Requirements

Birth of Our Nation Birth of Our Nation is a Junior Badge from the Girl Scouts of Patriots' Trail Council.

For Junior Girl Scouts. Complete 6 of the following requirements.

Activities

1. FREEDOM TRAIL Walk the Freedom Trail in Boston, MA or take the virtual tour of the Freedom Trail on-line at: http://www.thefreedomtrail.org

2. KING GEORGE'S NASTY SURPRISES Do one of the following:

• a. Learn about the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, or the Battle of Bunker Hill. What were the colonists protesting against King George for?
• b. Read Can't You Make Them Behave King George? By Jean Fritz (ISBN 0698114027)

3. ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SEA Do one of the following:

4. WOMEN OF THE REVOLUTION

• Do one of the following:
• a. Find out about a famous woman from the revolutionary times such as Betsy Ross, Molly Hays, Sybil Ludington, Lydia Darragh, or Abigail Adams. Write a skit and perform it for your troop or family.
• b. Read the short book Sybil's Night Ride by Karen B. Winnick (ISBN 1563976978) and discuss it with your troop or family.

5. OLD GLORY Find out about the history of our nation's flag. What did the earliest flags look like? Who was given credit for the design of the earliest flag? When can a star be added to the flag? Learn how to cut a 5-pointed star with one snip. How do you fold the flag? How do you dispose of a torn and tattered flag? Service Project: Collect old, torn and tattered flags from your community and dispose of them properly.

6. SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF LIBERTY Find out how the following people were important to the cause of freedom during the American Revolution. Make a word search, crossword puzzle, or "Who Am I" question and answer game with the information you have found. Share your game with your troop or family.

• Abigail Adams
• Alexander Hamilton
• Benjamin Franklin
• Betsy Ross
• Crispus Attucks
• George Washington
• James Madison
• James Otis
• John Adams
• John Hancock
• Lydia Darragh
• Molly Hays
• Patrick Henry
• Paul Revere
• Samuel Adams
• Samuel Prescott
• Sybil Ludington
• Thomas Jefferson
• Thomas Paine
• William Dawes

7. SAM ADAMS Samuel Adams was a famous Massachusetts resident for many reasons. He was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. He was the founder of the Sons of Liberty, a member of the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a governor of Massachusetts. As a tradesman he was in the brewery business.

The following recipe is an excerpt from: The American Revolution for Kids, A History with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert (Chicago Review Press, Inc., 2002.) BREW A BATCH OF ROOT BEER If Samuel Adams had stuck to brewing, Americans might be singing "God Save the King" instead of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Make this brew for Independence Day and make a toast to Samuel Adams! What you need: Small bowl 1 teaspoon dry yeast ½ cup warm water Stirring spoon 2 cups sugar 5 teaspoons root beer extract (available in the spice aisle of your local supermarket or from a home brewing supply company) Gallon jug with lid 8 cups hot water In a small bowl, stir the yeast in the warm water until it dissolves. Pour the sugar, yeast mixture, and root beer extract into the jug. Add the hot water, put the lid on the jar, and shake until the ingredients are mixed. Set the jug in a sunny window and let the mixture rest for several hours, then put it in the refrigerator until it is cold. Drink it the next day.

8. SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW! Make up a game using what you know about the American Revolution. Some suggestions would be a board game, a card game, or a trivia game. Share with your troop or family.

9. PASTTIMES FOR KIDS How did the children of the times keep themselves busy? Learn how to do one of the following: Stitch a simple cross-stitch sampler. Learn a colonial game such as I Wrote A Letter to My Love, Stool Ball, or Skin the Snake Learn how to write with a quill and ink

10. ADIOS KING GEORGE! Brush up on the Declaration of Independence. Who wrote it? Who was the first person to sign it? Why did the first person sign it so big? On parchment paper using pen and ink, write your own Declaration of Independence telling what you would have said to King George III. With adult supervision, soak in tea to darken the paper, then place it on a cookie sheet in the oven at low heat (250º or so) until the paper curls and dries. Check on the paper frequently. Roll paper into a scroll and tie your Declaration with a ribbon. Share with your troop or family.

11. FOOD FUN Bake something that would have been eaten during colonial times, such as brown bread, apple sauce, Johnny cakes, hobnails, applejacks, rose water sugar cookies or another revolutionary recipe. Service Project: Explain and share your food creations with a school group, nursing home, or younger Girl Scouts. (Check for dietary restrictions and list ingredients when sharing food with groups to avoid allergies.)

12. WE THE PEOPLE Write and perform a skit about the writing of the Constitution. Some characters you may need are Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, James Madison, John Adams and any others you may find you need. Share your skit with your troop, family, or younger Girl Scouts. You may use books like Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz, (ISBN 0698116240) or The American Revolution for Kids by Janis Herbert (ISBN 0613984668), or any other good source book for background information.

13. LOYALTY OR TREASON? Did all the people of the colonies want to break away from Britain? Find out about the Tories (people who supported staying part of Britain) or read about Benedict Arnold, the most famous revolutionary war traitor. Make a poster or song to share with your troop, family, or younger scouts.