CyberGirl Scout Badge
For Junior Girl Scouts

CyberGirlScout is a badge for Junior Girl Scouts that does not exist in the print world— only in the cyberworld. So welcome and safe surfing! If you need help with some of the computer terminology used in this badge, look in the "How Computer-Wise Are You?"section in the Explore and Discover chapter of the Junior Girl Scout Handbook.

To earn the CyberGirlScout Badge you have to do the first activity before working on any of the others. You must complete at least six out of the nine activities. It is recommended that you do all of the activities if you really want to be a CyberGirlScout. It really is fun!

1. Safety On the Web

Talk about the safety precautions you need to take when using the Internet with a parent, guardian, or Girl Scout troop or group leader. Print out the Internet Safety Pledge and sign it. Make sure you keep it nearby whenever you go online and follow the rules in the pledge.

2. Email Savvy

Send email, copy someone on an email, forward an email, and reply to an email.

Email is short for electronic mail. It is the perfect blending of a telephone call and letter. That's because email sends your letter over the phone lines (or via satellite) to your friend.

More about what to do when emailing:

1. Go online using an Internet service provider. You may have to enter a password to connect, depending on how the service has been set up.
   
   
2. Once you are online, go to the post office or mailbox area. Once there, you should be able to find a compose mail icon, button, or menu item.
   
   
3. Click on what you've found. You should see a window for writing and sending your letter.
   
   
4. At the top, type in the address of the person you are writing to.
   
   Hint: You need to have an email address of someone in order to send them email.
   
   Note: An email address looks something like this: aname@girlscouts.org. The first part of the address is the online name of the person you are writing to. The second part of the address is usually the name of the group or business where that person is located. The part after the period tells you more about the owners of the name or who is hosting the mailbox. For example: .org means organization; .edu means educational institution; .com means commercial business; .gov means government.
   
   
5. Type the subject of the letter on the line under the address. Just place your cursor on that area and start typing. Move your cursor down to the letter area and start typing your letter!
   
   
6. Now that you are ready to send your mail—this part is really easy—just use your mouse to click on the "send" icon or button. Your letter has been mailed!

Note: Do not open or save attachments that strangers send to you. Unfortunately, some people want access to your computer or think it is cool to destroy your files with a computer virus.

Always have a virus check program on your computer—sometimes people do not know that they are sending one. If possible, ask someone to show you where this program is on your computer and how it updates to fight new viruses.

 

Our Mission Statement:

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

3. Scavenger Hunt

Since you are reading these badge activities, you must be in the Girl Scout Central pages of Girl Scouts of the USA's Web site. Explore the whole site, including the Girls Only Web site for this activity.

See if you can find the following things, but try not to use the search function unless you get totally stumped!

1. A picture showing where to put your insignia on your uniform.
2. The house where Juliette Gordon Low lived.
3. An interview or profile of a woman with a cool career.
4. A science activity you would like to try.
5. An idea for a fun swap.
6. The first name of Dr. M's daughter.
7. A great idea for your Girl Scout Bronze Award project.
8. A game for girls.
9. A country in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
10. An activity that will help you stay healthy.
11. How to lead a song.

4. Open the Door to the Internet

READY, SET...

To visit a Web site, you'll need Web-browsing software, a modem, and access to the Internet. The bigger online networks like America Online provide their own software. Or, you may have a Web-browser like Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or LYNX. Talk with your adult partner about which browser to use. (You are using one to view this site right now!) The browser has a place where you type in the address of sites you know and buttons to help you search for those you don't know. It even has buttons to go forward and backward. They work like the rewind and fast forward buttons on a tape recorder.

Follow three links below and use a search engine to find three more safe links:

• Art Kids Rule. Explore the arts and create a work of art.
  http://accessarts.org/ArtKids
  
  
• Chicago Field Museum. Visit Sue, the World's largest T-Rex, found by a former Girl Scout amateur paleontologist.
  www.fmnh.org/sue/default.htm
  
  
• Cyberchase. Use your brain on this PBS adventure in cyberspace.
  http://pbskids.org/cyberchase
  
  
• KidsHealth. A great site that answers questions about your health and feelings.
  www.kidshealth.org/kid
  
  
• NASA. Find out some amazing things about our space program — including how astronauts go to the bathroom in space.
  www.nasa.gov
  
  
• Women's United Soccer Association. Find your favorite soccer player.
  www.wusa.com

When you're done with a link, don't forget to click on the back button to return to this page.

HOW TO SEARCH

Searching for information you want to find is part of the fun of using the World Wide Web. Surf safely—review your Internet Safety Pledge. It's not always easy to find what you're looking for, but a search engine will help you look for key words and phrases on the Internet or in resource libraries. Here are two resources for search engines that will make your searching easier. We suggest that you bookmark them for future use. Kids Search Tools is a great place to look for specific topics and a must to bookmark for future home and school projects. It is a service of the Ramapo Catskill Library system. www.rcls.org/ksearch.htm Yahooligans: The Web Guide for Kids. A kid-tested and safe site to search for information about your favorite sport, craft, book, or hobby. www.yahooligans.com

Learn to use an Internet browser to bookmark (store for future use) your favorite Web sites so you can return to them at a later date.

HOW TO SEARCH

Find a place you think you want to revisit? Bookmark it! First, go to the site, and then, depending on your browser, you'll either click on "Add Bookmark" or "Favorites." Then add the site to your bookmark list using an "Add to Favorites" or "Add to Bookmarks" button. Ta da! Now click on "View Bookmarks" or "Favorites." You should see the title of the site right there! All you need to do is to click on it to return. If you are sharing a computer with family members, learn how to create a personal folder on your browser to store your own bookmarks.

Rate the Web sites using the following standards:

• How easy is it to find things?
• How long does it take to download?
• How attractive is it?
• How interesting or useful is the content?
• How right is it for girls your age?

Then describe your site rating to someone who hasn't been to the site and take them on a tour.

5. Cybersisters

Explore what is happening in Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding around the world. Do two of the following:

• Visit the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Web site. Find out what girls your age do in Girl Scouting or Girl Guiding in at least three other countries.
• Check out a Girl Guide organization site. What activities do the Girl Guides do that are the same and that are different from what you do in Girl Scouting?
• Visit the World Thinking Day Tour on this Web site.

6. Create Your Own Web Page

Create a troop/group Web site. Check out other troop/group sites and your local Girl Scout council's site. Decide what information you want to include and how you want your Web site to look. Review the troop/group Web guidelines in Safety-Wise. Write the copy, scan pictures, or create artwork for your site. Use HTML or a Web authoring program to create the site.

OR

Create a Web site for your family or yourself with an adult's supervision. Discuss safety precautions with your family.

7. Online Careers

Find out about a job that involves working on the Web, or interview someone who has one of the jobs listed below.

• Digital artist
• Web manager
• Web systems administrator
• Software developer
• Web content writer
• CD-ROM developer
• Security specialist
• E-commerce director

8. Traveling with the Help of Cyberspace

One of the most-used functions of the Internet is making travel arrangements. Try the following:

• Find and print out a map for a family or group trip.
• Get information about places you would like to visit.
• Get information about nearby areas good for day trips.

Hint: Use a search engine such as Google.com, Yahoo.com, or any listed previously. Put key words into quotes, such as making "travel" into "travel Oregon" or "travel Oregon coast" to narrow it down. If you wanted to go to a museum for a day and you lived in Philadelphia, you could use "Philadelphia museum." Or you could list "Philadelphia" first, then you could search your results after they come up, using the word "museum."

BEWARE!

Always read the description of the web site and at the address BEFORE deciding whether to open the page in your browser. Sometimes people misrepresent their web sites by using words that you might be searching for. Close any site that makes you uncomfortable if you open it by mistake.

9. Fun and Games Online

The Internet is full of game sites. Visit the Games section of Girls Only to start, then go to Yahooligans.com to look for more games. Bookmark your favorite sites.

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Girl Scout badges, patches, awards, and other insignia that are earned for the accomplishment of skill-building activities or any set requirements should be presented, worn, or displayed only after Girl Scouts have completed the requirements outlined in the appropriate program materials.

All insignia are owned by Girl Scouts of the United States of America and are protected by law for use by GSUSA. None of the insignia may be copied, duplicated, or reproduced without prior express written authorization from Girl Scouts of the USA. All rights reserved.