People Are Talking (Brownie Try-it)

This Try-it was introduced in 1999 and retired in 2011.

People communicate not only with words but in other ways, too. Your tone of voice, how you say something, how you stand, and where you place your eyes will help you get your message across.

As with all retired Brownie Try-its, scouts need to complete 4 activities to earn the badge.

It's Not What You Say, But How You Say It
Say the following lines to a partner. Then say the same lines in a different way. Ask your partner if she hears a difference. Have her explain what the difference is.

Switch roles. Listen carefully to your partner as she says the lines in different tones of voice. Tell her what you thought she was saying each time she spoke the lines. Then ask her what she was trying to say.

"You're my best friend" "Do you want to come to my slumber party?" "You want to be my friend?" "I'm sorry"

Body Language
Your body has a language all its own. Watch a couple of television programs without the sound on. Can you tell what people are feeling? Who's happy? Who's angry? Who's lying? How can you tell?

Getting the Feel of Things
Play the "Guess the Feelings" game. In a bowl, place scraps of paper with different feelings written on them (for example, "excited" or "angry"). Take turns picking a piece of paper. Without using any sounds or words, try to express the emotion on the paper to the rest of the group. Then try to show the feeling using only part of your body: your head, your hands, or your eyes.

Do You Really Care?
A good listener is an active listener. She's someone who looks like she really cares what people are talking about. How does she do that? She:

Looks right at the person who is talking Doesn't get distracted by other sounds or actions Doesn't interrupt</li> Asks questions</li></ul>

Practice being a good listener with your Girl Scout troop. Sit in pairs. One girl tells a story. The other girl practices the above skills. Then switch. What did it feel like when you told your story to someone who was really listening to you? Was it hard to be an active listener?

Different Languages
English is our national language in the United States, but in many other countries people speak languages that sound foreign to us. Find out how to say three words or phrases in another language? What do the words or phrases mean?

Become Handy
Look at the sign language alphabet on pages 86-87 of the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook. Learn how to spell your name using sign language. Learn two phrases in sign language. Teach them to a friend.