Lesson Plan #: AELP-SFY0200
Submitted by: Bo Campbell
Email: rmerritt57@dingoblue.net.au
School/University/Affiliation: Griffith University Gold Coast QLD Australia
Date: March 26, 2001
Grade Level: Kindergarten, 1
Subject(s):
- Health/Safety
Duration: 30 minutes
Description: In this lesson, students learn how to protect themselves from the dangers of the sun. Although aimed at students living in Australia, this activity can be adapted by teachers worldwide.
Goals:
Objectives:
Materials:
- glue or paste
- coloring pencils
- scissors
- Queensland Kids are SunSmart (available in Australia: Coombabah Primary School, Oxley Drive, Coombabah QLD (07) 55772611)
- teacher-made worksheet with a character in the middle (I used Sid from the Slip Slop Slap commercials — SunSmart Campaign )
- teacher-made worksheet that contains pictures of proper and improper clothing to wear in the sun (see Procedure below for more information about the worksheets)
Procedure:
Begin by asking students, In what ways is the sun helpful to us? (ex. warmth, light, helps things grow) Introduce the book, Queensland Kids are SunSmart , and point to the character Sid on the cover. State that, Besides being helpful, the sun can also be dangerous — the sun’s rays can burn us. Ask students to share ways in which they enjoy the sun (ex. beach, swimming, playing outdoors). Ask students, Why can Sid can enjoy the sun? (Sid is wearing appropriate clothing.) How can we protect ourselves? (Bring up the school’s hat policy if one is in place, and stress the importance of the hat rule and why it is in place.)
Direct students to the clock in the book, and tell them when the danger zone is (between 10am and 3pm). Ask, If we have to be in the sun, what can we do to protect ourselves? [ Author’s Note: The book offers good visuals, so during the story encourage students to take turns pointing to the right things to wear when they are in the sun (wide brim hat, t-shirt, sunglasses, sunscreen). There is always a picture of the right apparel and the wrong apparel, so children have to decide which one is better rather than just pointing to any picture.]
After going through the book, give each student two worksheets. [ Author’s Note: The author regrets that the teacher-made worksheets could not be included with this lesson. Please see the Internet resources for supplementary materials that teachers can use to make their own worksheets.] One worksheet is simply a picture of Sid the Seagull. The other worksheet contains pictures of a number of items that are appropriate and inappropriate to wear when in the sun. Students must color and cut out all of the sunsafe clothes and paste them on Sid. Assessment: Observe students’ participation during group discussions. Collect students’ worksheets to check for appropriate sunsafe clothes.
Useful Internet Resources:
* SunSmart
SunSmart is the internationally recognized skin cancer control program of the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria.
http://www.sunsmart.com.au/
* Environmental Health Center – Sun Safety Guide
Available in .pdf format (Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view it).
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/sunwise/activity.htm
* Shade Your Day Kid’s Brochure
http://www.americansun.org/ASPA_PDfs/ActivitySheet.pdf
* Sun-Safe School Guide
http://www.americansun.org/ASPA_PDfs/SchGuide.pdf
Special Comments: I found this lesson worked really well with the grade ones. They were very enthusiastic and keen to participate. The visual aids helped a great deal, as the kids were able to relate what they were saying to the well known character in the book. They were also very excited about gluing on the sunsafe clothes onto Sid.