Year 5 – 6 | Protecting Life: Martian Challenge

Protecting My Skin full resource download  |  Concept 3: Our seasons download

Background

Students explore how UV radiation from the sun can affect living things, comparing conditions on Earth and Mars, and then
discuss ways in which organisms may protect themselves from UV radiation. This activity has been adapted from NASA’s
Protecting life: The Martian Challenge. Part one of the activity involves students designing and creating a Martian using
craft materials and UV beads. The UV beads are ‘radiation detectors’ and students experiment and make observations for
shade and full sun.
How do UV beads work? The UV reactive detection beads indicate UV light by changing colour. The stronger the ultraviolet
radiation present, the quicker the colour change and the deeper the colour. Once indoors and away from the sun’s UV light,
the beads change back to off-white. The sunglasses and UV reactive beads experiment tests to see if sunglasses can block
out ultraviolet radiation.

Key messages

• UV is invisible, you cannot see or feel it. We can see its effects though
• If UV index is 3 or above, it can cause sunburn and skin damage
• When the UV Index is 3 or above, sun protection is required
• UV and heat are not the same thing
• The UV Index can be 3 or above when it is cool and cloudy
• UV radiation can bounce and reflect off surfaces, so it is important to use all five forms of sun protection. Slip, Slop,
  Slap, Seek and Slide
• The UV Index is an open-ended numerical scale that measures the amount of UV radiation reaching the earth’s surface
• UV levels gradually increase from sunrise and peaks at solar noon on a clear sky day. Solar noon is the point at which the
  sun is directly overhead. UV levels then decline until sunset.

Resources

• Activity sheet: The Martian Challenge
• UV beads (can be found online or craft stores)
• Protecting Life: The Martian Challenge
• Beads (non-UV)
• Pipe cleaners
• Various craft items for constructing a creature, such as Styrofoam balls, felt, foil, additional pipe cleaners, small milk
  cartons, empty small water bottles, coloured card stock, pompoms, and coloured wool
• Select an outdoor area that has a shady and sunny spot
• Prepare an indoor area: ensure area is large enough to enable students to create their Mars creatures.

Instructions

1. Discuss characteristics of Mars that might be helpful to life. Discuss the challenges that living things on Mars would
   face and UV radiation.
2. Design a Martian creature using the materials provided and share ideas.
3. Construct a Martian or Mars creature. Explain that creatures will include radiation detectors (UV beads) that are made
   from a special pigment that is very sensitive and changes colour when exposed to the ultraviolet rays
4. Predict: Complete the predict section of the activity sheet.
5. Observe: Cover the Martian’s radiation detectors with their hands and take it outside.
6. Shaded observations: Stand in the shade and uncover their creature. What do you observe happening to the Mars
   creature’s radiation detectors? The beads become lightly coloured, indicating that, even in the shade outside, there is
   some UV radiation reaching the detectors and our skin.
   Note: Repeat step 5. Keep the creature covered for about two minutes while the beads change back to white. Use this opportunity
   to discuss their observations. What do you think will happen when we take our creatures out into the full sunlight?
7. Full sun observations: Take the Martian into the full Sun. What happened to the beads? The beads changed colour,
   reacting to the intensity of the UV radiation to which they are being exposed.
8. Return indoors and continue the discussion with key questions.
9. Complete the observe section of the activity sheet.
10. What happened to your Martian’s radiation detectors? Was your prediction correct?
11. Reflect: Class discussion, what did this experiment tell you about UV radiation and you?

Key questions

• What is UV? How does is affect us?
• Why is the sun important? What are some harmful effects of the sun?
• What could happen when we take our creatures out into the full sunlight?
• Where did they change the most? Why do you think this is?
• What happened to the radiation detectors? Did they change in the shade? In the Sun?
• What caused your creature’s radiation detectors to change colours?
• What happened to the radiation detectors after coming back inside?
• What did this experiment tell you about UV radiation and your health?
• How do we protect ourselves from UV radiation?

When completing activities and lessons outdoors when the UV Index is 3 or above, please remember to be SunSmart