Democracy for Juniors Badge Activity

Activity Details

Time needed: 30–45 minutes

Materials needed:

• Computer, tablet, or phone with internet access 
• Index cards or slips of paper
• Pencils or pens
• Prizes (optional)

Setup: 

You’re going to discover some new things about America’s presidents while you create a presidential trivia challenge!

Activity: 

All state governments and the federal government are made up of three parts. These parts are called the branches of government. You can imagine the government like a tree with three branches on it: legislative, executive, and judicial. The government is divided in this way to make sure that power is shared, so no part has too much.

• The legislative branch makes laws. 
• The executive branch makes sure the law is carried out. 
• The judicial branch decides what the law means if there are questions.

The head of the executive branch in the U.S. is the president. Starting at age 18, citizens of the United States can vote for president every four years. 

Now it’s time to create your trivia challenge! Go online and research interesting facts about America’s presidents. Some examples: 

• Which president had a cat named Socks? 
• How many presidents have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? 

Come up with fun questions and quiz your friends or family. Can you think of prizes for the winners? You could even host a trivia night with your family at home or online with friends—you might make themed snacks or have guests dress up as their favorite president or presidential candidate.    

Reflection

Think about what you just did:

1. What was the most surprising thing you discovered?

2. Would you want to be president of the United States? Why or why not?

3. How can you share what you’ve learned with other girls?

Troop Leaders:  The instructions for all badge steps are available free of charge in your  Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit.

Girl Scouts at Home activities have been adapted from existing Girl Scout programming and optimized for use at home during a period of social distancing.

Adapted from Step 4 of the Democracy for Juniors badge. Purchase the badge booklet to complete all requirements and earn the badge. 

Made possible by a generous grant from the Citi Foundation.