In this activity, students will place photographs of first ladies with Girl Scouts from 1931 to 2015 in chronological order (as well as a photograph of President Kennedy with Girl Scouts). They will reflect on how the photos reflect cultural changes over time.
Suggested Teaching Instructions
This activity is appropriate while learning about the roles and duties of the first lady of the United States, cultural changes in the 20th and early 21st centuries, and the history of Girl Scouts. Recommended for students and/or Girl Scouts in grades 2-8. Approximate time needed is 30 minutes.
Girl Scouts/students can complete the activity individually, in small groups, or in a full-group setting with the teacher or scout leader walking students through the historical photographs and the process of placing them in order.
To begin, open the student activity and read through the introduction, which provides a brief background on the founding of Girl Scouts and how the first lady became the honorary president.
Ask students/Girl Scouts to look at the group of photographs as a whole and hypothesize which photographs are older, which might be in the middle, and which are newest. Encourage discussion about black-and-white versus color photography, clothing styles, and cultural symbols.
Next, complete the activity as a full group with class/troop input, or ask students/Girl Scouts to open the activity themselves and begin work. Remind them to click on "Show Hints," which will help them arrange the photographs in the correct chronological order. The orange "open in new window" icon on each photo will provide more information, including which first lady is pictured.
After the photographs are in correct order, lead a group discussion based on the following questions, which are provided after clicking "When You're Done":
- How did the Girl Scout uniform change over the years?
- How do the changes in uniforms reflect cultural changes over time (in the 20th and early 21st centuries)?
- What else do you notice changed through the years?
After discussing these questions, you may wish to share the following information about each first lady's involvement with Girl Scouts of the USA:
- Lou Henry Hoover was first lady from 1929-1933. Her involvement with Girl Scouts spanned decades. Juliette Gordon Low recruited Lou Henry Hoover in 1917 to serve as acting commissioner of the Girl Scouts in Washington, DC. She twice served as Girl Scouts president, once in the 1920s and again in the 1930s. It was during her second term that the Girl Scouts leadership approved a national plan to bake and sell cookies in support of scouting.
- Eleanor Roosevelt served as honorary president of Girl Scouts of the USA from 1933-1945 during the Great Depression and World War II.
- Bess Truman served as honorary president from 1945-1953. In that role, the first lady would accept the first box of Girl Scout cookies at the start of Girl Scout cookie season.
- Mamie Eisenhower was first lady from 1953-1961. As honorary president of the Girl Scouts, she occasionally wore a Girl Scout uniform.
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was first lady from 1961-1963 and was the honorary president of Girl Scouts.
- Lady Bird Johnson was first lady from 1963-1969, serving as the honorary president of Girl Scouts during those years. On March 12, 1962, when her husband, Lyndon B. Johnson, was vice-president, she celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Girl Scouts.
- Pat Nixon was first lady from 1969-1974 and embraced the role of honorary president of Girl Scouts. Her two daughters, Trisha and Julie, were Girl Scouts — and she was their troop leader.
- Betty Ford was first lady from 1974-1977. On August 11, 1976, she became the 11th honorary president of Girl Scouts.
- Rosalynn Carter was first lady from 1977-1981, serving as honorary president of Girl Scouts during that time. She marked the 65th anniversary of the Girl Scouts' founding with a reception featuring one scout from each state.
- Nancy Reagan was first lady from 1981-1989 and as the honorary president of Girl Scouts during that time. In 1985, Girl Scouts released educational resources on contemporary issues, including "Just Say No to Drugs," at a tribute luncheon in her honor. The slogan "Just Say No" is attributed to Nancy Reagan and was used in her anti-drug campaign while she was first lady.
- Barbara Bush was first lady from 1989-1993. She eagerly accepted the invitation to be honorary president of Girl Scouts and was active in many Girl Scout events. She spoke at the Girl Scouts' 80th birthday celebration on March 12, 1992, held at the U.S. Department of Agriculture atrium where she helped launch a new national service project: "Girl Scouts Care for the Earth."
- Hillary Rodham Clinton was first lady from 1993-2001, serving as the honorary president of Girl Scouts during those years. As a child, she had been a Girl Scout and earned many awards. On September 9, 1996, Hillary Rodham Clinton participated in a Girl Scouts smoking prevention event at the White House, one of many events in which she was involved.
- Laura Bush was first lady from 2001-2009 and was the honorary president of Girl Scouts during those years. As a child in Midland, Texas, she had been a Girl Scout and had many happy memories from those years, especially the friends she made and weeks at Girl Scout camp that fostered her love of the outdoors.
- Michelle Obama was first lady from 2009-2017 and enthusiastically took on the honorary role of president of Girl Scouts. She continues to work with Girl Scouts on the Becoming Me program — a partnership among Girl Scouts, Penguin Random House and Mrs. Obama. The program is based on Michelle Obama's book, Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers, and includes journaling activities designed to help girls reflect on their lives.
