National Geographic Society online to discover the places and people that make America unique.

Career Exploration

• What career choices would you have had in America in the 1700s, 1800s, or early 1900s? Pick one career and see how it changed.
• Invite to your troop someone who belonged to one of the U.S. armed forces. Ask the person to talk about what patriotism is, what she or he did to serve our country, and what to do if you are interested in a career in the armed forces.
• Find out about careers available in two or three government agencies. What qualifications do you need to get the jobs? What would you have to do once you got them?
• Write a job description for the next president of the United States. What skills, abilities, and characteristics should the ideal candidate have? Compare your requirements with those listed in the Constitution.
• Interview any elected official in your area, and find out what inspired her or him to run for office.

Service Projects

• Learn when an American flag is considered unusable and how to dispose of it properly. Research the flag disposal ceremony's history and presentation, then teach a younger troop, a group of children, or your family about disposing of an unusable flag.
• Plant a tree as a living legacy to our nation's freedoms, working with your troop or some friends. Invite another group or someone who has been in the armed forces to join you.
• Send cards or greetings to military members overseas during a patriotic holiday, and thank them for doing a great job in protecting or defending our country's freedom. But be sure to check the online Department of Defense News Release on ways to express support for the military.
• Work with your community to restore or maintain a historic site, memorial, cemetery, or garden. Spend at least one day helping to get it back in shape.
• Help your community be prepared. Participate in a project that educates others about homeland security or disaster preparedness.