Girl Scout Guide to Mystic Seaport

Animals (Brownie Book pg 87)

4. Looks Mean Something:

Animals are divided into groups by the kinds of bodies they have. Find animals that match the descriptions in the list that follows by observing them in habitat, at the zoo, or in a book. How do their bodies affect the way they live?

Animals that have 2 legs, 4 legs, 6 legs or 8 legs, animals with no legs, animals that have fur, animals with feathers, animals with scales, animals that have shells, animals with wings but no feathers, animals with paws, animals that have claws, animals with flippers, animals with hooves

There are many animals at Mystic Seaport for you to observe.

Earth and Sky (Brownie Book pg 96)

5. Creatures of the Air

Observe the creatures of the air. During the day, you might see different kinds of birds, butterflies, bees, and other insects. If you are lucky, just as it is turning dark, you might see bats. How do they fly? Watch as many creatures as you can. Take notes about what you see. Share what you discover.

There are many flying creatures around Mystic Seaport. Come and check them out.

Eco - Explorer (Brownie Book pg 102 - 103)

1. Exploring Nature

Try and find both living and nonliving things in the natural environment. Do your best not to harm, move, or take away any of these things. Animals and plants may depend on them. See what you can find:

Non-living things: dew drops, smooth rock, shiny rock, sand, broken rock, water, sunlight, clouds, rock piles/cliffs

Living things: Flat green leaf, green leaf with pointy edges, green leaf with insect holes, green pine needle on a tree, insect, flower, cactus, mushroom, moss, squirrel, chipmunk, bird, worm

Signs of living things: ant hill, bird nest, bones, broken twigs/branches, brown leaves lying on the ground, bits of fur/feathers, spider web, animal footprint

Come visit with us and see what you can find.

Math Fun (Brownie Book pg 109)

5. Budget for Your Troop

When you or your troop plan an activity, you will usually need some money. Find out how much is in your troop fund. Then plan for two activities you would like to do....

Plan a trip here and do the math for your troop.

Outdoor Adventure (Brownie Book pg 121)

5. Touch, Smell, Listen

You can learn about the outside world by using all of your senses. In this hunt, you will need to use more than your eyes. Find the things in the out-of-doors that match the list of descriptions on this list. After you discover something, touch and smell the object as a way of finding out more about it.

Touch - Something rough, smooth, dull, pointy, soft, hard, bumpy, squishy, crumbly, wet

Smell - Something sweet-smelling, sour smelling, flowery, minty, bad-smelling, pinelike, lemony, fruity

Listen - to leaves rustling, snapping, birds singing, birds flying, animals moving, water running, insects buzzing, and the wind moving things.

Mystic Seaport is 19 acres worth of museum, much of which is outdoors. Come explore.

Ready, set, Go Camping (Brownie Book pg 125)

5. Knowing your Knots

Practice tying a few simple knots before you go on a camping trip. This will help you wrap up your sleeping bag and other gear. Besides it is a great skill to have... Practice tying an overhand knot and a square knot.

The Discovery Barn and the Children's Museum both have rope to practice knot tying.

Science in Action (Brownie Book pg 126)

1. Science and Technology Hunt

Technology is a way of using science to create tools that make life easier for people. Go on a science and technology hunt! Each of the things on the following list is an example of science or technology at work. How many of them can you find?

Something made of plastic, made from trees, that moves in a circle, that comes from the earth, that uses a switch, made of metal, that uses electricity, that uses wheels, that measures, that makes or uses sound, form the ocean, run by computers.

Come and explore once again and see what you can find.

Space Explorer (Brownie Book pg 138)

1. The Night Sky

Go stargazing with an adult who knows the planets and stars, or have an adult help you read a star map. Try and find the North Star, the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, or other groups of stars.

Go to our Planetarium and either take in a show for a small nominal fee or talk to the astronomer there and maybe they can help you with learning to read a star map.

Listening to the Past (Brownie Book pg 154)

2. If these Buildings Could Talk

With an adult, visit the historic buildings, monuments, and sites in your neighborhood or in the nearest city. Learn an interesting story or fact about each building you visit.

Mystic Seaport is teeming with historic buildings for you to learn about.

Money Sense (Junior Badge Book, pg. 22)

1. Troop Budget

With your troop.....and money earned through special projects. Then plan for a fun activity. Determine the cost, and figure out how long it will take to earn the money....

Taking a trip to Mystic Seaport could be the fun trip you plan!

On My Way (Junior Badge Book, pg. 25)

3. Travel Bug

Choose a spot away from your home town that you would like to visit for a weekend. Decide how you will get there, the people and places you want to visit, what you will wear, and what you will take with you. Figure out how much the trip will cost. Then, if possible, go to the place you have chosen.

Downtown Mystic is a great place to visit. Not only is the Mystic Seaport here
but there are other attractions as well. Makes for a great weekend get away.

6. Plan for a day

Plan a day trip by completing the Travel Action Plan in the "Adventures in Girl Scouting" chapter of your Junior Handbook. If possible, take the trip. After the trip, evaluate what you did. Discuss what went well and what you would do differently on the next trip.

Traveler (Junior Badge Book, pg. 27)

4. Document the Days

Plan and take a trip that lasts a weekend or more. On your trip, keep a diary or log, collect postcards, take photographs, make a video or slideshow, or make drawings of your travels. Share them with others when you return.

Downtown Mystic is a great place to visit. Not only is Mystic Seaport here,
but there are other attractions as well. Makes for a great weekend get away.

Local Lore (Junior Badge Book, pg. 51)

7. Take a Trip

Visit a local museum, historical society, library, or town hall to learn more about the history of your town or city. What new things did you learn. If you're a local, you can come learn what this area was like back in 1876.

A great exhibit for that is the River Scale Model. You could also visit the Buckingham-Hall house to learn about family life in the 1830s.

Finding your Way (Junior Badge Book, pg. 98 -99)

Outdoor Creativity (Junior Badge Book, pg. 110 - 111)

1. Many Ways to Be Creative

Use nature as you inspiration and create a drawing, painting, sculpture, or other work to share with others. Talk about why your subject appealed to you and what you hoped to show in your work.

Many people come to Mystic Seaport to draw or paint nature scenes; you can too!

7. A Garden Tour

Gardening can be a very creative pastime. Take a tour of a community garden, a botanical garden, or a number of gardens in your neighborhood. You can also tour gardens online. Look at the plants growing when you visit and ask about the succession of plants that will bloom the rest of the season. Notice the arrangement of the plants, the plants that need sun and those that need shade, those that are scented and those that aren't, and those that have other uses (such as herbs for medicine or cooking). Decide what you would plant in a garden of your own.

The Buckingham - Hall House has a family vegetable garden out back and flower garden in front. There is also a garden behind the Planetarium, in the backyard of the Burrows House, and gardens around the Children Museum. During the summer there are scheduled tours of the gardens or you can come explore them own your own.

Water Fun (Junior Badge Book, pg. 123)

6. A Sailor's Life

Do at least two of the following: Tie a fancy knot, sail a model boat, learn a song about the sea and sing it, or learn something about life on the water or under it.

Come take in a chantey show to learn songs of the sea.
You can learn a lot about life on the water here too!

Wildlife (Junior Badge Book, pg. 125)

2. It's All in the Details

Field scientists often sketch, draw, or photograph the plants and animals they study. Try your hand at drawing or taking pictures of a plant or animal you can easily observe. Use your pencil or camera to capture details, such as the shape of a flower, the color of a bird's eye, or the design on a butterfly's wing.

There is a lot of plant and animal life here. Come check it out.

Folk Arts (Junior Badge Book, pg. 154 - 155)

2. A Picture Tells a Thousand Thoughts

Look at some old photographs of your family or other people. Examine the poses, clothes, and facial expressions. Do they seem different from what you see in pictures taken recently? What do the pictures tell you about the people and their lives? Write captions or a short story about the pictures.

Photographs and paintings of people from the past are scattered all about Mystic Seaport.
Come see for yourself.

6. What Toys Tell Us

Find pictures of old children's toys or games, or visit a museum, historical house, or antique store. Talk to grandparents or older relatives who grew up in the pre-electronic age about the toys they played with as youngsters.

The Discovery Barn and Stones Store have toys from 1876 that you can see and use. Also, during the summer, there is a "Games on the Green" time where you can play with toys of the day.

10. Time Travel

Visit a place near you where antiques, historical crafts, or collections of folk art are on display. You might visit museums, antique stores, or places designated as historic landmarks. Find out how items on display where used in the past.

We are a historic museum with Historic Landmarks.
Come explore and see what folk art is displayed here.

"Making" Hobbies (Junior Badge Book, pg. 159)

4. Where and When

Learn more about your craft by looking at global and historical examples. Try finding global examples at craft fairs and museums, in books, and by surfing the web. Look for historical examples at antique shows, flea markets, museum, and in books. Discuss what you learned with your troop, group, or family members. If possible, show some examples of global and historical crafts to others.

You can find examples of knitting, weaving, sewing, painting, wood carving,
basket weaving, and others here at Mystic Seaport.

Math Whiz (Junior Badge Book, pg. 161)

9. Scale It

Visit a playground and measure or estimate the height, length and width of several pieces of equipment. Then, using what you learned, create a model, or drawing of it. Decide what your scale will be and note it on your model.

We have a small playground consisting of small model boats in front of the Planetarium.

Theater (Junior Badge Book, pg. 171)

10. See It Live!

Attend a play, a theatrical performance, a dinner theater, or a school or community production.

Come see "Tale of a Whaler," it's performed twice a day in the summer.

Toymaker (Junior Badge Book, pg. 173)

3. Toys Through History

Investigate the history of toys. What were some of the earliest kinds of toys? What kinds of toys did your grandparents play with? If possible, visit a museum or historical society to see a collection of toys. What kinds of materials were they made from? Learn how to make one of these toys and make it.

There are many great toys located in the Discovery Barn and in Stones Store.
During the summer there is a "Games on the Green" activity period.

Yarn and Fabric Arts (Junior Badge Book, pg. 179)

4. Knots

Learn how to make the following knots: Overhand, Square, Granny, Half hitch, Sheepshank and clove hitch.

The Discovery Barn and the Children's Museum have rope for you to practice your knot tying.

Aerospace (Junior Badge Book, pg. 181)

4. Think Sky High

Visit an airport, an airplane cockpit, a control tower, a space center, an aerospace museum, or a planetarium.

We have a Planetarium on grounds and you can participate in a show for a small nominal fee.

Music Fan (Junior Badge Book, pg. 195)

2. Listening to Something New

Listen to at least two types of music that are new to you - either live or recorded.

8. Music: Insight to History

It's fun to look back and listen to music that was popular in another time. Find two songs that were written during another time period of history. What does that music tell you about this period? Is that music still sung or played today?

Come hear a chantey show for one of the types of music that is new to you
and comes from another period in time. (April - November)

Sky Search (Junior Badge Book, pg. 213)

1. Mapping the Skies

Learn how to use a star map. Obtain or make such a map for your stargazing location that adjusts to the time and season when you are observing stars.

2. Constellations

Constellations are the stars that appear to be in groups when looked at from Earth. If you were to travel in a spaceship, you would find that most stars that look close together are actually billions of miles apart. Learn to identify at least five of the constellation seen from Earth.

3. Direction, Please

Learn about the North Star and why it has been used for navigation throughout history. Help others locate the North Star. Use the North Star to find two constellations or asterisms (parts of constellations).

4. Planets

Learn which of the nine planets are visible to the naked eye. Try to locate at least one of these during a stargazing adventure. If possible, use a telescope to help you see better detail. Write down what you discover.

8. The Sky is Falling!

Learn about meteors, meteorites, meteor showers and comets. Find out when meteor showers may be visible in your area. With an adult, arrange a meteor-watching party and count the number you see in an hour.

Take in a Planetarium show (for a small nominal fee) and ask questions to learn about the above topics. Come talk to the astronomers at the Planetarium, or they may even have time to show you how to use a star map.

From Fitness to Fashion (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 28 - 29)

Skill Builders #5: Develop a project on fashion in history. Select a period in American, the Victorian period, or the 1920s. Learn what styles were popular during that item. Or trace one item, such as hats, shoes or bathing suits and show how styles have changed over the years. Or develop your project on the fashions and cosmetics of another culture. Plan presentation on your topic.

Speak with any of our role players to learn about fashion in 1876. Roleplayers are generally out in the summer and on weekends in the late spring and fall.

Technology #2: Learn about the natural and synthetic fabrics. Select five fabrics such as silk, linen, and polyester. Learn how each fabric is created, and what types of clothes it is used for. Are clothes made from these fabrics suitable to wear in only certain seasons? Make a collage with illustration of fashions in a variety of fabrics for different occasions.

Visit the upstairs of the Buckingham - Hall House to see weaving looms and textiles in the mid - 19th Century. You can speak with the interpreter to gain more information on fashion.

Generations Hand in Hand (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 32)

Skill Builders #8: Find out about the elderly in different societies and cultures. What are their roles? How are they treated? Create an artwork that reflects what you have learned.

Visit the Buckingham - Hall House to discuss elder roles and treatment during the 19th century.

Travel (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 40)

Skill Builders #1: Sample two modes of travel that are unfamiliar to you, or that you'd like to learn more about. Consider a ferry, mountain bike, horse-drawn wagon, sleigh, canoe or horseback ride. Photograph your adventures and share them with your troop or group.

We offer horse and carriage rides April - November and we offer boat shuttle rides during the summer.

Career Exploration #4: Write a piece about a recent interesting trip you've taken or about a fantasy vacation, and send your article or story to a suitable travel magazine.

Understanding Yourself and Others (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 42 - 43)

Skill Builders #1: You can learn a lot about people by watching them - in school, in a public place, at a party. Observe body language (gestures, facial expressions, posture, etc.) and listen to what people say. Share at least five observations in a troop or group meeting.

The Museum is teeming with people for you to people watch.

Career Exploration #1: In many instances, people get hired for jobs because of their "people skills." Employees also get fired because of personality conflicts with others. Observe different types of people at work. What personal characteristics make them good (or bad) at what they do?

Come and observe any of our employees. They are out in the public eye... see what you notice.

From Shore to Sea (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 62 - 63)

Skill Builders #1: Learn about the creatures that inhabit ocean tide pools and the rocky shoreline. Discover these creatures firsthand or at the saltwater aquarium exhibit. Find out which creatures are filter feeders, grazers, predators, or scavengers, and observe their feeding habits. Compare and contrast the methods of protection, camouflage, and movement of each organism. Compare the rocky coast plants and animals with those of the sand beach and salt marsh.

There is lots of coastline here. Check out Australia Beach, behind the Australia Schooner exhibit. There is even a hands-on critter catch that takes place over the summer.

Skill Builders #6: Create a piece of art, a collection of poems, a slide or video show using pictures and music inspired by the ocean, or something else water-related. Share your work with family members or your troop or group, and explain to them the role of the ocean played in inspiring.

Technology #1: Tour a boat used in deep-sea fishing or in marine biology studies. What kinds of equipment are used to navigate, to find the depth of the ocean, or to perform studies?

You can visit the schooner L.A. Dunton or the Charles W. Morgan, our whaling vessel.

Career Exploration #4: Investigate two tourism careers that are associated with an ocean environment, such as working in an aquarium or on a cruise ship. What kind of training, skills, and education might be needed?

Career Exploration #5: Capture the ocean's beauty on camera, sketch pad, or by writing a poem or song about the sea.

Inventions and Inquiry (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 64 - 65)

Technology #2: Explain how changes in technology have altered at least two inventions in terms of function or design: for example, eyeglasses are now made with thin plastic lenses and have lightweight frames. Do some research in order to compare old and current models.

There are many inventions that have come about since the time period that Mystic Seaport emulates. From the way rope is made to the transition from man, wind powered vessels, to steam engines. Look around, I am sure you can find technologies that have changed and evolved since 1876.

It's About Time (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 66 - 67)

Career Exploration #1: Design two to three articles of clothing for a woman of another era, such as the Roaring Twenties or the Victorian era. Do your research through books, magazines, museum displays, or by contacting a local college's history department.

Come explore our many exhibits. Although we do not have a specific area showings women's fashion on grounds, there are many photos showing women in dress. You could speak with the interpreter in the Buckingham - Hall House or perhaps bump into a roleplayer on grounds.

Space Exploration (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 76 - 77)

Skill Builders #1: Find out about at least four of the following astronomical phenomena: quasars, pulsars, novas, supernovas, black holes, dwarf stars, giant stars, proto-stars, neutron stars, variable stars, cosmic clouds, and globular clusters. Can you observe any of these with the naked eye?

Skill Builders #2: Visit a museum, planetarium, observatory, or space center to learn about the history of space exploration, or visit the national Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) site on the Internet to find out about projects currently in progress. Make a file of your findings and develop a list of websites for others to explore.

Enjoy a Planetarium show for a small nominal fee and ask questions to get the answers you are looking for, or talk with one of our astronomers at the Planetarium to get the information you need.

Graphic Communications (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 96 - 97)

Technology #4: Find out how the technology in print shops, newspapers, or publishing companies has changed in the last 25 years.

Visit our Print Shop to learn about the printing process and the history of printing.

The Lure of Language (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 98 - 99)

Skill Builders #1: People who share a common activities or professions, like sports, computer science, medicine and the law often use specialized languages. Tennis, for example, uses terms like ace, love and foot fault. Some terms may not be known to people outside these fields. Create a small dictionary of specialized words for a particular activity or profession and share them with your troop or group.

Visit the "Whale-Ho to Fin-Out" or Sail Handling Demonstrations, the Whaleboat shed, Print Shop, Cooperage, or Shipsmith to learn about specific vocabulary for specific jobs in the 19th century.

Reading (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 106 - 107)

Technology #5: Visit a bookstore or exhibit that features old or rare books. Find out from the shop owner, curator or librarian how old books and manuscripts are preserved.

Visit any of our indoor exhibits and speak with an interpreter about our curatorial policies, visit and inquire at the Print Shop or make a trip to our Curatorial Department. Items in the Art & Objects Collection are available for viewing by appointment only. Please contact the Access Team at 860-572-0711 ext. 5367 to arrange a time. Fees may apply.

Technology #6: How were books made in the past? Trace the development of bookmaking. You might start with illuminated manuscripts in the late Middle Ages. If you can visit exhibits of rare books in museums or rare book shops in your community.

Visit the Print Shop to learn about printing documents and see the Voyages exhibit to see antique documents and books on display. You may also be able to make a trip to our Curatorial Department (call to set up an appointment: 860.572.5313) and see if they have old or rare books that you could see.

Architecture and Environmental Design (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 112 - 113)

Skill Builders #2: Freehand drawing translates mental images into pictures. Create three drawings of architectural space - a building from the outside, the interior of a room, and a view of the exterior as seen from the inside of a building. You may use pencil, pen, or a colored medium. Consider why these three different perspectives would be important to an architect. Share you sketches with someone.

Artistic Crafts (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 116 - 117)

Skill Builders #1: Choose your medium. You will probably want to experiment with several types of crafts before you find one that you really enjoy. Choose from among the following crafts: leather work, macramé, crocheting, quilting, decoupage, candle making, metal work, stained glass design, pottery, ceramics, printmaking, woodcarving, woodworking, jewelry making, floral design, basket weaving, or clothing design. When you have made a choice, do the following steps:

• Become familiar with the craft. Be able to explain the process and describe the tools need and where you would find them.
• Make a scrapbook with pictures, articles, and samples of this craft.
• Develop at least three different designs; complete one of them.

The above boldface projects can be done through the Hands on History programs, by visiting the for a Print Shop activity, or Sailors' Craft and Lore Program. These programs run April - November.

Collecting (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 118 - 119)

Career Exploration #4: Libraries must continually add to their collections of books. Interview a librarian to find out how she decides on which books to add to a collection. How does she keep track of all the books in the collection? How are valuable books and manuscripts preserved?

Visit the Research Library to speak with one of our librarians.

Heritage Hunt (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 124 - 125)

Skill Builders #4: Make a collection of pictures of old buildings in your community or local area. Include single and multiple-family dwellings, religious buildings, works sites, barns and silos, and outbuildings such as springhouses, milk houses, root cellars, or bake ovens. Choose one building and learn all you can about it - its architecture, its use, its former inhabitants.

Museum Discovery (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 130)

Technology #4: Visit a local museum and check if it is accessible to people with disabilities. What technologies are used to aid people with disabilities to visit museums? After your visit, make a list of recommendations on how you would improve the facilities.

On a High Note (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 132)

Skill Builders #3: Investigate the roles of music in your own and another culture. Is it a part of celebrations? What instruments are used? Compare the two cultures and create a visual and/or audio presentation. Share it with others.

Visit one of our Chantey Shows and ask the Chantey person about their instruments and types of songs and compare to our modern day music and popular instruments. April - November

Skill Builders #6: Attend at least three different types of musical performances or concerts. Keep a journal. Note, for example, the selection and quality of music played and its high points. Included sketches of the musicians and their instruments. Using your journal notes, put on your critic's cap, and write an article about one of the performances for a school or Girl Scout publication.

Visit one of our Chantey Shows as one of these performances. (April - November)

Visual Arts (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 144 - 145)

Skill Builders #4: Visit a museum, gallery, or shop that sells postcards of paintings. Do an art activity based on paintings you especially liked. For example, arrange to sketch the inside of a diner or restaurant that reminds of an Edward Hopper painting of an urban scene.

Visit our Mallory Gallery, Voyages Exhibit or Art Gallery Gift Shop to view a wide variety of maritime scenes. Sketch any of the historic vessels or buildings here at Mystic Seaport.

Women Through Time (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 146 - 147)

Skill Builders #3: Go to a library or a museum and look through magazines or newspapers from 20 or more years ago. How were women written about? If possible, go back even further in time. Can you see changes in the roles of women from one period to the next? What are the difference and similarities between images then and now? Be creative and make a historical or artistic collage to illustrate your findings.

Please visit the Research Library to speak with one of our librarians.

Skill Builders #6: Select an era in American history that interests you: for example, colonial American, the American frontier in the 1850's, the Roaring Twenties, or World War II. Find out what it was like to be a woman during that time period. Read a book, view a documentary, or visit a museum. Share your discoveries in a troop or group discussion, in an essay, or through illustrations.

Visit our Voyage Exhibit or talk with any of our female role players. Role players are out between April and November.

Technology #4: Learn a skill, domestic art, or craft practiced by women in earlier times but replaced by technology and busy lifestyles, such as home canning, quilting, knitting, soap making, weaving or basket making. Make something as a gift for someone.

Candle Making, Flower Pressing, and other projects can be done through the Hands on History programs, or Sailors' Craft and Lore Program. (Available April through November) Also visit the Buckingham-Hall House to learn about hearth cooking, weaving, canning, and preservation techniques.

Career Exploration #1: Interview someone who works in a field that deals with women's history: for example, a research librarian, an archivist, a costume maker, an author or journalist, or a women's studies teacher. Find out what she like about her job and how she sees it as connecting the past with the present and the future.

Speak with any of our female staff, especially in the Buckingham - Hall House, or at any of our demonstrations. Our role players are unable to go out of character to answer these questions. Please visit the Research Library to speak with one of our librarians.

Camping (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 152 - 153)

Skill Builders #2: Collect 10 recipes for outdoor meals that will minimize food preparation time and use of cooking fuel. Be careful to select foods that will not spoil. For a three-day camping trip, plan a well-balanced menu. Learn the proper procedures for setting up, fueling, and cooking on the stove you will be using. Show how to keep food and cooking supplies safely away from animals.

Recipes cooked over an open fire or with cast-iron ware are demonstrated in the Buckingham - Hall House. Some recipes are available there, but we also offer several cook books for sale in our gift store that can also be of use.

Orienteering (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 166 - 167)

Career Exploration #1: Learn about people who use maps or orienteering skills in their jobs. Make a list of careers that involve the significant use of a map and compass. Interview two people with such careers in person, by telephone, by fax, or by email. Find out about educational requirements and employment opportunities.

Interview our interpreters in the Nautical Instrument Shop, Planetarium, or leading interpreter of the Navigation Demonstration.

Smooth Sailing (Interest Projects for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts p. 174 - 175)

Skill Builders #2: Learn the communication signals and language used by sailors. Show that you know the meaning of nautical terms including: port and starboard, bow and stern, fore and aft, mast and boom, sheet and halyard, cast off and make fast, jibe and tack, lift and luff, heel and trim, head up and fall off; leeward and windward.

Speak to any of our interpreters on board the L.A. Dunton, Charles W. Morgan, or Joseph Conrad, and those leading the sail handling demonstrations. You can also find this information at the Discovery Barn.

Skill Builders #3: Show you "know the ropes"

• Tie and show the use of a figure-eight knot, bowline, cleat hitch, round turn and two half hitches, and reef (square) knot
• Practice handling line: making a coil, getting kinks out of a line, tying to a post, ring or rail. Making fast to a cleat, throwing a line for docking or towing

All of these knots and handling of line can be learned and practiced at the Discovery Barn. There is also rope you can use to practice in the Children's Museum.

Technology #2: Know how to tell where you are and how to get where you want to go. Do two of the following:

• Be able to tell direction by the sun and the stars.
• Practice dead reckoning, taking bearings, fixing your position and estimating time of arrival.
• Figure out the latitude and longitude of your home port
• Read chart symbols for aids to navigation and hazards on and under the water
• Plot courses for a day's run. Figure the true, Magnetic and compass courses.

Visit the Planetarium to discuss the above with one of our astronomers, view a planetarium show for a small nominal fee, visit the Nautical Instruments Shop, or listen in on the Navigation Demonstration. Nautical Instruments is generally open in the Summer on weekends.

Career Exploration #3: Bring maritime heritage to life. Learn and enjoy a tradition related to sailing, such as scrimshaw, macramé, ship modeling, or chantey singing.

Visit any of our Chantey Shows held April - November, to complete this requirement.