Year 5 – 6 | How the Sun Sees You

Protecting My Skin full resource download  |  Concept 1: The sun and our skin download

Background

This lesson aims to raise awareness of the impact that harmful UV radiation has on our skin, the importance of sun
protection behaviours, and the role sunscreen plays in protecting our skin. The activity involves watching a video about how
an ultraviolet camera can show not-yet visible changes to your skin and then completing the 90 degrees thinking strategy.
The 90 degrees thinking is a strategy that helps students to graphically organise and record ideas and information that may
be seemingly unrelated and then apply these ideas and information to their own lives.

Key messages

• Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with two in three people developing cancer at some
  time in their lives
• Research has established that childhood and adolescence are both critical periods during which sun exposure could
  contribute to skin cancer later in life
• Over exposure to UV radiation from the sun has been identified as the cause of most skin cancers
• UV radiation damages the DNA cells in skin cells. Damage to the skin can result in premature aging and increases the
  risk of developing skin cancer
• The UV index indicates the strength of UV radiation reaching the ground. A UV level of 3 is high enough to cause
  damage to unprotected skin
• The UV forecast, not temperature should be used as a guide when assessing whether sun protection is required
• In Western Australia, the UV radiation levels are 3 and above for the majority of the year
• It is estimated that more than 75% of all skin cancers could be prevented by practicing sun protective behaviours in
  childhood and adolescence.

Resources

• How the sun sees you
• Blank paper

Instructions

1. Students access and view the video numerous times and ask key
   questions to promote discussion.
2. Distribute a sheet of blank paper and ask students to divide the
   page with a diagonal line from top right to bottom left.
3. In the top left-hand triangle, students record ideas or information from the video “How the Sun sees you”.
   Discuss as students reflect and record information or ideas.
4. In the bottom right-hand triangle, students record their feelings and what the implications of these factors or ideas
   may have on their own lives. Discuss and expand on information or ideas.
5. Advocating for change: Each student chooses one of the following methods of action: Create a display, write a blog,
   letter or opinion article, create a film, advert or drama, develop a persuasive speech, talk to decision-makers to
   advocate for change.
6. The task for each student is to use their delivery method to raise awareness, reduce risk and facilitate change in
   behaviours and attitudes.
7. At the end of each presentation, each student outlines why they think their method will work in facilitating change in
   behaviours and attitudes.

Key questions

• How did you feel after watching the video?
• What did you learn from the video?
• What are the implications for you?