Year 1 – 2 | Five Senses Sunscreen

Protecting My Skin full resource download  |  Concept 5: Taking positive action to reduce risk download

Background

The Five Senses Sunscreen activity involves exploring sunscreen using the five senses (excluding taste!). The activity aims to
familiarise students with sunscreen, and is designed to analyse sunscreen, discuss what it feels, smells, looks and sounds like.
Students record one or more adjectives that describes sunscreen on the template provided. It is recommended that parents/
carers are informed of the activity in case of student sunscreen reactions. Students can provide their own sunscreen if required.

Key messages

• Sunscreen reduces the risk of skin cancer, sunburn, and the ageing effects of UV radiation from the sun.\
• Broad spectrum sunscreen protects the skin from both UVA and UVB radiation.
• It is recommended that sunscreen is applied 20 minutes before going into the sun. This allows the sunscreen time
  to bond properly to the skin.
• Apply sunscreen generously, layer it and do not rub it in.
• Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours or more often if swimming, sweating, or towelling off.
• SPF stands for Sun Protective Factor. Water-resistant sunscreen SPF50 or SPF50+ is best.
• When the UV Index is 3 or above, sun protection is required.

Resources

• Activity sheet: Five Senses Sunscreen template
• Resource: How Sunscreen Works
• Liquid sunscreen
• Petri dishes or milk bottle tops
• Magnifying glasses
• Correct sunscreen application poster
• How to Apply Sunscreen video

Instructions

1. Activate prior knowledge about sunscreen and discuss as a class. Ask key questions.
2. Distribute five senses sunscreen activity sheet and petri dish to each student. Place a small squirt (about 20 cent piece) of
   sunscreen into each dish.
3. Starting with the sense of smell, students smell the sunscreen and using adjectives, describe what it smells like. Does is
   smell like perfume or plain?
4. Write one or more adjectives for ‘smells like’ in the space provided on the activity sheet.
5. Repeat for, looks like and sounds like (not taste).
6. Finish exploring the sunscreen with the sense of touch, what does sunscreen feel like? Students apply the sunscreen from
   their dish onto their arm. Discuss what it feels like. Is it thick or watery? Does it feel slippery or oily? Encourage students to
   not rub in the sunscreen, and watch it disappear/become invisible like magic!
7. Wipe hands with a tissue and write adjectives describing how the sunscreen felt.
8. Watch video.
9. Watch the video again and discuss what students learnt from the video.
10. Demonstrate/role model putting on sunscreen, then students practice putting it on themselves. Focus on areas that
    often get missed, such as the ears and back of the neck.

Key questions

• What do you know about sunscreen?
• How often should you apply sunscreen?
• Why do we need sunscreen?
• How does sunscreen helps us?