GSWP
diabetes awareness patch for Junior, Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts (4-12th
grades) is an informal, educational program to help girls alert their
communities about the signs, symptoms and treatment of diabetes.
Requirements:
Juniors Complete 5 requirements plus the 3 starred.
Cadette and Seniors Complete 8 requirements plus the 3
starred.
*1 Research and explain the following:What is a
disease? Is diabetes a disease? Is diabetes contagious? Name a contagious disease.
2.
What
is the complete medical name for diabetes?
Identify the different types of diabetes and their treatments. Why is diabetes sometimes called “sugar
diabetes”? List as many warning signs ( symptoms) of diabetes as you can.
3.
Invite
a person you know who has diabetes to talk to your troop or group, or call the
American Diabetes
Association for a speaker,
914-345-9300.
4.
Talk
to your family and discover if any of your relatives have diabetes. If yes, find our how he or she deals with
it. If it is OK with your relative,
share this information with your troop.
5.
Interview
a health professional who deals with people who have diabetes such as: nurse
educator, physician, dentist, podiatrist ( foot doctor), registered dietitian
or ophthalmologist ( eye doctor). This
interview can be conducted by phone, in person or by inviting the person to
speak at your troop meeting.
6.
Explain
what is meant by “risk factor”. Discuss
with your troop the risk factors for diabetes.
List which diabetic risk factor you can change and which ones you cannot
change.
7.
Draw
a picture of the organ of the body which produces insulin.
8.
Explain
how insulin works in the body. What is
hypoglycemia? Why is it sometimes
called “insulin shock”? How is it
treated?
9.
List
some of the problems that can come from letting diabetes go untreated for a
long time.
10.
Make
a poster showing the 6 food exchange groups included in the standard diabetic
diet. List 3 foods from each group.
11.
How
does exercise help a person with diabetes?
Make a poster showing 5 different types of aerobic exercises that would
help a person with diabetes.
12.
As
a service project, help the elderly patients in a nursing home to do simple
wheelchair upper body aerobic exercises.
Check with nursing home officials for acceptable exercises OR Make tray
favors for the elderly to encourage all patients, especially those with
diabetes, to eat healthy foods.
*13 Contact the American Diabetes Association for materials and
video, “Diabetes: A Teacher’s Responsibility”, then a) be an advocate. Create a
diabetes awareness poster around the theme “Have you been tested for diabetes lately?”
Hang your posters in a well trafficked space. ( You may want to make this poster
in a language other than English). b) Participate
in the “Take the Test” service project. OR Ask a teacher or group of teachers to
view the film “Diabetes: A Teacher’s Responsibility”. Then have him/her complete the Diabetes Awareness
Test for Teachers included with the tape.
*14 When you fell ready take the Diabetes Awareness
Test and share your results with your troop.
When
completed “Sugar Patches” may be obtained from GSWP.