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Did you know that the majority of a person's sun exposure occurs before you turn 18? Skin cancers and sun damage that are discovered in later years are the result of this sun exposure!The key to prevention is education of children.How you can help your students protect their skin?
Lesson Plans
Printable Handout
Other Web ResourcesThe Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, Australia (www.sunsmart.com.au). A comprehensive website offering free educational resources.EPA Sunwise Kids. (http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/kids.html) A fun site with interactive activities for kids of all ages and abilities.Follow the adventures of Sun Guard Man (www.sunguardman.org) |
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Sunsense 101 Home | The Sun and Your Skin | What is Skin Cancer | Protect Yourself | Pick the Right Sunscreen | For Kids | Teens and Tanning | For Educators | For Parents | Partnerships |
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Lesson 1-- Wacky Paper Sunglasses (for K-2) Discuss the dangers of overexposure to the sun and the ways to be “sun safe” or protected from the sun. Discuss the effects long-term sun exposure can have on the eyes ( cataracts and other growths, wrinkles, etc.) Emphasize the importance of wearing sunglasses and hats to protect the eyes. Make the Wacky Paper sunglasses in class. Students love to color them, use stickers, gemstones and sequins, etc. Of course, these glasses are not sun safe, but only a reminder of what to wear. It is fun to take pictures of each student wearing his/her wacky paper sunglasses. You can use the photos to create a poster or a book to extend the activity and have a visual reminder in the classroom. Click here to download the Sunwise “Wacky Paper Sunglasses” lesson plan in PDF format Lesson 2-- UV Frisbee Fun (for K-2) Discuss the weather outside and the danger of sunburn on that particular day. Ask student to predict if the dangerous UV rays are out there right now. Take the students outside with the UV Frisbee inside a paper bag. Ask the students to count silently while observing how long it takes for the Frisbee to change color. This can lead to a good discussion about wearing sun protection everyday—even if it doesn’t look sunny outside. This works well as a extension activity for all grades. Cover the Frisbee with plastic wrap or a disposable shower cap. Apply small circles of sunscreen (varying SPFs). Take outside to observe effectiveness and discuss the findings. You can also use sunglasses and reading glasses on the Frisbee to check for UV protection, or tape small swatches of different fabrics onto it for the same effect. The students enjoy working in small groups with their own Frisbee and supplies in the higher grades (second grade and up). They could then report their findings to the whole class or record what they found in a science journal. Click here to download the SunWise “UV Frisbee Fun” lesson plan in PDF Click here to download the SunWise “UV Frisbee Science” lesson plan in PDF Lesson 3-- Speedy Sun Relay Race This activity works well as a culminating or end-of-the-year/Field Day activity. You’ll need three boxes containing sun safe and unsafe clothing and sunscreens, glasses, and hats. It works as a relay race with several teams competing. You can actually have the students dress one “model” student, or just have them lay out a completely sun safe ensemble (long pants, long sleeved shirt, hat, sunglasses, SPF 15+ sunscreen). The team to dress the model or get the ensemble laid out correctly wins. Extension or Indoor Version If it’s a rainy day or you need a quiet indoor activity, you can have the students draw a sun-safe ensemble of their own. * This activity works well on the computer in KidPix as well. You can import a real picture of each student’s face and they can add the sun safe clothing, tube of sunscreen, and a sun safety sentence. Click here to download the SunWise “Speedy Sun Relay” lesson plan in PDF This activity can bring in some math skills (using money and addition). You can follow the directions in the SunWise curriculum guide or you can tweak it to meet your own objectives. We had the students use the page without directions and wrote these new directions on the board: 1. Work with a partner 2. Choose only two items to buy and draw the bill and coins that you would use to pay for each item. 3. Write the equation to find the total for the two items and solve it . Show your work! 4. Write a few sentences to explain why you and your partner chose those two particular items. How will they best protect you from the sun? After we allowed time for the groups to finish, we had each group share their work with the class. We discussed what the most effective choices were, etc. Click here to download the SunWise “Buy SunWisely” lesson plan in PDF Lesson 5-- Create Your Own Sunscreen This lesson helps reinforce the things to look for when selecting a sunscreen, as highlighted on the Pick the Right Sunscreen page. Have students look at the page or discuss as a group what ingredients and key words to look for when selecting a sunscreen. You may want to write these elements on the board if the kids have not visited the web page recently. Print out the Create Your Own Sunscreen page for the students to use in their design or have them bring in used empty bottles and paste their own appropriately sized labels to them. If printing out the page for student use, you may want to use a heavier paper to make it easier for the kids to write on the front and back sides. Ask students to follow the guidelines as indicated on the Create Your Own Sunscreen page. Each sunscreen design should have the following elements: Front of bottle should include: 1) a name and appropriate logo or artwork; 2) SPF; 3) Type of UV rays it protects against Back of bottle should include: 1) Directions for how to use and apply product, including when to apply, how to apply, and how often to reapply; 2) List the "active" ingredients that make this an effective sunscreen Click here to link to printable Create Your Own Sunscreen page. |
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Sunsense 101 Home | The Sun and Your Skin | What is Skin Cancer | Protect Yourself | Pick the Right Sunscreen | For Kids | Teens and Tanning | For Educators | For Parents | Partnerships |
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