Capstone - Echols - Wed — Science Leadership Academy @ Center City

Alex Held Capstone

Posted by Alexander Held in Capstone - Echols - Wed on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 10:54 am

When deciding upon an Capstone, my fellow group mates and myself knew we wanted to create something both interactive and interesting, not only for us, but for others. Having been involved in The Franklin Institute’s Project SPACE program as volunteers for a few years, we thought it’d be a great idea to showcase what we’ve learned as a part of the program and at the same time extend that knowledge to others. Our capstone was to teach an astronomy-based mini-course to SLA freshman at The Franklin Institute. All having a different area of expertise, we decided that we each have our own week to teach what we wanted in the course. The process of becoming more familiarized with the content than we’d already been was fascinating. We were given tremendous opportunities to work with great minds in the fields of science, astronomy, and astrophysics. Although we all put in many hours doing research and organizing our course content, the most challenging part was creating a lesson plan that students would enjoy. We each taught two classes, the first four weeks would be one group of freshman, and the next four a different bunch. The point of this was to show growth, comparing the first time to the second to see what we had changed. The main goals we set out to achieve were to educate students about astronomy and all its wonders, but at the same time inspire them to actively pursue additional knowledge of it.

Link to my Teaching Plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SdQGbz-O3dNiEt8kJfmiEz-fIAsehmdilfPN6PjSwDw/edit

Annotated Bibliography:

Darvill, Andy. "The Electromagnetic Spectrum: Home Page." The Electromagnetic Spectrum:

Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.darvill.clara.net/emag/>.

This website suits beginners who have little to no knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum. This is valuable to me and what I want to teach in my course because the electromagnetic spectrum is such an integral part of telescopic observation of the universe. This site gives me great analogies for how to electromagnetic spectrum works and even what uses each wavelength has in everyday life. An activity can be centered around what each wavelength can and cannot do for us. Additionally, posing a question to student that asks them why certain wavelengths are dangerous will allow them to think decide amongst themselves what the right answer is.

Fuchs, Miriam. "Teaching Astronomy." Personal interview. 23 Jan. 2014.

Miriam “Mimi” Fuchs is an employee at the Franklin Institute, who specializes in the study in red dwarf stars and most umbrella terms in astronomy. She and my group have collaborated over the past few months, along with Dr. Pitts and Dr. Stovall, on how the course would be run with what would be taught. She has given my group and I many idea for content and some suggestions for activities that will engage the audience. In our most recent meeting on Friday 1/23, she gave me and idea for an activity that would explain the way a reflecting telescope works and on a more basic level, the images that bent light creates. The idea of the activity is centered around the simplicity of the directions and the basic premise of bending light so that anyone can understand how a reflecting telescope functions without any confusing terminology or past experience necessary.

Learner, Richard. Astronomy through the Telescope. The 500-year story of the Instruments, the

Inventors, and their Discoveries. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York 1981

This book covers the 500 year development of the telescope in astronomy. It touches on important figures and crucial points in history that were essential to the progression of telescopes and astronomy overall. The book begins with the 14th century and ends in the 18th. The 17th century was the most important time for telescopic advancement, as many of the greatest minds in astronomy and physics like Galileo, Newton, and later Kepler, developed designs that inspired some of the most famous creations in astrophotography like the Hubble Space Telescope.

Lowe, Stewart, Chris North, and Robert Simpson. "What Am I Looking At?"What Am I Looking

At? Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 09, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.chromoscope.net/1.4.1/what.html>.

This website offers its viewers a look at the universe through different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spectroscopy is the study of how matter interacts with radiated energy. Typically, through this process, astronomers via telescopes are able to classify different types of stars through the elements they have inside of them, which are seen through different colors of light and wavelengths. This website is a fascinating and educational tool for showing students how the electromagnetic spectrum works and what spectroscopy is. Many activities could be centered around this website, specifically asking students what changing the wavelengths setting allows the viewer to do. The answer would be allowing the viewer to see celestial objects emitting different types of electromagnetic radiation and that we can only see certain thing under specific wavelengths, (i.e. x-ray stars’ light can obviously only be seen in the x-ray wavelength).

Pitts, Derrick, Sc.D. "Teaching Astronomy." Personal interview. 23 Jan. 2015.

Dr. Derrick Pitts is the Chief Astronomer and Planetary Director for the Franklin Institute. He graduated from Germantown Academy in Pennsylvania, then pursued his Master’s degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, and then finally received his honorary Doctorate in science from the LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Derrick Pitts is also my mentor for my capstone, as well as serving as mentor for the other members of my capstone group. He has been and continues to be a great resource for me. In a debrief meeting that he and I had last Friday, 1/23, we spoke of the ways I could improve my understanding of how the content that i am teaching and developing different ways to convey that content. He gave me an idea for an activity involving the way light is shifted and even bent as it travels through different mediums. In the example, it asked students to describe the similarities between three mediums that appear in everyday life: water, air, and glass, which the answer was transparency. The activity is an analogy for how reflecting telescopes work and how they see light from space.

Stovall, Idris, Ph.D. "Course Reflection & Performance Evaluation." Personal interview. 23 Jan.

2015.

Dr. Idris Stovall is the Mathematician and Director of STEM Youth and School Programs at The Franklin Institute. He received his Ph.D in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Over the past few months, I have worked Dr. Derrick Pitts and Dr. Idris Stovall, both great minds in sciences. Idris has collaborated with my group members and I about how to course should be facilitated, specifically the meat and bones of courses, like the dates that the classes will be held, and what each of should be focusing on with our individual teaching plans. Dr. Stovall met with my group and I on Friday along with Dr. Pitts. Dr. Stovall gave me a brief rundown of my performance on Wednesday, 1/21, letting me know how I did, giving me positive and constructive critiques. He recommended different forms of reflection that could be implemented into the course. For example, one possible form of reflection he mentioned, which we both spoke about, was giving the students a pre-quiz at the beginning of every class, and finishing the course with a post quiz containing important elements from each individual class at the end of the final class.

"Hubble Essentials." HubbleSite. Astronomy Inc., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<http://hubblesite.org/the_telescope/hubble_essentials/>.

This website gives the viewer a fascinating and enriching experience as they are able to discover the journey of the Hubble Space Telescope from its launch to present day, mentioning key points of discovery and astrophotography along the way, as well as few mishaps through through the years. The Hubble website has some incredible resources and even better that can be used to easily turn heads. The website overall provides great insight on how the telescope functions and what it has done for modern astronomy. The content on the site can aid anyone who desires to learn about or convey information to others about the Hubble and its missions.

"Hydrogen Alpha Explained." Hydrogen Alpha Explained. Astronomy Know How, 2006. Web. 30

Jan. 2015. <http://www.astronomyknowhow.com/hydrogen-alpha.htm>.

This website is a great resource that teaches the importance and benefits of proper filtration of telescopes when viewing the sun. Since the sun can obviously cause far more damage to a viewer looking through a telescope without the right filter or one at all due to the intense magnification, it is important that beginners learn the reason for filters and gain the knowledge of which filters they should use for which job. The hydrogen alpha filter allows the viewer to see, yep, hydrogen on the sun. Since hydrogen in its atomic form can only exist on the parts of the sun where the temperature is cool enough, the filter will only show it on the photosphere and chromosphere. Using a H-alpha filter, viewers are able to see things like solar prominences, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. This is vital for the course because there are two main filters used that telescopes use to observe the sun: hydrogen alpha and mylar, each showing different parts of the sun and different solar phenomena.

"Reflecting Telescopes." Reflecting Telescopes. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

<http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/light/reflecting.html>.

This website offers a full astronomy course, covering many topics regarding space and important figures in its history. The specific page I selected covered reflecting telescopes and their development from refractors, as well as a diagram showing how most models work. This is useful for me because refractors and reflectors and the the two most important types of telescopes, even though refractors and antiquated compared to reflectors. Reflectors create an image by bending light with sets of curved mirrors that direct the light towards the eye piece. This diagram is a great segway into an activity that involves comparing the two types of telescopes, refractors and reflectors.

"Refracting Telescopes." Refracting Telescopes. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

<http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/light/refracting.html>.

This website, the same as the one above, covers the mother of reflecting telescopes, refracting telescopes. Although refractors have been replaced by reflectors on a grander scale of astrophotography, refractors are not totally obsolete, and are much more affordable than refractors. The first telescopes used with lenses did not appear until roughly 400 years ago. The information on this website provides a diagram of how a refracting telescope works and also what flaws ultimately caused it to be replaced by reflecting telescopes. The people involved in the creation and widespread use of refracting telescopes are equally important as the machines they used. These figures include, Galileo, Hans Lippershey, and later Isaac Newton. All of these men are vital to the understanding of how telescopes came about.

Alexis Dean Capstone

Posted by Alexis Dean in Capstone - Echols - Wed on Friday, May 15, 2015 at 10:12 am

The purpose of a capstone is to demonstrate the learning and experiences we have had during the duration of our high school careers as well as being a student at SLA. In my capstone I wanted to incorporate everything that I learned to form something that I could be proud to leave behind as my legacy. I wanted it to demonstate who I was and what I have learned. Which has lead me to the idea of something that has been a huge part of my life, fundraising for a cause very near to my heart. I have been walking in honor of my grandmother and the Alzheimer's Association for nine years. This was the perfect topic for my capstone. This was my chance to teach many about something that is so swept under the rug. Not many people know what Alzheimer's is or how many people it really effects. The school setting allowed for me to share my knowledge and use it as the foreground for my fundraising. I went on to create my team and raise a grand total of $1,000.00 for future research. This project has allowed me to learn more than I already knew and taught me to be a better person. It taught me how to become an advocate, how to be a team leader, how to keep people motivated, raise awareness, keep a clear plan and how to be financially responsible. I have also taken photos and created a website to showcase all the work I have done this year.

Annotated Bibliography

7 Stages of Alzheimer's & Symptoms | Alzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2015, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp

This source provides a background to the seven stages of Alzheimer’s disease. I selected this source because it allows people to be able to notice and diagnose onset symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease so that they can get help if any of these symptoms are present in them or their family members. I found this source useful because when creating my pamphlet about Alzheimer’s I used these stages to make people aware of what the major stages and symptoms are and when to be able to seek help.

Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2015, from http://www.nia.nih.gov/ alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet

This source provides basic information about Alzheimer’s disease. I selected this source because in the early stages of research you need a basic background to be able to better explain what you are working towards and why and be prepared to answer as many questions as possible. I found this source useful because it gave me answers to the general questions that people ask everyday with quick and short answers for them. One limitation was that it was only facts, no deeper research. Due to that limitation I had to further my research into the disease itself so that I am more aware of just exactly what happens and what causes it.

Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http:// www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/questions/frequentlyasked.html

This source provides answers to frequently asked questions about Alzheimer’s Disease. I selected this source because it went along with the previous fact sheet source listed above, I selected it because it crosschecked information and allowed me to become more of an expert in the topic of Alzheimer’s disease and be able to teach other about it during my capstone. I found this source useful because it contained more information that went along with the other information listed above and allowed me to become more of an expert. One limitation I found was the source wasn’t that detailed and I found it to be extremely short.

Latest Medication for Memory Loss | Alzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2015, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_standard_prescriptions.asp

This source provides an insight into the latest medications to treat memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s Disease. I selected this source because I wanted to know what was being done currently to treat the one main symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease which was memory loss. I wanted to be able to know a little bit more about what the money being raised goes towards and

what walking for the cure actually does. I found this source useful because it allowed me to really see what I am walking for each year and what all current donations go to and how people with Alzheimer’s are being treated to fight this nasty disease.

(n.d.). Retrieved January 03, 2015, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159442.php

This source provides the medical details behind just exactly what Alzheimer’s Disease is and what it causes later on in life and what it causes. I selected this source mainly for background research purposes. I needed to be able to have options and I felt the only way that that would happen would be to find as many options and sources as possible. I found this source useful because this allowed me to be an expert and I like that. One limitation that I found was that I have multiple background information sources and they can be a bit drawn out.

Mace, N., & Rabins, P. (1999). The 36-hour day: A family guide to caring for persons with Alzheimer disease, related dementing illnesses, and memory loss in later life (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

This source is the perfect guide for families caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease. It is a how to book that gives you detail by detail about what is going to happen to your loved one during their time with Alzheimer’s, memory loss, illnesses that come dementia and ways to cope and help your loved ones through this tough time and help give you tips as the caretaker in how to help them and how to remain sane throughout it all.

Shua-Haim, J., & Ross, J. (n.d.). Alzheimer's Syndrome and not Alzheimer's disease: The historical struggle to define the disease. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, 92-95.

This source is a journal debate that begins to talk about why Alzheimer’s Disease should be labeled a Syndrome and not a Disease and the great struggle in trying to name and define the disease. I have found this source incredibly resourceful because this has become an eye opener for me because I feel as though it should be a syndrome because I feel like disease generally turns people in a negative connotation towards it and I feel like that always isn't a good thing. One limitation of this source that I found was that I think a lot of these arguments are invalid.

Take Action | Alzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2015, from http://alz.org/ advocacy/take-action.asp

This source is how to take action against Alzheimer’s Disease and how to become an advocate. I selected this source because I have recently become an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. It is a very simple process and therefore many people should just fill out the simple form and become an advocate. I found this source useful because I feel like it was simple and that this is a good thing to place in my capstone presentation for those who may not have known about it already.

Wandering and Dementia | Caregiver Center | Alzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2015, from http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-wandering.asp

This source is about one of the main things that comes along with Alzheimer’s Disease, which is wandering. I selected this source because I wanted to show the negative things that happen due to Alzheimer’s. I wanted other people to know what happens when there are not a great deal of care available and when medicines aren't readily available either. Wandering leads to many disappearances and many loved ones are put at risk. With the lack of memory and wandering. It is not a good combination and therefore that is why I chose this link because this needs to be prevented.

What Is Dementia? (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2015, from http://www.alz.org/what-is- dementia.asp

This source is teaching about what dementia is and the ability to be able to identify what dementia is and how to cope with it. Many people are unaware of the causes and treatments of dementia and they need to be able to understand it to the fullest. The reason I selected this source is for the ability to raise awareness during my project than any other reasoning. It is hard for me to do a project like this, considering my loss however I need this to become an issue that is readily available for p-people to understand. The only limitation I have with this source is the fact that there isn't any thing that would lead to the possible prevention, however I feel like this could lead to many things.

Williams, J. (n.d.). Role of The Immune System and Inflammatory Response In The Aetiology of Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia, S285-S285.

This source is about the way that your immune system reacts when Alzheimer’s Disease is present. I selected this source again for the ability to be more aware about what goes on inside your body during the time when Alzheimer’s Disease is present and I feel like that is incredibly important and is something that everyone should be aware of because I feel like this is an incredible change in your body whether it is for the good or for the bad and I selected this source because it talks about the role of Alzheimer’s in your body and is just another piece of the puzzle to be completed with further research.

Jules James Capstone

Posted by Jules James in Capstone - Echols - Wed on Thursday, May 14, 2015 at 8:44 am

My name is Jules James and my project will be teaching women some of the ways they could take care of their hair, to know what care of hair to buy and to receive a maximum hair growth. A basic overview of my project is I’m creating a YouTube channel based on hair. This channel will include weave reviews, how I take care of my hair with different techniques, and all the products I use. The way my hair channel is different from the others is the age difference. Mostly everyone else who have a hair channel is in their adult life working or in college. But not me. I’m a high school senior trying to get into college and work every weekend. By having all of this in my life, I will show that girls my age are capable of doing their hair with a professional look just as well as women with time on their hand.

And now that I'm at the end of my project, I learned so much. For instance. I inspire girls like me who are always so busy to take the time to care for their hair more. I got to build these girls’ confidence up so they know that they are capable of taking care of themselves without having to dish out thousands of dollars to someone to do something that they can do for free. Also, I learned that get people interested you have to be very enthusiastic and not dull at all. You have to promote yourself to get people to watch. And some of the comments I received on my videos gave me some good ideas and more of them were confident boosters. When you watch my channel I hope you see all the hard work and fun put into my project. And note that even though this project is due and done I'll be continuing it during the rest of the school year and after high school.

Click here to view my channel and the rest of my videos.

Bibliography:

Wedmore, James. "6 Ways to Grow YouTube Subscribers and Your Exposure." Social Media Examiner RSS. N.p., 15 May 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. .

This source provides information about how to increase my YouTube subscribers for beginners.

I selected this source because on this site it shows the amount of subscribers the person who created this article have that’s an amount of subscribers I could use. I found this source useful because my subscriber count is low and I need to find a way to increase it even though I only have one video uploaded. One limitation of this source was the information on how long did it take him to get the amount of followers he has. But other than that I feel like this site is very reliable and informative.

"How to Grow Long Hair If You Are a Black Female." WikiHow. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. .

This source provides information about how to grow healthy long hair for an African-American female. I selected this source because it give a lot of information about the correct way to take care of your hair that specifically benefits black women. I found this source useful because I actually do some of these things and I’ve seen progress in my hair I could be living proof that some of these things work. One limitation of this source was someone to actually say this actually work. People like me like to have someone comment or say that doing these things got my hair to waist length in 4 years.

Liong, Mireille. "Natural Hairstyles, Hair Care, Events, Stories, News and Black Hair Products." Natural Hairstyles, Hair Care, Events, Stories, News and Black Hair Products. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. .

This source provides information about all the African-American women that made the decision to go all natural when it comes to hair. This source also provides the background on celebrities that also decided to go natural, which inspired some of these women to g natural too. I selected this source because it provides stories from real women about how and why they decided to go natural and it’s also been around for a while so that help shows it been very useful to the public, which is the reason new events still occur on this site. I found this source useful because it shows natural hairstyles that I could use it and it also have a section on the site where you could find hair salons for natural women. This source also gets how to’s for a natural healthy head of hair. One limitation of this source was everything seemed to be cluttered together so it was hard to try to find all the information I need from this site.

"How to Take Care of Black Girls' Hair." WikiHow. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. .

This source provides information about how to take care of your hair but more in a product sense. I selected this source because it helps me out with talking about why the products I use helps my hair to grow other than just using protective hairstyles. I found this source useful because this explained the products more in a scientific sense other than just saying that use this and use that. There was no limitation to this site. It provided all the facts that I still was looking for about the science behind hair growth and it helped me look at how to grow hair in a different sense.

"4th Month Update on Hair Growth. Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, & Biotin."YouTube. YouTube, 4 Aug. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb4Y5VFYsi0>.

This source provides information about how biotin, Pure castor oil, and coconut oil helps your hair to grow. And this is not a scripted video. You can tell that in this video the woman is in her bed doing a casual video about how tells products helped her and she showed her results from using them. I selected this source because in this video you can tell that she wasn’t faking her results and she also talked about her mistakes and what she could do differently next time. I found this source useful because you can tell that she wasn’t an actress trying to tell you the things you want to hear and this is an inspiration for one of my videos. One limitation of this source was she didn’t show a before and after pictures to show progress throughout the months.

"Relaxed Hair Care Regimen To Healthy Long Hair (Very Long & Detailed)."YouTube. YouTube, 4 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku_3mx-kMHs&index=27&list=PL9orcA_5WrpC1I3IaiGwlSNCBrLfXBFKY>.

This source provides information about her journey on how she grew out her relaxed hair and received long and healthy new hair. I selected this source because one of my videos will be similar to hers, but the difference is I’m not relaxing my hair anymore. I’m trying to grow my hair without a perm or a relaxer. I found this source useful because other than the how to’s she gives more specific information about the products she uses and how it benefits her. Also in her description box she listed all the products that could help with hair growth. To me, this was a good example of an informative and interesting hair journey video.

"9 Everyday Protective Hairstyles(Relaxed/Texlaxed&Natural Hair)."YouTube. YouTube, 18 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx6Hhdz6Izo&list=PL9orcA_5WrpC1I3IaiGwlSNCBrLfXBFKY&index=5>.

This source provides information about how to do 9 different protective hairstyles. I selected this source because just like me this is a girl in her teens showing the viewers how she do her protective hairstyles and how easy and fast it is to do these hairstyles. I found this source useful because with these hairstyles you do need weave so I can show my viewers how I can naturally rock my hair and still keep it protected. One limitation of this source was some of the hairstyles had too much of her hair out which took out the meaning of “protective”. For the hairstyles to be considered a protective hairstyle it must protect your ends from breaking off.

"How to Make a 3/4/u-part Wig(tutorial+ Tips)." YouTube. YouTube, 4 June 2011. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH8MkBLoWao&index=24&list=PL9orcA_5WrpC1I3IaiGwlSNCBrLfXBFKY>.

This source provides information about how she created her U-part wig and the different techniques she used to make it. I selected this source because the visual was every clear to see everything she did and she showed that making a U-part wig could be easy if you take your time and have the right items. I found this source useful because she made some mistakes while making her wig and it helps me out to make sure I don’t make the same mistakes she did. One limitation of this source was she didn’t show how she installed it to her hair and how what as her results at the end.

"Natural Black Hair Care." Natural Black Hair Care. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://naturalblackhaircare.com/waystogrowhair.php>.

This source provides information about the factors of how to grow your hair longer and healthier. This site also provided information how to care for children’s hair and natural hair care. I selected this source because this site is more fact based other than things people hear. They focus on things like genetics, nutrition, age, and other things. I found this source useful because it teaches me things about my hair that I never knew. For example, I didn’t know that age could affect the way the hair grow. There was no limitation because very part of this site was informative.

Oliver, Dana. "Want To Maintain Natural Hair? Read These 8 Tips--Now." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/natural-hair-care_n_1499453.html>.

This source provides information about a real African-American woman who has gone natural. I selected this source because in this article she answers questions about her being natural and basically informing women on what to look forward to if they decide to become natural. I found this source useful because these questions are questions that were not answered from my other sources so this show that getting the information from someone who’s experienced in being natural is better than getting information from people who're just talking about it. There were no limitations because her article was straight forward and it didn’t leave me thinking about whether what she’s saying is a fact or not.

Melanie Harrington Capstone

Posted by Melanie Harrington in Capstone - Echols - Wed on Monday, May 11, 2015 at 12:36 pm

For my capstone I decided to make a fitness patch program that girl scouts of all ages could earn. There aren’t many patches dedicated to fitness and health that girls could explore.Fitness is something that I find very important and I wanted to give others the opportunity to learn about it. I created two sets of requirements for girls to follow depending on their ranking (Brownie, Junior, Cadette, etc.). I then put these requirements into action by conducting an event with the girls at one of our weekly meetings. Everyone who participated will be given a patch for their hard work. I learned a lot through this project, like how to plan events and how to work with children of all ages. I think the girls that I worked with really enjoyed themselves and learned valuable things about exercise and taking care of their body.

Below are the requirements for the Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts that I created.

Fitness Is Fun Patch Program

Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Patch Requirements: Must complete at least 8 requirements (3 skill builders, 3 technology, 1 career exploration, 1 service project)

Skill Builders

Learn how to do two new exercises for each of the following body parts: calves, thighs, abs, and arms. Incorporate these into a fitness routine of your choosing and add some cardio work as well. Cardio exercises may include jumping jacks, high knees, and zumba.
What is self-esteem? Research the way exercise and fitness has an effect on a person’s self-esteem. Do people typically feel better after they exercise? Why or why not? Share your findings with a group.
Being fit is more than physical. There are a lot of mental aspects that tie into fitness. Research 3 different mental disorders that benefit from eating healthy and exercising. How does this help?
Using the right equipment is essential for any activity. They help prevent injury and provide different uses that vary from activity to activity. Choose and research three different sports (these may include running, dancing, gymnastics, etc.) and what equipment they require and why. What injuries do these pieces of equipment prevent?
Yoga is another great way to exercise and stay fit. It promotes both mental and physical health and emotional balance. It can be used as a strengthening exercise and as a way to stretch and elongate your body. Research different kinds of yoga and incorporate them into your fitness routine.
Being fit is more than simply exercising. In order to be truly fit you must find a balance between staying active and eating healthy. Differentiating between what is healthy or not can be really hard. This is what nutrition labels on food packages are for! If you are doing it right, you should be able to eat whatever you want, but in moderation. Find a new healthy snack that you think you will like and try it!

Technology

Research different ways that technology is used in sports. Some things to consider are how sports channels broadcast and comment on live sports events, how scoreboards in basketball games are used, and how people use technology to stay up to date with sports.
Research different ways in which technology is used in the running world. How do runners track their progress? How do races time thousands of people all at once? What are some tools that people use to track their diet and exercise?
A person’s heart is one of the most important organs in their body. It is imperative that their heart stays strong and healthy especially when they are engaged in physical activity. What are some different heart conditions and how has technology changed the way we are able to detect them and monitor them?
What are some different types of equipment that a person might see in a gym? What parts of the body do they work?

Service Project

Run a workout clothes drive in your school or girl scout troop and donate them to your local thrift store.
Research the way performance enhancing drugs affect the body. Make posters to hang in your school protesting their use.
Reuse an old running shoe or sneaker as a flower pot to plant something of your choosing. Take care of your plant until it has grown significantly and then plant it in a local garden or park.

Volunteer at a local race for runners/walkers. Pay attention to the type of planning and organization that goes into running an event that large.

Career Exploration

Learn about and research 5 different careers involving fitness. How long do you have to go to school? What are some responsibilities that come with the job? Are these things that seem interesting to you? Share your new information with a group.
Interview a personal trainer at a gym. Ask them how they keep their clients motivated, what techniques and tips they have for working out and staying fit, and how they got to become a personal trainer. Feel free to ask any questions you are interested or curious about.
Read two stories about women who have impacted the world of fitness. What did they do? Why was it significant?
Watch a documentary on a famous Olympian or sports player. What are some obstacles that they faced? How did their dedication affect their current position? What other things factored into being successful?

Below are pictures from my event on May 5, 2015.

Bibliography

"4 Yoga Poses That Should Be Part of Your Cool-Down." ACE Fitness. The American Council

on Exercise, 14 May 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<https://www.acefitness.org/blog/4857/4-yoga-poses-that-should-be-part-of-your-cool-

down>.

One of the requirements for my patch program is to learn different yoga stretches and to incorporate them into a workout routine of your choosing. I chose this requirement as one of the activities I will be completing with the girls during my event. I’m not very familiar with yoga and this site was one of the first helpful ones I came across. I must admit however that I was skeptical about this sources reliability. Upon doing some research on the American Council on Exercise I found that they were a nonprofit organization that offers fitness certification, education, and training. This source provides different cool down yoga poses that would be great to stretch different parts of the body at the end of a workout.

Ambassador: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2011. Print.

Brownie: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2011. Print.

Cadette: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2011. Print.

Collins, Sonya. "The Truth About Stretching Find out the Best Ways to Stretch and the Best

times to Do It." WebMD. Ed. David T. Derrer. WebMD, 25 Feb. 2014. Web. 29 Jan.

2015. <http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/how-to-stretch>.

WebMD is one of the few medical sites that I can truly rely on. I’ve used this site before in the past to conduct research for multiple classes. It is a very well known site that diligently provides sources for the information published by them. This article gave me great insight on the pros and cons of stretching before and after a workout. They has been a strong controversy recently regarding whether doing static stretches before a workout is the best thing for you. This article has taught me something new about stretching that I can and will share with/teach the girls during my event.

"Cool Down Postures." The Mobile Yoga Workout Blog. N.p., 9 June 2010. Web. 29 Jan.

2015. <https://mobileyogaworkout.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/cool-down-postures/>.

Whenever I conduct research I am always wary about different websites that may come up in my google search. This blog was one of them. I don’t normally put a lot of trust into homemade blogs and websites because they’re just not very reliable sources. They’re often filled with more opinion than fact, never cite their sources, and it’s hard to connect the site back to a publisher/author. However, this source has proved to be useful by providing me with detailed descriptions and pictures of yoga poses that would be perfect to include in my event. The poses on here are unique from any other source I have used and all of the information on this blog was corroborated with other sources of information.

"Cross-Training." Senior: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA, n.d.

N. pag. Print.

Over the years girl scouting has changed a lot of things. For example, their badge books. It’s hard to keep up with all of the new changes, especially if you are accustomed to the old ways. One of these revolutionary ideas that the Girl Scouts have come up with is to promote more empowerment to women as opposed to their physical and mental wellbeing. This patch is one of the very few new fitness patches I could find in any of the badge books, including the ones or the younger girls. This patch was created by the Girl Scouts of the USA and I completed this badge as a senior myself. I found some of the activities in here helpful for finding things to add to my event while still planning. This source challenges girls to get moving and create their own workout routines and sports events.

Daisy: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2011. Print.

"ELEMENTARY: MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015." CrossFit Kids. CrossFit Kids, 25 Jan.

2015. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://crossfitkids.com/elementary-monday-january-26-2015/>.

Harrington, Melanie A. Workout Routine. Philadelphia: Google Docs, 29 Jan. 2015. PDF.

Hayward, Lee. "A Beginners Guide To Gym Equipment And Workout Accessories." Lee

Hayward's Total Fitness Body Building. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<http://www.leehayward.com/gym_equipment/>.

Interest Projects: For Girls 11-17. New York: Girl Scouts of the United States of America,

1997. Print.

Junior: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2011. Print.

"Make Your Own." Ambassador: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the

USA, n.d. N. pag. Print.

This was another badge in the newer badge books that proved to be helpful. Because I am

creating and running my own patch program, I needed to think about how I was going to design the event/requirements and how I was going to get badges. This section in the Ambassador badge book is walks you through step by step the process it takes to complete and earn a badge. This gave me an idea of how to set up my patch requirements for each age level and I was able to find a website that enabled me to order or design my own patches.

Mezzaroba, Isabella, Nia Godwin, and Haley Arici, comps. Ambassador Troop #97234. 29

Jan. 2015.

I have been a girl scout for 12 years. During this time I have made a lot of friends, all of whom have supported me in any endeavors that I have had prior to this capstone idea. We’ve planned to teach at patch programs before for younger girls but we have never been left in charge to plan the actual program itself. From my experience teaching at these patch programs, I know that I’m going to need to enlist the help of my fellow girl scouts to set up, clean up, gather the girls, run different activities, etc. I can’t handle 44 first graders on my own for two hours straight. These three girls have agreed to help me when the time comes to carry out my event.

"Nature, Science, and Health: Women's Health." Interest Projects: For Girls 11-17. New York:

Girl Scouts of the United States of America, 1997. 82-83. Print.

Peanut/Nut‐Free Snack List. Ohio: Buckeye Valley K12, n.d. PDF.

<http://www.buckeyevalley.k12.oh.us/docs/Peanut%20Free%20Snack%20List.pdf>.

One of the skill builders in my patch requirements is to learn about a healthy snack and

then try it. This is one of the experiences that I will be giving these girls during the event. Some of the girls in each troop are allergic to peanut butter so in order to ensure that everyone can get a healthy snack that provides protein, salt, and carbs, I researched different healthy snacks that don’t catin any peanut butter. This PDF is from a school district in Ohio and it lists the nut-free snacks that the school provides its children. This gave me the idea of giving the girls cheese sticks and pretzels.

Perry, Marc, CSCS, CPT. "Best Full-Body Stretch Before You Work Out." The Huffington

Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc, 10 Aug. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/builtlean/full-body-stretch_b_4042604.html>.

I have used the Huffington Post when conducting research for english papers and other various assignments. I find that popular news papers like this one tend to be filled with reliable information. In this article, I learned about different full body stretches to do before a workout. This source not only provided me with ideas on how to stretch at the beginning of a workout, but it told me that dynamic stretching is a lot better for your body before a workout as opposed to static stretching. It also explains that dynamic stretching moves full groups of muscles at a time to get the moving.

"Practice with Purpose."Junior: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA,

n.d. N. pag. Print.

Printable 5-4-3-2-1 Workout…Cardio and Strength! 2012. Fit Fab Cities. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

<http://www.fitfabcities.com/2012/01/17/printable-5-4-3-2-1-workout-cardio-and-weight

s/>.

Senior: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2011. Print.

Shaffer, Alyssa. "Stretch for Greater Flexibility." Fitness Magazine. Meredith Corporation, n.d.

Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/yoga/poses/stretching-tight-muscles/>.

Sindoni, Barb. "Creating a Girl Scout Patch Program: Planning." Personal interview. 27 Jan.

2015.

I have known Barb Sindoni for about 9 years and she’s been a girl scout leader for close

to 30. Her knowledge on the ways of scouting is far beyond anything I have experienced in my 12 years of girl scouting. I picked Barb Sindoni to be my mentor for my Capstone as well. She really knows her stuff when it comes to girl scout protocol and has a lot of experience with dealing with girls of all ages and planning events for them. I sat down with her in a meeting this past week and we discussed the next steps of my project. She provided me with useful tips and information on where to take my project from here.

"Sports & Fitness - #60858 Fitness Is Fun." Joycrest. Joycrest, Inc, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.

<https://www.joycrest.com/?page=stock&action=patch&id=2459&sess_id=cb4icp0saof

jo109j2d5v6as12>.

Joycrest is the website I will be using to order my patches once my patch program is over. Every girl who participates will receive one patch that I have specially chose for my event. I know a lot of people who have used this website before and when I began asking where I can find a place to get patches, Joycrest kept popping up. This source gives me a wide array of categories to choose from when picking a patch. I can order in bulk and the price changes for each patch depending on how many I order at a time. This is a great resource to get the rewards that my hardworking girls will deserve. This website also allows me to personally customize any patch of my choosing.

"Sports and Recreation: On the Playing Field." Interest Projects: For Girls 11-17. New York:

Girl Scouts of the United States of America, 1997. 164-65. Print.

"Sports and Recreation: Sports for Life." Interest Projects: For Girls 11-17. New York: Girl

Scouts of the United States of America, 1997. 176-77. Print.

"Staying Fit."Junior: The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. N.p.: Girl Scouts of the USA,

n.d. N. pag. Print.

"The World of Well-Being: Sports." Girl Scout Badges and Signs. New York: Girl Scouts of the

United States of America, 1990. 44-45. Print.

"Top 25 At-Home Exercises." ACE Fitness. The American Council on Exercise, n.d. Web. 29

Jan. 2015. <http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/fitness-programs-article/2863/Top-25-At-Home-Exerc

ises/>.

CAP-029

Term: 2014-15

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